Woodside sees renewed confidence in Australia’s upstream

CEO Meg O’Neill believes operating environment in Australia has stabilised and sees a bullish outlook for LNG demand

Confidence appears to be returning to Australia’s vital oil and gas industry after a period of legal setbacks and regulatory uncertainty. “We have had a tumultuous 18 months, with a number of regulatory changes and court decisions. I feel like we are at a more stable position today,” Meg O’Neill, CEO of Australian LNG giant Woodside, told Petroleum Economist in an interview. “The situation [has] stabilised”, she continued, citing the recent court decision on the Barossa project, which ruled in favour of fellow Australian LNG producer Santos and even criticised the plaintiffs’ law firm. But O’Neill warned that “we need to keep our messaging up” on the importance of the hydrocarbon industry to