PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Gorgon liquefied natural gas (LNG) joint venture (JV) marked the first production of gas from its Stage 2 development last week, off the coast of Western Australia.

The Stage 2 development expands the existing subsea gas gathering network of the Gorgon project, the largest single resource project in Australia's history, said US energy major Chevron. 

Located on Barrow Island, Gorgon comprises a three-train, 15.6-million-tonne-a-year LNG facility and a domestic gas plant with the capacity to supply 300 terajoules of gas a day to Western Australia.   

In line with the original development plan for the Gorgon project, Gorgon Stage 2 involved the installation of 11 additional wells in the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields and accompanying offshore production pipelines and subsea structures to maintain feed gas supply for the gas processing facilities on Barrow Island. 

“Gorgon Stage 2 first gas marks the next phase of the Gorgon Project and demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and affordable energy that supports the region’s energy security,” said Chevron Australia MD Mark Hatfield.

“Importantly, the team completed the complex offshore installation work, totalling more than 3.2-million hours to date, without any serious injuries or incidents. 

“The development supports the longevity of the Gorgon project and the continuation of its already significant ongoing benefits including highly skilled local employment, economic activity as well as state and federal government revenue for decades to come. 

“Adding to the initial A$40-billion spend on Australian goods and services from the Gorgon project since 2009, the development created more than 800 jobs in Western Australia through drilling and completion activities, subsea infrastructure installation and project management.” 

The Chevron-operated Gorgon project is a JV between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas and JERA.