<article><p class="lead">Shell has resumed LNG loadings at its 3.6mn t/yr Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) facility in the Browse basin offshore Western Australia following a shutdown of more than six weeks because of industrial action. </p><p>The resumption comes more than three weeks since the strike, which <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2357482">began on 10 June</a>, stopped on 25 August. </p><p>The shipments follow the cancellation of protected industrial action after an in-principle enterprise agreement was reached with the Australian Workers' Union and Electrical Trades Union in relation to the Prelude facility on 23 August, Shell said on 19 September. </p><p>The enterprise agreement has now been supported by a majority of employees in a formal vote and is expected to come into effect in early October, it said.</p><p>"We are focused on moving forward as a business and delivering affordable, reliable energy to our customers through continued safe, stable production in order to meet the critical global demand for energy security," Shell said.</p><p>The Prelude shutdown has affected Australia's LNG shipments. July exports <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2369786">dropped to a three-month low</a> of 6.52mn t from 7.03mn t a year earlier.</p><p>The front half-month of the ANEA, the <i>Argus</i> assessment for spot LNG deliveries to northeast Asia, was last assessed at $39.60/mn Btu on 16 September, down by almost 42pc from $67.855/mn Btu on 31 August.</p><p>Prelude is 67.5pc owned by Shell, while Japanese upstream firm Inpex owns 17.5pc, South Korean gas firm Kogas owns 10pc and Taiwanese state-controlled energy firm CPC owns the remaining 5pc.</p><p class="bylines">By Kevin Morrison</p></article>
