Greater industry collaboration needed in Australian oil and gas

According to a group of sector leaders at a DNV GL hosted briefing and roundtable event in Perth, the Australian oil and gas industry must focus on developing greater collaboration as it brings a range of media projects into operation.

The assertion was sparked partly by the February 2014 construction of three giant LNG plants side by side on Curtis Island, Queensland, which resulted in billion of dollars of duplicated investment. Similar overlaps have been highlighted elsewhere.

A board member of an offshore services company spoke under Chatham House rules: ‘The Australian oil and gas industry is simply not collaborating enough. Operators and suppliers across the country would benefit by sharing best practice and the lessons they have learnt in a structured forum’.

Richard Palmer, Regional Manager, DNV GL Oil & Gas – Australia, New Zealnd and Papua New Guinea, said: ‘If we want to maintain security of energy supply, our industry has to set our sights on working in deeper and harsher conditions, and keep pushing the boundaries of safety, reliability and performance in our projects and operations. Industry collaboration will be central in achieving that’.

Some attendees at the roundtable event suggested that the government should be playing a greater role in helping the Australian oil and gas industry to work together effectively. One senior safety manager commented that: ‘The government fines operators who don’t invest in innovation. This doesn’t encourage a long term view on collaboration. We need the government to facilitate us working together, not force us’.

Other contributors suggested that companies should work towards greater internal collaboration. This is an issue that needs to be properly addressed in order to ultimately achieve effective cross industry working.

Adapted from press release by Emma McAleavey

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/18042014/industry_collaboration_in_australia_371/