Northwest Shelf gas strike vote could come next week
Chevron in talks with Gorgon, Wheatstone LNG plant workers

SYDNEY, Aug 10 Reuters Chevron and Woodside Energy Group said on Thursday they are holding talks with unions to avert threatened strikes at gas facilities that together supply about 10 of the global liquefied natural gas LNG market.

Concerns over potential industrial action at three Australian LNG operations North West Shelf, Gorgon and Wheatstone sent European gas prices to a nearly 2month high on Wednesday.

Any industrial action would disrupt Australia39;s LNG exports and increase competition for the superchilled fuel, forcing Asian buyers to outbid European buyers to attract LNG cargoes.

Japanese and South Korean firms are the biggest buyers of LNG from the North West Shelf project, while LNG from Chevron39;s Gorgon and Wheatstone plants mostly goes to Japan.

About 99 of workers at offshore platforms that supply gas to the Woodsideoperated North West Shelf LNG plant, Australia39;s biggest LNG plant, have voted in favour of a planned strike.

The Offshore Alliance union said bargaining meetings for improved pay will continue on Thursday and next Tuesday before it takes a final decision on a strike at the Woodside facilities.

Our members at Woodside and Chevron are fighting for what they deserve, a fair and reasonable agreement as soon as possible as they are well aware of the hundreds of millions of dollars these companies will lose if protected…