Following technical adjustments and plant modifications, the
name-plate capacity of the Wheatstone project would rise to 215 terajoules per
day from 205 terajoules per day, the company said in a statement.
Unions representing offshore platform workers at Australian
liquefied natural gas (LNG) providers have threatened industrial action
demanding better wages and work conditions.
Australia is the world's biggest LNG exporter and Woodside
Energy's (WDS.AX) North West Shelf, along with Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone
projects, supply about one-tenth of the global market.
Workers at Chevron's Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG facilities
began voting last week on whether to grant unions permission to call for strike
action and the ballot results are due on Thursday and Monday.
Chevron Australia Managing Director Mark Hatfield said the
increased production capacity at Wheatstone was a result of plant modifications
and subsequent high-rate production trials undertaken over the past year.
"We will continue to explore operational efficiencies
and equipment enhancements at Wheatstone that could increase domestic gas
capacity even further," Hatfield added.
Meanwhile, unions at Woodside's North West Shelf have
threatened to strike as early as Sept. 2 if their terms are not met.
About 99% workers there have already backed industrial
action, but the unions have not yet called for a strike. -Reuters