ConocoPhillips thinks Australia’s skills shortage is “worrying”

Todd Creeger, President Australia-West of US energy giant ConocoPhillips, says Australia has a once-in-a-generation opportunity with its oil and gas industry. He says there is a shortage of skilled workers available in Australia to fill the available positions in the oil and gas industry. The limited labour pool was causing a wages spike and employees rotating from one company to the next, he said.

“We see the issues around escalating labour costs in new projects and establishing operating workforces continuing to be a concern,” Creeger told an Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association conference in Darwin.

He believes that the Australian government needs to play a part in addressing the issue if companies were to maximise new growth opportunities.

Australia’s natural gas industry has boomed in recent years, with major projects expected to underpin exports to Asian giants for decades to come.

“Addressing the skills gap is not an issue that any one company or even any one sector can do on its own,” Creeger said. “Collaboration involves government too.”

ConocoPhillips employs nearly 34,000 employees worldwide and controls assets of US$143 billion (AU$139 billion). It has a number of projects in Australia including in Western Australia, Queensland and the Timor Sea.

Source: AAP