The Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Wheatstone gas project in Western Australia.
The Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Wheatstone gas project in Western Australia.
US oil giant Chevron Corporation, the operator of the project in Ashburton North, announced today that its Australian subsidiaries had signed a Heads of Agreement with KOGAS.
KOGAS, the largest LNG buyer in the world, will purchase 1.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum for 20 years.
"Chevron is pleased to have KOGAS, the largest LNG buyer in the world, as part of the Wheatstone project. Their entry adds further momentum to this development," said president of Chevron Global Gas, John Gass.
Chevron did not disclose the value of the contract, but based on its recent $90 billion 20 year deal to supply 3mt of LNG from Wheatstone annually to Japan, the Kogas contract would notionally be worth over $40 billion over 20 years.
The company also signed an agreement to acquire a five per cent stake in Chevron's Wheatstone field licenses and in the Wheatstone project LNG and domestic gas processing facilities.
Full company statement below:
Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) announced today that its Australian subsidiaries signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) for the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Chevron-operated Wheatstone natural gas project in Australia.
Under the HOA, KOGAS expects to purchase 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG for up to 20 years from the Wheatstone project participants. Approximately 75 percent of the 1.5 MTPA is expected to be purchased from Chevron, with the remainder from other Wheatstone hub participants.
In addition to being a foundation customer of the Wheatstone project, KOGAS signed an equity HOA to acquire a 5 percent interest in each of Chevron's Wheatstone field licenses and in the Wheatstone project LNG and domestic gas processing facilities. Including this equity participation, KOGAS plans to take delivery of a total of approximately 1.95 MTPA of LNG from the Wheatstone project.
John Gass, president of Chevron Global Gas, welcomed KOGAS as a foundation customer and participant in the Wheatstone project. "Chevron is pleased to have KOGAS, the largest LNG buyer in the world, as part of the Wheatstone project. Their entry adds further momentum to this development," Gass said.
Chevron Australia managing director, Roy Krzywosinski, said the agreement demonstrated successful coordinated LNG marketing for the Wheatstone foundation project. "The Wheatstone hub at Ashburton North has been established to process our significant equity gas as well as third-party natural gas resources located in the Western Carnarvon Basin," Krzywosinski said.
Front-end engineering and design is currently being completed on the Wheatstone project ahead of a planned final investment decision in 2011.
In September 2009, KOGAS and Chevron also agreed to an HOA for the delivery of 1.5 MTPA of LNG from the Gorgon project for 15 years, with an option to extend the agreement for an additional five years.
In October 2009, Chevron announced it had signed a binding agreement with Apache Julimar Pty Ltd., a subsidiary of the Apache Corporation, which will assume a 16.25 percent equity interest in the Wheatstone project, and with KUFPEC Australia (Julimar) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company k.s.c., which will assume an 8.75 percent interest in the project. Chevron is responsible for the marketing of LNG from the Wheatstone project.
Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies and through its Australian subsidiaries, has been present in Australia for almost 60 years. With the ingenuity and commitment of more than 1,800 people, Chevron Australia leads the development of the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects; manages its equal one-sixth interest in the North West Shelf Venture; and operates Australia's largest onshore oilfield on Barrow Island and the Thevenard Island oilfields. The company is also a participant in the Browse liquefied natural gas development and is a significant investor in exploration offshore northwest Australia, one of Chevron's four global focus areas for exploration.