Chevron expands LNG project

[Steve Kretzmann <steve@moles.org>]

   CHEVRON APPROVES EXPANSION AT NIGERIAN GAS PROJECT
  
  BY JAVED A. MALIK, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
  NEW YORK, 19 NOV. 97 (OPECNA)--CHEVRON HAS ANNOUNCED APPROVAL OF A PROJECT
  TO NEARLY DOUBLE CAPACITY OF ITS NEWLY COMMISSIONED ASSOCIATED-GAS
  UTILIZATION PROJECT IN NIGERIA, OPERATED BY CHEVRON NIGERIA (CNL), IN
  ASSOCIATION WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC).
  
  +THE ESCRAVOS GAS PROJECT IS THE BOLDEST INITIATIVE TO END GAS FLARING IN
  NIGERIA,+ SAID DICK MATZKE, PRESIDENT OF CHEVRON OVERSEAS PETROLEUM, AND A
  DIRECTOR OF THE CHEVRON CORPORATION.
  
  +CHEVRON AND THE NNPC EMBARKED ON THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF ITS POSITIVE
  ENVIRONMENTAL RAMIFICATIONS, AS WELL AS ITS ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO NIGERIA.+
  
  THE PROJECT CURRENTLY HAS DAILY PRODUCTION OF 130 MILLION CU. FT OF DRY GAS,
  MORE THAN 8,000 BARRELS OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) AND NATURAL GAS
  LIQUIDS (NGL), AND 2,000 BARRELS OF CONDENSATE.
  
  THE NEWLY APPROVED SECOND PHASE IS DUE ONSTREAM IN LATE 1999 AT ONLY
  ONE-FIFTH THE COST OF THE INITIAL PROJECT. IT WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL
  CAPACITY OF 110 MILLION CU. FT OF GAS PER DAY, AS WELL AS ABOUT 6,700 B/D OF
  LIQUIDS.
  
  MATZKE SAID: +WE ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE DILIGENCE AND DETERMINATION OF OUR
  EMPLOYEES IN NIGERIA.+
  
  HE NOTED THAT ESCRAVOS DRY GAS COULD BE USED TO STIMULATE INDUSTRIES IN
  NIGERIA AND IN THE WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGION. THE ESCRAVOS GAS PROJECT WAS
  PART OF JOINT EFFORTS BY CNL AND THE NNPC TO COMMERCIALIZE NATURAL GAS
  PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH OIL PRODUCTION IN CHEVRON'S NIGERIAN
  OPERATIONS.
  
  PRIOR TO INAUGURATION OF THE ESCRAVOS PROJECT, GAS HAD BEEN FLARED (BURNED)
  AT EACH PRODUCTION SITE.
  
  CHEVRON CURRENTLY PRODUCES 455,000 B/D OF OIL, AN INCREASE OF 10 PER CENT
  OVER LAST YEAR'S PRODUCTION RATE.
  
  ESCRAVOS FACILITIES GATHER GAS FROM TWO CHEVRON-OPERATED OFFSHORE FIELDS,
  OKAN AND MEFA. THE GAS IS COMPRESSED AND PIPED ONSHORE TO A LIQUIDS
  EXTRACTION PLANT, WHICH REMOVES LPG AND CONDENSATE.
  
  THE LPG IS EXPORTED, WHILE THE CONDENSATE IS BLENDED WITH THE ESCRAVOS CRUDE
  OIL STREAM. THE REMAINING DRY GAS IS SOLD TO THE NIGERIAN GAS COMPANY (NGC)
  FOR RESALE TO END-USERS IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
  
  THE FIRST SHIPMENT OF 30,000 TONNES OF LPG (334,000 BARRELS OF OIL
  EQUIVALENT) WAS EXPORTED IN LATE SEPTEMBER TO NGC GLOBAL LIQUIDS, A
  HOUSTON-BASED COMPANY IN WHICH CHEVRON HOLDS AN INTEREST.
  
  CHEVRON ANTICIPATES AN ADDITIONAL TWO SHIPMENTS WILL BE EXPORTED BY THE END
  OF THIS YEAR. (19-NOV-97)
  _______________________________________________________
  Steve Kretzmann			510-705-8982 - office
  Campaigns Coordinator		510-705-8983 - fax
  
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