Santos CEO for Gladstone LNG Project introduces key team members

From Mark Macfarlane - CEO Santos GLNG Project:

These are just a few of the people at the frontier of the resources boom in Queensland every day.

If you haven’t been to Gladstone or Roma lately and seen our Project in action, this might help you to understand just a little more about the work that is underway in our State by our experienced and energetic team.

Coal Seam Natural Gas is not new. We have been using it in our households to cook our bacon and eggs in Queensland for nearly 15 years. What is new is that from 2015 we are going to convert Coal Seam Gas to Liquid Natural Gas and export it all over the world. This is a new industry for Queensland which is why you have started to hear a lot more about it in the last 12 months.

This is a legacy project for Queensland that will see generations of people reap the economic benefits it produces. For those of us in the industry it is very exciting to be at the forefront of these new natural gas developments.

The next four years of our US$ 16 billion Project will see a period of accelerated building, jobs and growth for us.

For example, we will build our 420 km underground pipeline from our gas fields in Roma to our LNG plant and port facilities in Gladstone Harbour. And we will grow our workforce significantly as we continue to recruit the best people in the business. Our industry in Queensland will create 5000 construction jobs and 1000 ongoing jobs in production.

It is a busy time ahead and it is exciting on many levels, however always at the core of everything we do is safety for our people, our environment and for the communities we operate in.

I hope you enjoy meeting some of the team I am proud to lead.

Mark

Sean Davidge - Manager of Water Planning and Resources

When Shaun Davidge was at University he decided he wanted to work with water because it was the most precious resource in the world.

Now as the Manager of Water Planning and Resources with the Santos GLNG Project, he is a hydro-geologist with more than 30 years of experience in sustainable water management.

“My role on the Project is to manage a large team of water experts and ensure that the water produced has a beneficial impact on the Great Artesian Basin,” he said.

“We want each drop to be used in a sustainable manner that protects the ecology of the region.”

This Project will produce 80 million litres of water a day at peak production and a total of 340 billion litres over the life of the project.

Mr Davidge said the chance to work on the project was an opportunity of a lifetime and the most exciting role he has had yet.

“I chose to work at Santos GLNG because I felt it was a company focussed on doing things the right way by the environment and by our communities,” he said.

“The sustainable water strategies my team are developing mean our water will be able to be treated and then used to recharge Roma’s drinking supply.

“This will give the Roma community up to 50 years of drinking water.

“I was not born in Queensland however I have lived here for 13 years and had my house flooded and paddled through the water. So I consider myself a Queenslander now.

“When I have free time outside of work and family I like to go riding. I love to cycle and participate in the Santos Tour Down Under in South Australia each year.”

Sam Klaas – Maranoa Regional Manager

Sam Klaas is regional manager in Roma, where his family has been for more than 100 years. He has 33 years of experience in the gas fields and is the Maranoa Regional Manager.

“I am also responsible for our local relationships with the community and government, the management of irrigation and the development of our own cattle herd on Santos owned land,” he said.

“This is the most exciting project I have worked on in my career because it is a game changer for the LNG industry.

“From a career perspective it is a great opportunity to be part of something new and challenging and while many country towns in Queensland are struggling, the Roma area is booming.”

Mr Klaas said the project meant a lot to the community due to the number of jobs that have been created and the difference it has made for local businesses.

“My favourite part of this job is working with the community,” he said.

“I love the opportunities to build relationships with all parts of the community, support great local events, and provide funding for services for residents, in health, housing and transport. It is very rewarding.”

Santos has operated in the Roma region for 50 years and has built strong community relationships based on respect.

“We don’t ever take those relationships for granted and we work to maintain them every day with our local businesses, people and agriculture community,” Mr Klaas said.

“With the recent dreadful flooding, I realised how much a part of the community we really are, when our local staff were able to provide a lot of hands on help to those in serious need.

“It feels good to be able to give back to the community we operate in, and it is the right thing to do.

While Mr Klaas is passionate about his work, he also likes to explore the area on his days off in a different way.

“I used to run and do triathlons, but I have recently started hiking and find it to be a very rewarding activity. I hope to do more of it in the future both in Australia and overseas.”

Lisa Barter -Project Director Upstream

Responsible for leading the team that will undertake the development and construction in the Roma gas fields, Project Director Upstream, Lisa Barter will be responsible for a team of more than 1600 people during peak production.

“I am a chemical engineer with more than 25 years of experience in project management,” she said.

“It is my job to make sure that every component of the GLNG Project in the Roma region comes together and is delivered on time. Our highest priority is always the safety of our people, the environment and the community.

“This is a great project for me as an Engineer and as a Project Manager because it is challenging, exciting and requires global logistical execution to get it right.”

Ms Barter said Santos GLNG worked in very close consultation with the local community and made day-to-day choices that meant the company was a real part of the area.

“It is very core to our project ethos to maintain a social license to operate,” she said.

“I decided to move to Queensland six years ago from Melbourne. The lifestyle here is wonderful and I love visiting our gas fields in Roma and waking up to see the sunrise over the beautiful countryside from our camp.

“This role does mean that I travel to locations all over the world, like Manila and Houston, so I can meet with other members of my team.

“When I have free time on the weekends I help my husband work on our vineyard at ‘Girraween Estate’ on the Granite Belt.”