WAPET
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil and gas exploration and production |
| Founded | March 1952 |
| Founder | Caltex, Ampol |
| Defunct | February 2000 |
| Fate | Merged into Chevron Australia Pty Ltd |
| Successor | Chevron Australia Pty Ltd |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | Western Australia |
| Products | Crude oil, natural gas, LNG |
West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd (WAPET) was an early leader in oil and gas exploration and production within Western Australia.
History
Formed in March 1952 as a collaborative venture between Caltex and Ampol, WAPET achieved a milestone by discovering Australia's inaugural flowing oil well in November 1953 at Rough Range on the North West Cape. The Rough Range well initially yielded heavy crude oil at a rate of per day from a depth of 1099 metres. However, further drilling revealed the reservoir to be limited in size with low production rates, which ultimately made commercial exploitation unfeasible.
Dongara
In 1964, WAPET identified Western Australia's first commercially viable natural gas reservoir located at Dongara within the Perth Basin. Currently under full ownership of Arc Energy, the Dongara field had produced of LNG by August 2007.
This significant find prompted the establishment in 1971 of Western Australia's inaugural gas pipeline—the Parmelia Pipeline—constructed by WAPET’s subsidiary West Australian Natural Gas (WANG). The pipeline extends 416 km from Dongara to Pinjarra, utilizing pipes with a diameter of 350 mm.
Barrow Island
In 1964, Shell Development became a partner in WAPET, leading to a major discovery on Barrow Island. Although initial drilling was prohibited due to atomic bomb tests conducted nearby in 1952, these restrictions were lifted in 1953, enabling WAPET to secure exploration permits. The "Barrow-1" well produced heavy crude oil, marking an important discovery. Following an investment of $100 million in exploration and development, commercial production commenced in 1967. Recoverable reserves were initially estimated at in 1966 and were later revised upwards after production began. By 1995, approximately 430 wells were extracting oil and natural gas across the island's southern region. At one time, Barrow Island was Australia's leading oil-producing location.
Building on the success at Barrow Island, extensive offshore exploration activities took place during the late 1960s and 1970s within the Carnarvon Basin by both Australian and American firms. WAPET uncovered a significant gas accumulation at West Tryal Rocks in 1973 followed by the discovery of the Gorgon gas field in 1980. The Greater Gorgon area is planned for development under the Gorgon gas project, managed by Chevron, which succeeded WAPET. The LNG reserves in this region exceed .
Chevron Australia
Following the merger of Caltex Australia and Ampol in 1995, WAPET was succeeded by Chevron Australia Pty Ltd as of February 2000.