• First LNG shipment from the US$34 billion Wheatstone Project
• Start of exports triggers handover of new Port of Ashburton facilities to the State
• Thousands of jobs created by Wheatstone Project

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has congratulated the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project on its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) today.
 
The start of LNG exports from the Wheatstone Marine Terminal within the Port of Ashburton triggers the handover of the new port facilities from Chevron Australia to the Pilbara Ports Authority.
 
Under the State Development Agreement for the Wheatstone Project, the proponents have funded the full construction of the State-owned port. The multimillion-dollar port development includes 312 hectares of common user area, an infrastructure corridor and 250 square kilometres of port waters.
 
Pilbara Ports Authority will have full responsibility for the shipping channel, including the turning basin, and within the next 12 months, will take over all remaining areas that are not leased to Chevron.
 
The Wheatstone Project is a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, Woodside Petroleum and Kyushu Electric Power Company, together with PE Wheatstone, part-owned by JERA.
 
The US$34 billion project includes two LNG processing trains with a total capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per year, plus a 200 terajoules per day domestic gas plant.
 
Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
 
"This is a major milestone for the Wheatstone Project, following on from first LNG production just a few weeks ago.
 
"It's also an important milestone for Western Australia as we enhance the State's portfolio of port infrastructure with the new Port of Ashburton facilities.
 
"In time, I hope to see other projects and companies making use of the port to export their goods to the world, supported by the ready supply of land at the nearby Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area."