First gas delivered from Chuandongbei in southwest China

Chevron subsidiary Unocal East China Sea has begun natural gas production from the first stage of the Chuandongbei Project in southwest China. Chuandongbei is one of the largest onshore gas projects developed by an international oil company and a national oil company in China.

“First gas for the Chuandongbei Project represents a significant milestone and highlights Chevron’s leadership in the development of sour gas resources,” said Jay Johnson, Executive Vice President, Upstream. “The project will be an important supplier of clean and affordable energy to the rapidly growing economy in southwest China.”

The Chuandongbei Project covers more than 800 sq km in Sichuan Province and the Chongqing Municipality. Unocal East China Sea holds a 49% participating interest as the operator, and China National Petroleum Corp holds a 51% participating interest.

The start-up of the first train commences stage one of the project. Production is planned to ramp up over coming months as all three trains come on line. The three trains have a combined design outlet capacity of 258 million cu ft/day of natural gas. The Chuandongbei Project is estimated to contain potentially recoverable natural gas resources of 3 trillion cu ft.

Melody Meyer, President, Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Company, stated, “First gas at Chuandongbei represents the next step in our energy partnership with China. Chevron has worked closely with China National Petroleum Corp and the Chinese government at all levels to develop the project safely and reliably. The project has provided jobs and business opportunities for the local community, and will continue to contribute to the regional economy for decades.”