The ACCC has granted re-authorisation with a condition to Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, INPEX Operations Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Australia Pty Ltd and Woodside Energy Ltd regarding the sequencing and timing of scheduled maintenance at their 6 LNG facilities in Western Australia and Northern Territory.
In 2018 the ACCC authorised the Applicants to coordinate on maintenance schedules, with a condition requiring that the Applicants publicly disclose scheduled maintenance information that they have shared with one another. The ACCC has decided to grant re-authorisation for the arrangements subject to essentially the same condition.
The ACCC considers that the conduct would be likely to result in public benefits in the form of improved efficiency in the maintenance of the LNG facilities, greater reliability of LNG production and reduction in safety risks. However, the ACCC considers that the conduct is likely to generate some information asymmetry and may generate a potentially significant lack of overall transparency that is likely to result in a public detriment.
With the condition, the ACCC considers that the conduct is likely to result in a public benefit that would outweigh the likely public detriment.
The ACCC has granted authorisation until 16 June 2028.
Further information about the ACCC’s final determination is available on the ACCC public register at Western Australian and Northern Territory LNG Producers.