Chevron signs KOGAS

as new Wheatstone customer

The Korea Gas Corporation has signed a 20-year agreement worth billions of dollars to purchase liquefied natural gas from the $25 billion Wheatstone gas project off the North-West coast.

US oil giant Chevron Corporation, the operator of the project in Ashburton North, said its Australian subsidiaries had signed a Heads of Agreement with KOGAS.

The new agreement will boost the likelihood of the Wheatstone project getting final approval, slated for next year.

KOGAS, the largest LNG buyer in the world, will purchase 1.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Wheatstone for 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.

KOGAS’ LNG purchase together with its equity participation will see KOGAS take delivery of about 1.95mtpa of Wheatstone LNG.

State One Stockbroking energy analyst Peter Kopetz estimated the deal with KOGAS would be worth about $20 billion over its 20 year life, based on previous deals announced.

He said such a move would boost the chances of the gas project getting final approval.

“I think Wheatstone now has contracted about 80 per cent of its LNG,” Mr Kopetz said.

Tokyo Electric Power Company last year signed Australia’s biggest energy deal, with a deal worth an estimated $90 billion to take 4.1mtpa of Wheatstone gas during the next 20 years.

KOGAS has previously signed a deal with Chevron for 1.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG from the Gorgon gas project offshore from WA.

Chevron has not disclosed the value of the latest deal.