Through our association with Safer Together, we work with our clients and partners to create the leadership and collaboration needed to build a strong and consistent safety culture in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. 

As an active member of Safer Together's Queensland Rig Site Safety and Land Transport & Logistics working groups, we sponsored their latest Drilling and Completions Industry Incident Review Panel, to explore the opportunities and challenges of increasing female participation in the drilling industry. 

Danielle Leray, MTTF Trials Execution Lead, Supply and Technology - Integrated Gas for Origin and Chairperson of Queensland Women of Wells (QWoW) emceed the event. 

"We had an impressive range of presenters who shared their experiences as women working in the drilling and completions or well engineering industry. It was eye opening for the mostly male audience to hear some of the statistics about women in the industry." 

Queensland Women of Wells conducted a survey of their members and presented this data to inform the Safer Together audience about how women feel working in a male-dominated industry and what they can do to better support women in their workplaces. 

The research revealed some sombre feedback, highlighting compelling reasons for the industry to change so women feel more comfortable and supported in their workplaces.

"Encouragingly, despite some concerning survey results, 91% of QWoW members surveyed said they would recommend a career in oil and gas to other women." 

^{Back row (From L-R): Linda Hedger (Principal Well Engineer, Shell), Lana Cordy (Wells Engineering Manager - Performance, Planning & Capability, Shell), Joanna Groves (Principal Engineer, InGauge Energy), Sophie Dawson (Well Engineer, Origin), Peta Hardy (HSE Advisor, Origin), Ashley Watling (Senior Completions Engineer, Santos), Sarah Alexander (Managing Director, Bespoke Safety Group), Andrea Panakova (Senior Wells Engineer, Shell), Layna Smith (Lead Wells Engineer - WI/P&A, Shell). Front row (L-R): Amy Hardy (Workover Engineering Lead, East Asset, Origin), Cheryl Lynn McCulloch (APAC OFS Service Quality Director, Baker Hughes), Danielle Leray [MC] (MTTF Trials Execution Lead, Supply & Technology, Origin). Not pictured: Peta presented with Hayley Forbes (HSE Manager, COHO Resources)}

Improving safety for women in the industry

Ventia's General Manager for Rig & Well Services, Kyle Koziol, is a representative on Safer Together's Queensland Rig Site Safety Working Group said working alongside our customers at Safer Together has helped solve problems, develop new ideas and improve outcomes for the industry. 

"It was insightful for me and other managers in the industry to hear different perspectives from women working in the industry and see the data that Women of Wells collected to show how many women may feel while at work. 

Some actions like ensuring companies have appropriate on-site facilities for women are likely achieved in the shorter-term, but we need to continue to work with groups like Queensland Women of Wells so we can act as an industry to ensure women feel safe and supported in their workplaces.