Bangkok--26 Mar--Chevron Chevron Thailand today announced the award of an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) contract for the Platong Gas II central processing platform (CPP) and living quarters in the Gulf of Thailand with construction expected to start 4th Quarter 2008. The partners of Platong Gas II, Chevron, operator with a 69.8 percent participating interest, Mitsui Oil Exploration Co. Ltd. (27.4 percent) and PTT Exploration and Production Public Co. Ltd. (2.8 percent) have awarded the EPCI contract to subsidiaries of J. Ray McDermott S. A. Chevron Asia South Managing Director, Joe Geagea, said, “Chevron is very pleased to work with our partners to help address Thailand’s growing energy demand. Chevron is the largest producer in the Kingdom of Thailand with a 45 year history of delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy to the Kingdom. Geagea added, “Platong Gas II is an important part of our regional growth strategy and is expected to increase Chevron’s production from the Gulf of Thailand to more than two billion gross cubic feet of natural gas per day.”Commenting on the project, Tara Tiradnakorn, president of Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production Company, said “Platong Gas II is an important project for Thailand with the creation of new jobs and revenue for the Kingdom. In addition, the 19,000 tonne central processing platform is a technological achievement that is expected to be one of the largest of its kind in the Gulf of Thailand.” The facilities are comprised of a central processing platform (CPP), a new 200 persons living quarter platform, interconnecting bridges. In addition, Chevron will manage the installation of the initial five wellhead platforms and interconnecting pipelines. The addition of future well head platforms and drilling and completions activities makes total development of the field approximately $3.1 billion. All of the wellhead platforms for this project are to be built in Thailand.The Platong Gas II development, located in shallow water, 120 miles (200 km) offshore, is designed to add 420 million cubic feet of natural gas per day processing capacity. In 2007, Chevron had a total average daily production of more than 1.7 billion gross cubic feet of gas (916 million net) and 138,000 barrels of oil and condensate (71,000 net). The company also operates more than 195 platforms in the Gulf of Thailand.