Cecilia Bulters

A prelude to the future

The world’s first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility, Prelude, is being constructed in a shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. People helping the Prelude project take shape represent diversity in action.

The Prelude facility will be deployed off the Western Australia coast to extract and process gas from the Prelude and Concerto gas fields. The project enables the production, liquefaction, storage and transfer of LNG at sea, as well as the processing and exporting of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and condensate.

So far, around 5,000 people have been involved in constructing the Prelude facility with another 1,000 on the Turret Mooring System, subsea and wells equipment.

Diversity at Shell

The mix of Australians, South Koreans and a number of other nationalities working on the Prelude project has been a triumphant reflection of Shell’s Diversity & Inclusion plan, which aims to provide equal opportunities and create a workplace that supports its entire staff and values their differences. The company is committed to fostering an empowering, stimulating culture where people can bring their ingenuity to work as a foundation for creativity and innovation.

Not only is Shell Australia embracing this vision, it is also turning its Reconciliation Action Plan into reality. The aim is to positively contribute to Australia’s reconciliation journey by acknowledging and respecting the culture and contribution to Australia of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise that true and lasting reconciliation improves prosperity for all Australians, including adding value to the Shell business.

Shell recognises that its people create value and therefore their engagement with the cultural context and alignment to the vision and strategy is a key determinant of the company’s performance outcomes.

To help the Prelude staff realise this vision, a Pride in Production programme was rolled out to help engage all employees with the project’s values: one team together; open and honest communication; learn and grow; care and ownership; continuous improvement; and leadership at all levels.

Spend five minutes talking with any one of the following Australian Prelude workers based in South Korea and it’s clear that these aren’t just buzzwords – these individuals are living them.

australian prelude workers

Chantal Till

chantal-till

Chantal Till, involved at looking at the electronic Permit to Work system on the Prelude project

Chantal Till's former career was in adult education. Previously she was a Permit to Work Coordinator at Chevron, Barrow Island. Her role with Prelude is Permit to Work Technician and she is actively involved in the electronic Permit to Work system.

"We come across people from all walks of life, but it works really well. These are highly intelligent people who are passionate about what they do. Everyone gets on with each other and understands others' backgrounds and beliefs.

"As for the language barrier, I have learnt to say 'thank you' and 'please' in Korean and in restaurants I just point at pictures of the food. You just need to show you're willing to learn and make an effort.

"Even though the oil and gas industry is traditionally male-dominated, there's no male/female divide here; all the men are absolute gentlemen."

Stacey Abraham

prelude stacey abrahams

Stacey Abraham, a Tasmanian electrician working as an Inlec Technician

Stacey Abraham is a Tasmanian electrician who has been working as an Inlec Technician on the Prelude project since May 2014.

“I will be maintaining electrical equipment on Prelude once it goes operational in Australia. In my role as Inlec Technician I mostly work with men. Shell has done an amazing job in recruiting these men – they are the nicest, most caring and easiest bunch of people I have ever worked with. Within the work group there is a vast age difference, which I think is fantastic. The older guys who have been in the oil and gas industry for decades share their knowledge with us – it is incredible.

“Regardless of age or cultural background, we all socialise during down-time.”

Thanks to people like Cecilia, Chantal, Warren, Kane, Stacey, and many others, Shell’s Prelude project has so far seen remarkable global achievements. From the first processing model in South Korea to the construction of the largest turret ever built in Dubai, there are still many successes to look forward to.

Take a look at some more highlights from this world-first project

more in Life at Shell

Kaye Anstey, Integrated Asset Readiness Planner

Kaye Anstey is an Integrated Asset Readiness Planner. She shares her experience working on Shell’s Prelude Project.

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