media statement

chevron australia consolidates focus on wheatstone project in asset swap

PERTH, Western Australia, 19 December 2024 – Chevron Australia Pty Ltd (“Chevron Australia”), an indirect subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, announced today it has agreed to an asset swap with Woodside under which both parties will consolidate their focus on strategic assets they individually operate in Western Australia.

Under the proposed transaction, Chevron Australia will transfer to Woodside its 16.67 percent non-operated interest in the North West Shelf (NWS) Project, NWS Oil Project and its 20 percent non-operated interest in the Angel Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project1. Chevron Australia will acquire Woodside’s 13 percent non-operated interest in the Wheatstone Project2 and 65 percent operated interest in the Julimar-Brunello Project.

In addition, Chevron Australia will make a cash payment to Woodside of up to US$400 million paid at key milestones and contingent on the execution and handover of the Julimar Phase 3 Project from Woodside to Chevron Australia.

“This transaction will enable us to consolidate our focus and resources on key assets we operate in Western Australia, in this case our Wheatstone Project,” said Mark Hatfield, Managing Director Chevron Australia.

“The North West Shelf Project paved the way for Western Australia and the nation to become international leaders in natural gas and has been operated by Woodside to a world-class standard.”

“We have been an active participant in the North West Shelf Project since its foundation over 40 years ago and we are proud of the project’s record as a safe, competitive, and reliable supplier of domestic gas and LNG and its transformation into a tolling facility.”

The transaction is subject to several conditions precedent including regulatory approvals and execution and hand over of the Julimar Phase 3 Project from Woodside to Chevron Australia.

 

[1] Chevron Australia New Energies (G-10-AP) Pty Ltd is the owner of Chevron’s interests in the Angel CCS Project and party to the relevant sale and purchase agreement.
[2] Wheatstone is operated by Chevron Australia and is a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (64.14 percent), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) (13.4 percent), Woodside Energy Group Ltd (13 percent), and Kyushu Electric Power Company (1.46 percent), together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd, part-owned by JERA (8 percent).

About Chevron Australia

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies and through its Australian subsidiaries, has been present in Australia for more than 70 years. With the ingenuity and commitment of thousands of workers, Chevron Australia operates the Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas facilities; manages its equal one-sixth interest in the North West Shelf Venture; operates Australia’s largest onshore oilfield on Barrow Island; and is a significant investor in exploration. Chevron Australia Downstream delivers quality fuels and lubricants primarily via its Caltex network of service stations across Australia.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT RELEVANT TO FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF “SAFE HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

 

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to Chevron’s operations and lower carbon strategy that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates, and projections about the petroleum, chemicals, and other energy-related industries. Words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” “advances,” “commits,” “drives,” “aims,” “forecasts,” “projects,” “believes,” “approaches,” “seeks,” “schedules,” “estimates,” “positions,” “pursues,” “progress,” “may,” “can,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “budgets,” “outlook,” “trends,” “guidance,” “focus,” “on track,” “goals,” “objectives,” “strategies,” “opportunities,” “poised,” “potential,” “ambitions,” “aspires” and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include such words. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors, many 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 report. 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: changing crude oil and natural gas prices and demand for the company’s products, and production curtailments due to market conditions; crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries; technological advancements; changes to government policies in the countries in which the company operates; public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, and any related government policies and actions; disruptions in the company’s global supply chain, including supply chain constraints and escalation of the cost of goods and services; changing economic, regulatory and political environments in the various countries in which the company operates; general domestic and international economic, market and political conditions, including the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict in Israel and the global response to these hostilities; changing refining, marketing and chemicals margins; the company’s ability to realize anticipated cost savings and efficiencies associated with enterprise structural cost reduction initiatives; the potential for gains and losses from asset dispositions or impairments; the possibility that future charges related to enterprise structural cost reduction initiatives, impairments and other obligations may be greater or different than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected or changed facts, circumstances and assumptions; actions of competitors or regulators; timing of exploration expenses; timing of crude oil liftings; the competitiveness of alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; development of large carbon capture and offset markets; the results of operations and financial condition of the company’s suppliers, vendors, partners and equity affiliates; 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, cyber threats, terrorist acts, or other natural or human causes beyond the company’s control; the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations and litigation; significant operational, investment or product changes undertaken or required by existing or future environmental statutes and regulations, including international agreements and national or regional legislation and regulatory measures related to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; the potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the risk that regulatory approvals and clearances related to the Hess Corporation (Hess) transaction are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated by the company and Hess; potential delays in consummating the Hess transaction, including as a result of the ongoing arbitration proceedings regarding preemptive rights in the Stabroek Block joint operating agreement; risks that such ongoing arbitration is not satisfactorily resolved and the potential transaction fails to be consummated; uncertainties as to whether the potential transaction, if consummated, will achieve its anticipated economic benefits, including as a result of risks associated with third party contracts containing material consent, anti-assignment, transfer or other provisions that may be related to the potential transaction that are not waived or otherwise satisfactorily resolved; the company’s ability to integrate Hess’ operations in a successful manner and in the expected time period; the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits and projected synergies of the potential transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the company’s future acquisitions or dispositions of assets or shares or the delay or failure of such transactions to close based on required closing conditions; government mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations, taxes and tax audits, tariffs, sanctions, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on scope of company operations; foreign currency movements compared with the U.S. dollar; higher inflation and related impacts; material reductions in corporate liquidity and access to debt markets; changes to the company’s capital allocation strategies; the effects of changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by rule-setting bodies; the company’s ability to identify and mitigate the risks and hazards inherent in operating in the global energy industry; and the factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” on pages 20 through 26 of the company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this report could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

 

Todd Cardy

Communications Advisor
Chevron Australia

 

Cameron Van Ast

Lead Media Advisor
Chevron Asia Pacific