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|type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{asx|WPL}})
|type = [[Public company|Public]] ({{asx|WPL}})
|foundation = [[26 July]] [[1954]] as Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil Co NL
|foundation = [[26 July]] [[1954]] as Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil Co NL
|location = {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], [[Western Australia]], [[Australia]]
|location = {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], [[Western Australia]],
[[Australia]]
|key_people = [[Don Voelte]], [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]] and [[Managing Director|MD]]
|key_people = [[Don Voelte]], [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO]] and [[Managing Director|MD]]
|industry = Energy
|industry = Energy
|products = Petroleum
|products = Petroleum
|revenue = {{profit}} $3.81 billion [[Australian Dollar|AUD]] (2006, [http://www.woodside.com.au/Profile/Key+financials.htm])
|revenue = {{profit}} $3.81 billion [[Australian Dollar|AUD]] (2006,
[http://www.woodside.com.au/Profile/Key+financials.htm])
|net_income = {{profit}} $1.427 billion [[Australian Dollar|AUD]] (2006)
|net_income = {{profit}} $1.427 billion [[Australian Dollar|AUD]] (2006)
|num_employees = ~3000
|num_employees = ~3000
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}}
}}


'''Woodside Petroleum Limited''' is an Australian [[petroleum]] exploration and production company. It is a public company listed on the [[Australian Stock Exchange]] and is based in [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] [[Western Australia]]
'''Woodside Petroleum Limited''' is an Australian [[petroleum]] exploration and production company. It is a public company listed on the [[Australian Stock Exchange]] and has its headquarters in [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], [[Western Australia]].

==History==
Woodside was founded in 1954 as Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil Co NL. The company was named after the town of [[Woodside, Victoria|Woodside]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia, which was near the area that the company initially explored for oil.<ref>[http://www.woodside.com.au/Profile/History.htm Woodside company history, accessed 20 Aug 2007]</ref>

Woodside explored for ten years both onshore and offshore Victoria without success. In 1963 the company was awarded exploration rights over a large tract offshore north-western Australia in an area now known as the North West Shelf. Subsequent drilling resulted in a number of major oil and gas discoveries including Scott Reef (now known as Torosa), North Rankin and Angel in 1971 and Goodwyn in 1972.

Woodside is one of Australia's largest companies. It currently employs more than 3000 people at various locations around the world. The company has a [[market capitalization|market capitalisation]] of more than AUD 30 billion and reserves at December 2006 of 1.58 billion [[Barrels of oil equivalent|barrels of oil equivalent]]. Shell Australia owns 34% of Woodside.<ref>[http://au.finance.yahoo.com/q/apr?s=WPL.AX Yahoo Finance - profile for Woodside Petroleum Ltd; accessed 20 August 2007]</ref>


==Operations==
==Operations==
Within Australia Woodside operates the North West Shelf Joint Venture which comprises a number of offshore gas and gas-condensate fields including Goodwyn and North Rankin. Gas is produced through a pipeline to [[Karratha, Western Australia]] where it is processed for Australian and export markets. The company also operates the Mutineer-Exeter oil field and the Enfield oil field offshore Western Australia, the Laminaria-Corallina oil field offshore northern Australia and the Thylacine and Geographe gas fields offshore Victoria in southern Australia.
Woodside operates a number of offshore wells in the [[Karratha, Western Australia|North West Shelf]], a huge new oil and gas field off the north-western coast of Western Australia, and is conducting exploration in a number of other areas off Western Australia and Victoria. In the United States, it is currently exploring several fields in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. It operates a number of oil and gas fields off the coast of [[Mauritania]], most notably the [[Chinguetti deposit]] and is a partner in fields in [[Algeria]]. Woodside also holds exploration interests in [[Kenya]], [[Libya]], [[Sierra Leone]], the [[Canary Islands]].

The company employs around 3500 staff, and had a net profit after tax of 1037 million [[AUD]] on revenues of 2,746 million AUD in 2005. It has a market capitalisation of more than A$26 billion. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}
Exploration and development activities are ongoing in a number of regions outside of Australia including the [[Gulf of Mexico]] in the USA and the [[Chinguetti oil field]], offshore [[Mauritania]],


==Criticism==
==Criticism==
In February 2006, the Mauritanian government led by [[Ely Ould Mohamed Vall]] denounced amendments to an oil contract made by former authoritarian leader [[Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya]] with Woodside Petroleum. In 2004, Woodside had agreed to invest US$ 600 million in developing Mauritania's Chinguetti offshore oil project. The controversed amendments, which Mauritanian authorities declared that they had been signed "outside the legal framework of normal practice, to the great detriment of our country", could cost Mauritania up to $200 million a year, according to ''BBC News''.<ref>{{cite news | title=Mauritania and firm row over oil | publisher=BBC News | date=February 6, 2006 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4684836.stm}}{{cite news | title=Crise ouverte avec la compagnie pétrolière Woodside | publisher=Radio France International | date=February 6, 2006 | url=http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/074/article_41704.asp}}</ref>
In February 2006, the Mauritanian government led by [[Ely Ould Mohamed Vall]] denounced amendments to an oil contract made by former authoritarian leader [[Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya]] with Woodside Petroleum. In 2004, Woodside had agreed to invest US$ 600 million in developing Mauritania's Chinguetti offshore oil project. The controversed amendments, which Mauritanian authorities declared that they had been signed "outside the legal framework of normal practice, to the great detriment of our country", could cost Mauritania up to $200 million a year, according to ''BBC News''.<ref>{{cite news | title=Mauritania and firm row over oil | publisher=BBC News | date=February 6, 2006 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4684836.stm}}{{cite news | title=Crise ouverte avec la compagnie pétrolière Woodside | publisher=Radio France International | date=February 6, 2006 | url=http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/074/article_41704.asp}}</ref>


