A major Australian LNG plant remains offline after a cyclone, straining global fuel supplies already impacted by Middle East tensions.
PERTH: At least one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas plants remained closed on Sunday after a cyclone knocked out power to thousands of people in western Australia.
The outages are restricting already stretched global fuel supplies caused by the war in the Middle East.
Woodside Energy confirmed its Karratha gas plant, which processes fuel from one of the world’s biggest offshore gas operations, remained offline.
“We have commenced remobilising our workforce to some of our offshore facilities and inspections will inform startup processes and timing,” a spokesperson for Woodside said.
The company added that production at the North West Shelf Project would recommence only once it is safe to do so.
Woodside noted that its other major sites, Macedon and Pluto, remained open and operational.
Energy giant Chevron has also reported suffering outages at its Gorgon and Wheatstone gas plants, which collectively supply more than 5% of the world’s LNG.
Chevron did not immediately respond to questions about the current status of those plants on Sunday.
Australia is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, a critical supplier to Asian nations facing fuel disruptions from Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle whipped up winds of 200 kilometres per hour and destroyed several homes in the region.
More than 1,400 homes were still without power as of Sunday.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook announced one-off payments for people with home damage to assist with temporary accommodation, food, clothing and transport.
“We’ve got your back and help is coming,” Cook said in a statement.
