LNG

Woodside Energy has achieved first gas from its Scarborough reservoir offshore Western Australia, feeding the Pluto LNG terminal, with the first cargo from Train 2 targeted for export in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Woodside is considering using its pre-emptive rights to veto Inpex’s farm-in to the Browse joint venture, as this move threatens to undermine feedgas supply for its North-West Shelf LNG export terminal. The deal is seen as a catalyst to shift Browse gas production away from the NWS LNG hub towards Inpex’s Ichthys LNG train in Darwin.

A review of the EU’s Arctic policy running through March 16, 2026, places fresh emphasis on gas from Norway’s Barents Sea which could lower Europe’s reliance on LNG imports. The resource base is substantial: The parts of the Barents Sea already open to exploration, according to Norwegian Offshore Directorate estimates, hold around 3.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of natural gas, or about 22 trillion cubic feet.

US oil giant Chevron has taken a final investment decision (FID) to expand gas production at the Leviathan field in Israel in a bid to boost gas supplies to neighbouring Egypt, which exports LNG to European buyers.

Chevron Australia and its partners in the Gorgon Joint Venture – ExxonMobil and Shell – have taken a Final Investment Decision (FID) on Gorgon Phase-3 off the West Australian coast.

Woodside Energy and the East Timor government have agreed to use feedgas from the Greater Sunrise field for a proposed greenfield LNG terminal. Start-up is targeted as early as 2032 to 2035, subject to concept selection and investment decisions.

Saudi Aramco is preparing to tap the giant Jafurah shale gas basin in a bid to reduce oil dependence, positioning the Kingdom as a potential LNG exporter. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser singled out the field’s “huge” growth potential, though analysts doubt the Saudi gas market can absorb all the extra supply.

First gas received at Santos’ BW Opal floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel puts the Australian major on track with the Darwin LNG project, CEO Kevin Gallagher said. Situated off Darwin, Northern Territories, the FSPO receives gas from the Barossa gas wells.

AI-powered analysis of oil and gas field performance shows existing fields are far from exhausted. Better recovery from producing fields could yield an additional 470 billion to over 1,000 billion barrels, along with associated gas, Wood Mackenzie explains.

First Gen is divesting 60 percent of its Philippine gas business to Prime Infra in a deal worth 500 billion Pesos (US$890m), covering controlling interests in BW Batangas FSRU, the proposed 1.2 GW Santa Maria power plant as well as the Santa Rita, San Sorenzo and Avion power plants (1,597 MW combined).

Santa Maria, a 1,200 MW combined-cycle power plant, will be fuelled via an interim offshore LNG terminal which is also part of the divested assets. Tokyo Gas had been contracted to supply an LNG cargo to First Gen in July 2024 which had been unloaded at the BW Batangas floating storage and regas unit (FSRU).

First Gen confirmed at the time it closed a tender for a cargo by awarding a contract to Tokyo Gas. Similar contracts were signed earlier with Shell Eastern LNG, Trafigura, TotalEnergies Gas and Power Asia and CNOOC Gas and Power Trading. The regasified LNG is designated for the First Gen Clean Energy Complex, comprising the Santa Rita, Avion and San Gabriel power plants.

The 1 GW Santa Maria CCGT used to supply baseload and mid-merit power to the Luzon grid. The Sta. Maria CCGT was initially meant to enter operations by the end of this year or early 2025, but the timeline slipped and First Gen now decided to divest its gas power assets altogether.

Following the sale, Prime Infra will hold the lion’s share of 60% in the Batangas-based gas power plants, with First Gen retaining the remaining 40%. The same equity split will apply to the LNG terminal, while Tokyo Gas of Japan will continue to hold a 20% stake.

Prime Infra already owns Prime Energy, the operator of the vast but depleting Malampaya gas field, which used to be a critical source of fuel for Luzon’s power generation.

First Gen Chairman and CEO Federico Lopez haled the deal as a “major step in our mission to forge collaborative pathways toward a decarbonized and regenerative future.” The partnership is meant to provide First Gen with more financial leeway to pursue its renewable energy projects.

As the largest renewable energy producer of the Philippines, First Gen covers about 18% pf the country’s electricity supply. Both First Gen and the media company ABS-CBN belong to the Lopez group of companies.