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Workers Go on Strike at 2 Woodside Energy Natural Gas Facilities in Australia

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Workers at Woodside Energy's (WDS) Karratha and Pluto gas facilities in Australia launched a strike on Wednesday, following failed negotiations with third-party maintenance contractor UGL over wage and working conditions, Offshore Alliance workers' union said Wednesday.

"The end result of UGL's inability to negotiate or accept industrial standards is Protected Industrial Action. The UGL KGP-Pluto [enterprise bargaining agreement] negotiations are no different. PIA commences today at KGP-Pluto and will continue until our EBA is sorted," the union said in a social media post.

According to its website, Offshore Alliance is a partnership between the Australian Workers' Union and the Maritime Union of Australia, and covers workers in the offshore oil and gas industry.

As previously reported by, Woodside's Karratha gas plant has an export capacity of 14.3 million tons per annum. Pluto LNG currently exports about 5 mtpa, which could double to around 10 mtpa once the second train becomes operational.

Earlier this week, Inpex's 9.3 million metric-ton-a-year Ichthys LNG facility in Darwin, northern Australia was served with notice for protected industrial action commencing May 27.

According to a Bloomberg report last week, the strike could affect LNG exports from these facilities, triggering a wider supply disruption, particularly as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain largely restricted.

Australian LNG producers are already running close to operational limits to increase supply, the news agency reported, as Asian buyers seek alternative cargoes in response to the disruption to energy flows resulting from the Middle East conflict, the Bloomberg report said.

has separately reached out to Woodside Energy and UGL parent company CIMIC for comments.

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