Chevron, along with joint venture partners Shell Development Australia and ExxonMobil, have encountered approximately 100 m of net gas pay in five Triassic Mungaroo sands in the Achilles-1 exploration well, located in WA-374-P, approximately 160 km northwest of Onslow in the Greater Gorgon Gas Field.

“We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Australia on exploration drilling and appraisal drilling. The success of our drilling program will provide additional gas to underpin the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects,” said Chevron Australia Managing Director Roy Krzywosinski.

Mr Krzywosinski said that the company is looking forward to further success, with the Ensco 7500 rig currently spudding the Satyr-1 exploration well, located in WA-374-P.

The Achilles gas discovery could potentially lead to two additional LNG trains for the Gorgon project, which currently includes three 5 million tonnes per annum (MMt/a) LNG train facilities, a carbon dioxide injection project, and a domestic gas plant.

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Chevron also plans to produce 10 MMt/a of LNG through two 5 MMt/a trains for the Wheatstone LNG Development, with the possibility of an additional three trains that would extend the project's capacity to 25 MMt/a of LNG.

Two export pipelines have been proposed to transport gas from the fields to the onshore plant for the Wheatstone development. The first of these lines will be approximately 220 km of 860 mm diameter pipe. The second pipeline will be laid to allow future tie-ins from other gas fields.

Chevron holds a 100 per cent interest in the Wheatstone LNG Development, and is the operator of the Gorgon LNG Development with joint venture partners ExxonMobil and Shell.