OREANDA-NEWS.  June 25, 2012. Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) announced that its Australian subsidiaries have signed additional binding agreements with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for liquefied natural gas (LNG) offtake and equity interests in the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project, reported the press-centre of Chevron.

Under the agreements, TEPCO will purchase an additional 0.4 million tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG from the Wheatstone Project for up to 20 years.  In addition TEPCO, through a related company, will acquire from Chevron a 10 percent participating interest in the Wheatstone field licenses and an eight percent interest in the Wheatstone natural gas processing facilities.

These agreements, and the previously announced sales and purchase agreement, increases TEPCO's total Wheatstone LNG offtake to 4.2 MTPA.

Joe Geagea, president, Chevron Gas and Midstream, welcomed TEPCO's further investment in the Wheatstone Project. 

"TEPCO is one of the world's leading LNG customers and we are pleased to expand the strong partnership between our two companies."

Roy Krzywosinski, managing director, Chevron Australia, said, "More than 80 percent of Chevron's equity LNG from Wheatstone is covered under long-term off-take agreements with customers in Asia. 

"These agreements continue to demonstrate Wheatstone is well-placed geographically to meet the Asia Pacific region's demand for a safe, reliable and cleaner-burning source of energy."

The Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project will become one of Australia's largest resource projects. Located at Ashburton North, 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) west of Onslow in Western Australia, the foundation phase of the project will consist of two liquefied natural gas trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 MTPA and a domestic gas plant.

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company's success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment of its employees and their application of the most innovative technologies in the world. Chevron is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. The company explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and other energy products; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Notes to Editor: In 2011, Chevron, together with Apache Energy and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), signed a binding sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to deliver up to 3.1 MTPA to TEPCO for a period of 20 years.  The additional agreements announced today do not involve Apache Energy or KUFPEC.