Australian LNG player Woodside has reached a deal with three maritime unions on the Australian crewing of an LNG vessel within its chartered fleet.
The deal with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union – Maritime Union of Australia Division; the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers; and the Australian Maritime Officers Union preserves a role for Australian-resident seafarers in the maritime industry delivering LNG to customers across Asia, according to Woodside.
Moreover, the continued investment in the development of strategic maritime skills covers the period from April 2024 to the end of March 2029 and sets a path for a more enduring relationship, subject to Woodside’s aspirations to grow its LNG operations in Australia being realized, it said.
Woodside said the agreement will support employment of around 70 Australian-resident seafarers on an LNG carrier within the company’s chartered fleet.
Also, the crew will be employed by the vessel’s contracted crew manager, ASP Ship Management, based in Melbourne.
Under the agreement, the maritime unions will cooperate fully with Woodside and its contractors in maintaining maritime operations at Woodside’s operated North West Shelf project as well as the Pluto LNG project, it said.
Woodside and compatriot LNG player Santos recently confirmed that the two firms are in discussions regarding a potential merger.
The combination of the two firms would create a merged energy and LNG giant with a market value of about A$80 billion ($52.4 billion).