The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) signed new work arrangements with Japanese energy giant Inpex on the $34 billion dollar Ichthys LNG project off the north-west coast of Australia.
The agreement secures up to 2,000 Australian jobs, MUA said in a statement on Friday.
The agreement, named the enhanced dispute settlement process, development & production arrangement, will run until 2030 and includes commitments towards the development of maritime employees, the implementation of a diversity program, and the promotion of Australian crews on certain project support vessels.
MUA Western Australian branch secretary and national president Chris Cain said the work arrangements cover rig tenders, drilling rigs, seismic vessels, supply vessels and accommodation vessels.
Cain noted that Australian workers have recently been experiencing a downturn in offshore oil and gas construction which is set to change with the agreement.
The Ichthys Project is expected to produce 8.9 million tons of LNG and 1.6 million tons of LPG each year, along with more than 100,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak.
It is estimated that the operational phase of the Inpex gas plant could be up to 40 years.
The project is a joint venture between Inpex, major partner Total, Taiwan’s CPC Corporation and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Kansai Electric, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.