A flight from Rough Range; the first working well of Australia's commercial petroleum industry.
our history
see where we’ve been and where we’re going
Chevron has been operating in Australia since 1952 when we entered Western Australia through the formation of WAPET.
A year later, oil was discovered at Rough Range – Australia’s first commercial well.
More recently, Chevron has brought online two world-class LNG facilities – Gorgon and Wheatstone.
Here are some of the milestones that happened along the way.
1952 | Chevron enters Western Australia through Caltex (owned by Texaco and Standard Oil of California later to become Chevron) joining with Ampol Petroleum to form West Australian Petroleum (WAPET).
1953 | WAPET found oil at the Rough Range No.1 well in the Carnarvon Basin.
1964 | Chevron joined Woodside and Shell in an exploration joint venture which later became the North West Shelf Project. Later that year, WAPET announced an oil discovery on Barrow Island as first oil flowed from Barrow No.1.
1966 | WAPET found gas at Dongara in the Perth Basin
1967 | First shipment of oil leaves Barrow Island. Naturalist Harry Butler appointed conservation consultant to WAPET in a pioneering move to protect the environment at Barrow Island.
1973 | The West Tryal Rocks gas field was discovered north-west of Barrow Island, the first of the Greater Gorgon Area gas fields to be discovered.
1980 | The Gorgon field was discovered in deep water west of Barrow Island.
1984 | First gas was delivered from the North West Shelf Project to Perth via the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.
1989 | The first LNG shipment was exported from the North West Shelf Venture to Japan.
1994-2000 | A series of new gas discoveries were made in the Greater Gorgon Area.
2000 | Chevron Australia became operator of the oil and gas exploration and production assets previously managed by WAPET.
2003 | After extensive studies to identify the best site for the Gorgon Project, the Western Australian Government provided in-principle approval for the Gorgon Project’s onshore gas plant to be based at Barrow Island.
2004 | The Wheatstone gas field was discovered in the Greater Gorgon Area.
2006 | Further gas discoveries were made in the Greater Gorgon Area.
2007 | The Western Australian and Federal Governments awarded environmental approvals for a 10 million tonne per annum (mtpa) LNG plant and domestic gas plant at Barrow Island.
2008 | Chevron announced that it was working with government to secure approvals for a revised and expanded 15 mtpa Gorgon Project.
2009 | The Gorgon Project receives final environmental approvals from the WA State and Federal governments and reaches a final investment decision. Construction on the Gorgon Project commences on Barrow Island.
2011 | The Wheatstone Project received final environmental approval from the WA and Federal Government prior to reaching a final investment decision (FID) on 26 September 2011. Construction began on site in Ashburton North in December 2011.
2014 | Construction continues simultaneously on both the Gorgon and Wheatstone projects as they progress closer to completion.
2016 | On 7 March 2016 Chevron announced it has started producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and condensate at the Gorgon Project on Barrow Island off the northwest coast of Western Australia. Domestic gas supply to the Western Australian market commenced in December 2016.
2017 | On 17 October 2017 production of LNG starts at the Wheatstone Project in Western Australia. On 31 October 2017 the first shipment of LNG from the Wheatstone Project, 12kms west of Onslow, departed to one Chevron’s foundation buyers, JERA for delivery into Japan.
2019 | On 5 March 2019 domestic gas supply to the Western Australian market commenced from the Wheatstone Project.
2017 | Chevron Australia announces the Harry Butler Legacy Project, dedicated to upholding the late Dr Harry Butler’s AO CBE passion and unwavering commitment to conservation and the environment for the benefit of future generations. Harry Butler’s relationship with Chevron spanned more than 50 years where he had a particular impact with his conservation work on Barrow Island, a Class A Nature Reserve and home to the Chevron-led Gorgon Project and WA Oil.
2019 | Chevron Australia begins operation of the carbon dioxide injection system at the Chevron-led Gorgon natural gas facility on Barrow Island, off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The carbon dioxide injection facility will reduce Gorgon’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 percent, or more than 100 million tonnes over the life of the injection project.
2019 | Chevron Australia begins operation of the carbon dioxide injection system at the Chevron-led Gorgon natural gas facility on Barrow Island, off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The carbon dioxide injection facility will reduce Gorgon’s greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 percent, or more than 100 million tonnes over the life of the injection project.
2019 | Chevron Australia announces agreement with Brookfield Property Partners for the purchase and development of 1 The Esplanade at Elizabeth Quay, which will become home to Chevron’s new Perth headquarters in 2023.
2019 | Chevron Australia announces the commencement of the Gorgon Stage Two campaign to drill additional wells in the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields to maintain gas supply from the Jansz-Io field to the three existing LNG trains and domestic gas plant on Barrow Island.
2020 | Chevron Australia Downstream announces the acquisition of Puma Energy, a strategic acquisition that further integrates our value chain in the Asia Pacific region by providing a well-developed infrastructure for products from our Asian refining joint ventures.
2021 | Following the Gorgon Stage Two project, Chevron Australia announces that the Jansz-Io Compression (J-IC) project will proceed, using world-leading subsea compression technology to maintain gas supply from the Jansz-Io field to the three existing LNG trains and domestic gas plant on Barrow Island.