Emerges as One of the World’s Largest Natural Gas Developments
Project Will Be a Global Leader in Applying Underground Carbon
Dioxide Injection Technology
SAN RAMON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 13, 2009--
Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) today announced that its subsidiary,
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, will proceed with the development of the Gorgon
natural gas project offshore Western Australia. Development
proposals for the project were approved today by the Western Australian
State Premier the Hon. Colin Barnett, MLA, and production licenses were
granted by the Australian Minister for Resources and Energy the Hon.
Martin Ferguson AM, MP.
“With a total resource base of more than 40 trillion cubic feet of gas
and an estimated economic life of at least 40 years, Gorgon will be a
major contributor to our company’s future growth,” said Chevron Chairman
Dave O’Reilly.
“Gorgon adds significant long-term reserves and production for Chevron,
bolstering our strong resource replacement and underscoring the
importance of Australia to our growing natural gas business,” said
George Kirkland, executive vice president, Global Upstream and Gas,
Chevron Corporation.
The Gorgon Project, operated by the Australian subsidiary of Chevron (50
percent1) in joint venture with Australian subsidiaries of
ExxonMobil (25 percent) and Shell (25 percent), is currently estimated
to cost AU$43 billion (US$37 billion) for the first phase of
development. First gas is planned for 2014.
The Greater Gorgon Area’s projected natural gas resources are equivalent
to 6.7 billion barrels of oil. The project’s scope includes a
three-train, 15 million-metric-ton-per-year liquefied natural gas (LNG)
facility and a domestic gas plant.
The project underwent a rigorous and thorough environmental assessment
that culminated with some of the most stringent conditions imposed on a
major project anywhere in the world. The project is expected to have the
world’s largest carbon dioxide injection system and be a global leader
in underground carbon dioxide injection technology.
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy
companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The
company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of
approximately 62,000 employees who operate across the energy spectrum.
Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas;
refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy
products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power
and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions;
and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and
other renewables. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information
about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.
Notes to Editor:
1 Chevron’s stake will change from 50 percent to 47.75
percent once relevant approvals have been obtained on equity agreements
with Osaka Gas and Tokyo Gas. As stated in a Chevron news release dated
September 9, 2009, Chevron will supply Osaka Gas 1.375 MTPA of LNG for
25 years. Osaka Gas will purchase 1.25 percent equity in the Gorgon
Project. Tokyo Gas will be supplied 1.1 MTPA over 25 years and will
purchase a 1 percent equity stake. Supply from both agreements is
expected to commence in the second half of 2014.
Watch a Gorgon Project explainer on YouTube: http://bit.ly/1ZxuZk
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT RELEVANT TO FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION FOR THE
PURPOSE OF “SAFE HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION
REFORM ACT OF 1995
This press release of Chevron Corporation contains forward-looking
statements relating to Chevron’s operations in Australia that are based
on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about
the petroleum, chemicals, and other energy-related industries. Words
such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,”
“projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “schedules,” “estimates,” “budgets,”
“will supply,” “will be supplied” and similar expressions are intended
to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not
guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks,
uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the company’s
control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and
results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in
such forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date of this press release. Unless legally required, Chevron undertakes
no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements are crude-oil
and natural-gas prices; refining, marketing and chemicals margins;
actions of competitors or regulators; the competitiveness of
alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; technological
developments; the inability or failure of the company’s joint-venture
partners to fund their share of operations and development activities;
the potential failure to achieve expected net production from existing
and future crude-oil and natural-gas development projects; potential
delays in the development, construction or start-up of planned projects;
the potential disruption or interruption of the company’s operations due
to war, accidents, political events, civil unrest, severe weather or
crude-oil production quotas that might be imposed by the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); the potential liability for
remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental
regulations and litigation; significant investment or product changes
under existing or future environmental statutes, regulations and
litigation; the potential liability resulting from pending or future
litigation; the company’s acquisition or disposition of assets;
government-mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations,
industry-specific taxes, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on
scope of company operations; foreign-currency movements compared with
the U.S. dollar (the U.S. dollar estimate of the cost of the project
contained in this press release was based on the exchange rate at
September 11, 2009, of $1 = 1.158 Australian dollars); the effects of
changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles
promulgated by rule-setting bodies; and the factors set forth under the
heading “Risk Factors” on pages 30 and 31 of the company’s 2008 Annual
Report on Form 10-K. In addition, such statements could be affected by
general domestic and international economic and political conditions.
Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this press release
could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules permit oil and
gas companies to disclose only proved reserves in their filings with the
SEC. Certain terms, such as “total resource base,” “resource
replacement,” “long-term reserves,” among others, may be used in this
press release to describe certain oil and gas properties that are not
permitted to be used in filings with the SEC.
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Source: Chevron Corporation
For Chevron Corporation
Margaret Cooper, 713-372-4919 (Houston)
Gareth
Johnstone, +65 9728 8375 (Singapore)