Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Australia could be the next big thing. This has been sanctioned by global Wealth Management company Morgan Stanley.
Oil and gas jobs in Australia are set to boom and now is the time to start thinking about future career choices.
This new report predicts Australian LNG exports will help the country get rid of its current account deficit for the first time in 40 years.
LNG has been a strong focus for Australian and International mining and resource companies as they race to tap into the rich gas reserves trapped in coal deposits that are just too difficult to mine. Coal Seam Gas extraction has taken Australia by storm over the last few years and it is accelerating rapidly with an estimated 40,000 gas wells yet to be drilled in the Surat Basin and Bowen Basin of Queensland.
CSG and LNG mining and processing has created thousands of new oil and gas jobs in the sector, especially on Curtis Island off Gladstone where 3 huge LNG trains are being built and managed by American construction and project management experts Bechtel. It’s been estimated that nearly 40,000 oils and gas jobs will become available in Australia where total employment in the sector is expected to rise by 57 per cent from 38,943 in 2013 to 61,212 in 2018.
The companies involved in the project are:
Australia Pacific – LNG (Origin/Conoco Phillips/Sinopec)
Gladstone LNG – (Santos/Petronas/ Total/KOGAS/)
Queensland Curtis LNG – (BG Group)
Australia is to become a global gas superpower
Australia is set to achieve notoriety as a global gas superpower by the middle of the decade. Morgan Stanley predicted a massive push in LNG output that could transform Australia’s economy. The report claimed that Australia could even outdo Qatar and become the world`s biggest exporter of LNG, 13 years earlier than the original time frame of 2030.
By 2017, Australia could be a major energy production centre, with combined LNG and coal exports equaling the enormous iron ore shipments we’re seeing coming out of Western Australia as well as the Norther Territory and to some extent South Australia with companies like Arrium Mining taking centre stage.
Almost 67 per cent of the global LNG capacity originates from Australia. LNG has come of age with new technology since the 1990s. Breakthroughs in gas turbine technology made it it cheaper and safer to transport LNG in refrigerated hulls.
Australia can benefit from the shortage of LNG availability in Asia, especially in Japan where the country is now heavily dependent on LNG imports because of the effects of the Tsunami. LNG is selling in Japan at a staggering $19 per British thermal units (BTU), compared to just $4.3 in the United States.
Australian LNG charges ahead
Accelerated LNG production from Australia would be enough for Australia record a current account surplus in 2015, the first since 1975.
If Morgan Stanley’s predictions are correct, the exports would jump from 10 per cent� to 18 per cent of total shipments. The return to surplus would be incredible for the Australian people and the economy and which has run a current account deficit of around 4 per cent for the last 30 years.
The LNG bonanza may give Australia a chance to stabilise itself and create the environment where it can reverse the slide by beefing up its cash reserves. Managing the country’s wealth in such ways as in the Future Fund is a way of recycling wealth created by the resource sector and stopping the Australian dollar from rising.
Can a new wave of oil and gas jobs be the bi-product of the booming LNG industry as we head towards 2017? – we think so.
Oil and Gas Jobs
People looking for LNG jobs can start by researching and gathering as much information about the LNG projects in Australia. The QCLNG project website [www.qgc.com.au] has lots of information about the project and contains good links to publications and new about the QCLNG developments, [www.qgc.com.au/ebooks/].
Qualifications needed for oil and gas jobs
The gas industry offers a multitude of jobs you can do, ranging from construction, machinery operation, management and technical careers. There is no limit to the opportunities the LNG industry can offer in terms of job diversity and career-pathing. When considering an entry level gas job or you are thinking about your next career options, here are some recommended courses you can do to beef up your resume and give you a taste of what’s expected in terms of qualifications and experience.
Jobs in construction and the resource sector seem to go hand-in-hand as we can see by the sheer volume of people working on constructing the LNG production facilities on Curtis Island. Everyone has to start somewhere, but where do you start. Start by reviewing the types of jobs you can do, LNG projects create thousands of jobs in a variety of disciplines such as:
- geosciences
- pipeline workers
- rig operators
- indigenous and community affairs
- site managers
- operations crews
- plant operators
- machinery operators (dozer, haul truck, excavator, crane etc)
- field and plant operators
- engineers
- jetty subcontractors
- builders, electrical and instrument tradespeople
- painting, fireproofing and insulation specialists
- safety and risk assessment supervisors and assessors
- surveyors and project managers
- work health and safety advisors
- tank workers and environmental scientists (and a whole lot more)
Review the types of training courses that will prepare you for a career in the LNG industry. Stay up to date with CGS and LNG, coal, oil and iron ore mining news with iMINCO Project News. This free weekly newsletter is emailed to you and is essential for people looking for tips on where the oil and gas jobs are and how to go about getting one.
Recommended courses are:
- Enter and Work in Confined Spaces� A good course that you will find useful working in and around LNG facilities.
- Work Safely at Heights Another essential course that LNG recruiters want you to have because it shows you have the right attitude towards safety.
- Operate and maintain a light vehicle (4WD)
Look at starting an apprenticeship too, this is often a great way to step into a well paid LNG job once you’re qualified.
Reference: Australia could be an energy superpower by 2017
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