Gas
Jera increases stake in Australian Wheatstone LNG project
Japanese energy firm Jera has boosted its indirect holding in the Wheatstone LNG venture to 50.1 per cent following a share acquisition.
Key points
- Jera purchased all shares previously held by state-backed Jogmec in Pan Pacific Energy.
- The transaction closed on 2 October 2026, increasing Jera's ownership in PEJ to 50.1 per cent.
- Wheatstone supplies approximately 5.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually to Jera.
What happened
According to LNG Industry reporting, Japanese utility Jera Co. has expanded its footprint in the Wheatstone liquefied natural gas venture. The firm acquired the entirety of the shares held by the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security within Pan Pacific Energy K.K., a holding company through which Jera maintains its project interests.
The transaction, finalised on 2 October 2026, lifted Jera's stake in the intermediate entity to 50.1 per cent. Other participants in the holding structure include Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. The underlying holdings of the subsidiary, PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd, remain unchanged at 10 per cent in the upstream gas fields and 8 per cent in the export facility located in Western Australia.
Why it matters
Operational since 2017, the Ashburton North facility processes gas for export to international markets, with Jera receiving roughly 5.2 million tonnes per year. This volume represents a core component of the company's fuel procurement portfolio.
Irtiza Sayyed, Jera Senior Managing Executive Officer and Global Energy Solutions CEO, noted the strategic importance of the purchase to LNG Industry. “Reliable LNG supply is fundamental to energy security,” he said, adding that the move supports long-term procurement goals for Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Gas is the flexible backbone of many grids and the designated transition fuel in many national plans, from LNG trade to domestic LPG and CNG. Supply security and pricing drive both power reliability and emissions.
21.9% of electricity in the world came from gas in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
