Woodside Resumes North West Shelf Production After Cyclone Disruption

By Rhiannon Hoyle

Woodside Energy Group said that liquefied natural gas and domestic gas production have resumed at the North West Shelf project in Australia after being suspended due to a strong cyclone.

"Our priority remains the safety of our people, the environment and our assets as we progress a controlled return to normal operations," Woodside said on Wednesday. The Macedon and Pluto facilities continue to supply gas to Western Australia, it said.

Woodside on Friday said the cyclone had interrupted production at the Karratha gas plant, an onshore processing facility for the North West Shelf project. Offshore workers were also temporarily evacuated.

Disruptions from Tropical Cyclone Narelle added to pressure in global energy markets, which were already reeling from supply challenges because of the conflict in the Middle East.

Chevron said the Wheatstone gas facility was damaged in the cyclone. Production at both Wheatstone and Chevron's Gorgon gas facility was disrupted by the severe weather.

Australia is one of the world's top LNG exporters alongside the U.S. and Qatar, where an Iranian strike recently crippled the world's largest liquefied-natural-gas export facility.

Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-01-26 0044ET