The [[Australian Federal Police]] in June 2006 were investigating Woodside for allegations of bribery and corruption in [[Mauritania]] according to the [[Sydney Morning Herald]] <ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/police-start-woodside-probe-over-bribery-claim/2006/10/12/1160246263011.html News story on prosecution]</ref> <ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/slick-operator/2006/06/02/1148956541283.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Sydney Morning Herald - Business report]</ref>
The [[Australian Federal Police]] in June 2006 were investigating Woodside for allegations of bribery and corruption in [[Mauritania]] according to the [[Sydney Morning Herald]]<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/police-start-woodside-probe-over-bribery-claim/2006/10/12/1160246263011.html News story on prosecution]</ref><ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/slick-operator/2006/06/02/1148956541283.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Sydney Morning Herald - Business report]</ref>

Woodside Petroleum is currently attempting to have some ancient [[petroglyphs]], or rock art, moved from the [[Burrup Peninsula]] in [[Western Australia]] to access a natural gas supply there. <ref>[http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/dampier/web/index.htmlSave Dampier Rock Art home-page]</ref><ref>[http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105711 Australian


Heritage Database]</ref>
Woodside Petroleum is currently attempting to have some ancient [[petroglyphs]], or rock art, moved from the [[Burrup Peninsula]] in [[Western Australia]] to access a natural gas supply there. <ref>[http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/dampier/web/index.htmlSave Dampier Rock Art home-page]</ref> <ref>[http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105711 Australian Heritage Database]</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 07:41, 20 August 2007

Woodside Petroleum Limited
Company typePublic (ASXWPL)
IndustryEnergy
Founded26 July 1954 as Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil Co NL
HeadquartersAustralia Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Key people
Don Voelte, CEO and MD
ProductsPetroleum
RevenueIncrease $3.81 billion AUD (2006, [1])
Increase $1.427 billion AUD (2006)
Number of employees
~3000
Websitewww.woodside.com.au

Woodside Petroleum Limited is an Australian petroleum exploration and production company. It is a public company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and has its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia.

History

Woodside was founded in 1954 as Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil Co NL. The company was named after the town of Woodside in Victoria, Australia, which was near the area that the company initially explored for oil.[1]

Woodside explored for ten years both onshore and offshore Victoria without success. In 1963 the company was awarded exploration rights over a large tract offshore north-western Australia in an area now known as the North West Shelf. Subsequent drilling resulted in a number of major oil and gas discoveries including Scott Reef (now known as Torosa), North Rankin and Angel in 1971 and Goodwyn in 1972.

Woodside is one of Australia's largest companies. It currently employs more than 3000 people at various locations around the world. The company has a market capitalisation of more than AUD 30 billion and reserves at December 2006 of 1.58 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Shell Australia owns 34% of Woodside.[2]

Operations

Within Australia Woodside operates the North West Shelf Joint Venture which comprises a number of offshore gas and gas-condensate fields including Goodwyn and North Rankin. Gas is produced through a pipeline to Karratha, Western Australia where it is processed for Australian and export markets. The company also operates the Mutineer-Exeter oil field and the Enfield oil field offshore Western Australia, the Laminaria-Corallina oil field offshore northern Australia and the Thylacine and Geographe gas fields offshore Victoria in southern Australia.

Exploration and development activities are ongoing in a number of regions outside of Australia including the Gulf of Mexico in the USA and the Chinguetti oil field, offshore Mauritania,

Criticism

In February 2006, the Mauritanian government led by Ely Ould Mohamed Vall denounced amendments to an oil contract made by former authoritarian leader Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya with Woodside Petroleum. In 2004, Woodside had agreed to invest US$ 600 million in developing Mauritania's Chinguetti offshore oil project. The controversed amendments, which Mauritanian authorities declared that they had been signed "outside the legal framework of normal practice, to the great detriment of our country", could cost Mauritania up to $200 million a year, according to BBC News.[3]

The Australian Federal Police in June 2006 were investigating Woodside for allegations of bribery and corruption in Mauritania according to the Sydney Morning Herald[4][5]

Woodside Petroleum is currently attempting to have some ancient petroglyphs, or rock art, moved from the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia to access a natural gas supply there. [6][7]

References

  1. ^ Woodside company history, accessed 20 Aug 2007
  2. ^ Yahoo Finance - profile for Woodside Petroleum Ltd; accessed 20 August 2007
  3. ^ "Mauritania and firm row over oil". BBC News. February 6, 2006."Crise ouverte avec la compagnie pétrolière Woodside". Radio France International. February 6, 2006.
  4. ^ News story on prosecution
  5. ^ Sydney Morning Herald - Business report
  6. ^ Dampier Rock Art home-page
  7. ^ [http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105711 Australian Heritage Database]