With the momentous event of the first cargo from Chevron's $US54 billion Gorgon liquefied natural gas project off Western Australia just around the corner, the time appears to be right for a changing of the guard at the local business. 
Long-time Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski is understood to be laying the groundwork for an exit over the next few months.
He is known to have let contacts in Perth know that the family is home-bound in time to see the elder son installed in college.
Originally sparking talk that his exit was coming up was the appointment in   January of British-born Nigel Hearne as Kryzwosinski's deputy in Australia, with Hearne to transfer from his role in Pittsburgh as head of Chevron's Appalachian-Michigan business unit.
But plans have firmed up significantly since then.
Certainly Krzywosinski is said to be notably more relaxed these last few weeks in his dealings with various stakeholders, although the driver for that may be sheer relief that the first of Gorgon's three LNG trains is finally up and running after its troubled construction history since the final investment decision was taken in   September 2009.
In his unusually long stint at the helm of the US oil giant's Australian business, the Michigan native has steered the business through a tumultuous time since 2008 that included major cost blowouts at Gorgon, bitter union disputes, and a high-profile Senate taxation inquiry.
He is expected to turn up in another Chevron position in the US.
Gas is understood to be running through the first train at the Gorgon site on Barrow Island, with an LNG tanker lined up to take the maiden cargo away. Chevron is understood to be the recipient of the first and third cargoes, with 25 per cent Gorgon venture partners ExxonMobil and Shell to take the second and fourth, respectively.
Presumably the sailaway date for the first cargo won't clash with the formal celebration in Gladstone for the start-up of Origin Energy's Australia Pacific LNG project, which is set for   March 3. Some parties are thought to be down to attend both, among them current and former resources ministers such as Josh Frydenberg, Gary Gray and Ian Macfarlane.
Meanwhile in Papua New Guinea, those Japanese buyers still sniffing around the 3.5 per cent of the PNG LNG project that Santos canvassed for a sale as part of its strategic review are understood to have been given the message last week that a sale is firmly off the table under new CEO Kevin Gallagher.
In any case, no deal appeared in the offing, with Santos still valuing equity in the prized project much more highly than any of the bidders.