Oil and gas producer Chevron Corporation has announced plans to open an energy technology centre in Perth next year, employing about 100 professional staff.
Chevron Australia managing director Jay Johnson announced details of the centre at the official opening of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Gas Forum in Perth last night.
The centre is being established at a time when Chevron is seeking government support for its planned Gorgon LNG project.
The Perth centre will be in addition to technology centres in Texas and California and another new centre to be established in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Mr Johnson said the Perth centre would focus on the upstream part of the industry (i.e. oil and gas extraction) in the Asia Pacific region including China, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
"From the new Perth global technology centre, we will be able to deploy technology solutions to our regional interests faster, gain access to new technology development opportunities and better leverage our technical talent globally," Mr Johnson told the APGAS forum.
"In terms of centre location, Australia appealed because of its proximity to our interests in the region, its rich pool of talented technology experts and growth opportunities to further build research and development alliances with universities and industry partners."
Mr Johnson said the Perth location makes sense also because "this city is building a well deserved reputation as a centre of operations for the oil and gas industry in Australia and the wider region".
He added that the new centre would help Chevron capitalise on its relationship with the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance.
Chevron plans to recruit most of the staff for the new centre from within the region.
