Chevron Australia is working to contribute towards a lower carbon economy while still meeting the energy needs of its customers now and in the years ahead, says its Operations Director Danny Woodall.

Addressing a CEDA function on The Future of Gas in WA, Mr Woodall said there needed to be an acknowledgement of the priorities of reliable, affordable, and ever cleaner gas to create a future energy system that worked for all people.

“The Australian Energy Market Operator says overall WA domestic gas demand is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 1.7 percent for years to come,” Mr Woodall said.

“Another AEMO report released earlier this month found that natural gas will play a key role in electricity generation in WA well into the 2040s.

“Today, we’re one of the largest investors in Australia and proudly operate two of the largest resource projects in the country, the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects.”

Chevron’s projects were crucial for international gas customers and WA, supporting the economy by “having the capacity to produce up to 515 terajoules of domestic gas a day”.

“That’s almost 50 per cent of the State’s current domestic gas supply and enough to generate electricity for 4.3 million households,” he said.

“Gorgon, in particular, has delivered more domestic gas than any other facility in Western Australia over the past 12 months.

“A few months ago, we achieved first gas production in our Gorgon Stage Two development. Fabrication is also underway on the $6 billion Jansz-Io Compression Project which will maintain production from the Jansz-Io field.

“These investments will help deliver a steady supply of gas to our facilities on Barrow Island, home to the Gorgon LNG and domestic gas plants.”

The official nameplate capacity of the Wheatstone plant will increase from 205 terajoules a day to 215 terajoules a day.

Chevron will explore opportunities at Wheatstone that could increase domestic gas capacity even further.

“Equally, increasing the diversity of supply sources, including through new gas developments, will enhance the State’s energy security. Supportive policy and regulatory settings are key to achieving these complementary objectives,” he said.

Chevron aimed to lead the future of gas in WA “in producing lower carbon intensity natural gas that both industry and communities rely on each and every day.

“At the same time, we’re exploring lower-carbon energy businesses to help major industries like heavy transportation and manufacturing achieve their lower carbon goals. This includes solutions such as carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen.”

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