The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia informed it has established the Australian petroleum industry’s first collaborative training partnership between LNG players, Woodside and Chevron Australia.
Under the agreement, Chevron’s operator trainees work at the North West Shelf project’s Karratha Gas Plant, CCI said in a statement.
The North West Shelf project is operated by Woodside and Chevron Australia holds a 1/6thinterest.
CCI Chief Executive Officer Deidre Willmott said the agreement between the two companies would help address the increasing demand for highly trained LNG plant operators.
The number of LNG processing plants operating in Australia is expected to increase from eight to at least 21 by the end of 2018.
Chevron Australia Human Resources General Manager Kaye Butler said with the Chevron-led Gorgon and Wheatstone natural gas projects now taking shape in WA, the initiative gives Chevron trainees important onsite operational experience.
The Chevron trainees will complement their theoretical learning with on-the-job experience working alongside Woodside’s trainees at the Karratha Gas Plant.
Woodside Karratha Gas Plant Manager Steve Trench said the company recognised that with Australian LNG supplies increasing over the coming years, it was important the industry invested now in training the next wave of LNG workers.
The Karratha Gas Plant is the only place in Western Australia where operator trainees can gain hands-on LNG and pipeline gas experience.
The first group of trainees started onsite training last September and worked alongside Woodside trainees for a number of shifts leading up to the completion of their traineeship with Energy Apprenticeships Group.
Following this experience, these trainees have now gone on to work directly for Chevron at their Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities.
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