Chevron has fully restored production at its Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Western Australia after completing repairs following the impact of a tropical cyclone in late March.
The facility, with a production capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per year, had been taken offline after Cyclone Narelle passed through, causing significant damage to key components of the cooling system.
Cyclone impact on LNG infrastructure
According to information provided by the company, extreme winds affected several hundred air-cooled heat exchangers, known as fin fans. This type of equipment is critical in gas liquefaction processes, so repairing it represented a significant technical challenge.
In addition, the disruption forced both LNG processing units to shut down, temporarily affecting production for both the domestic market and exports.
Gradual recovery of energy supply
Chevron also indicated that domestic gas supply for customers in Western Australia resumed about a week after the weather event. Subsequently, LNG production increased gradually until it reached full capacity.
Danny Woodall, Chevron’s head of operations and maintenance in Australia, noted that the complexity of the repairs required a coordinated response to ensure system integrity before fully restarting operations.
Wheatstone’s relevance in the LNG market
The Wheatstone plant is one of Chevron’s key assets in the liquefied natural gas segment, contributing to both regional supply and international energy trade.
In this context, the rapid operational recovery strengthens supply stability and demonstrates the industry’s responsiveness to extreme weather events that affect critical infrastructure.
Source: Reuters