Perth welcomes LNG 18 – the world’s largest global LNG event

The eyes of the world’s oil and gas industry will focus on Perth from April 11 to 15 when 5,000 people take part in the prestigious 18th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas, or LNG 18. Perth previously hosted LNG 12 in 1998, and is the only destination to be granted hosting rights a second time for this industry-leading triennial event. 

Premier and State Development Minister Colin Barnett said LNG 18 was the biggest international event to be held in the city since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in 2011, and the largest industry conference ever to be hosted in WA. “LNG 18 is expected to deliver $45 million in benefits to the State’s economy,” Mr Barnett said. “It is a significant boon to the hospitality and tourism industry. The week of the conference will be an opportunity for Perth to shine in the international spotlight.

The Premier will join Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the Welcome Reception on April 11, with the conference running from April 12 to 15. Conference delegates, 68 per cent of whom are from overseas, will attend a dinner function on April 14 overlooking the Swan River at Sir James Mitchell Park, and will dine on the best of Western Australian produce.

“The event comes at a challenging time for the LNG industry, but also an ideal time for industry leaders to meet and discuss innovation, competitiveness and technology,” Mr Barnett said. “It also comes at the perfect time for WA, as our LNG industry reaches a new phase of maturity following the start-up of the Gorgon project this month. With the Wheatstone project also set to start production within the year, the State is soon to become one of the world’s leading jurisdictions for LNG production.” WA’s LNG production capacity will more than double in coming years, rising from 20.6 million tonnes in 2015 to nearly 50 million tonnes in 2018.

The Government has supported a number of community engagement events coinciding with the conference, including an LNG-themed school holiday program in Forrest Place, a careers forum for high school students, and an ‘Unearthed’ innovation event to solve real-world industry problems.

Mr Barnett congratulated all involved in bringing the event together, including Government agencies, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth Convention Bureau and City of Perth. “The size of this event has made it a significant logistical challenge, requiring the construction of temporary infrastructure at the PCEC site to accommodate the large number of delegates and exhibitors,” he said.

For more information, visit http://www.lng18.org