Michael Williams

Professor at LNG

Trainer

Michael is an energy professional with 40+ years of worldwide experience particularly in gas and LNG, most recently in Australia, China and Taiwan and. He has expertise in all technical and commercial phases of the gas and LNG business, and is acknowledged by industry experts, governments and government expert committees. He has proven abilities in technical design, project development, strategy and building and leading teams.

Michael is now an independent consultant. Was a non-executive company director of Epic Energy Holdings, a gas pipeline company, and is a member of the Panel of Experts of the Western Australian Gas Review Board. Previously he had a 33 year international career with Shell, culminating as Managing Director (Gas & Power) for the Shell Companies in North East Asia.

With vast experience working with governments, Michael has been acknowledged as a major influence in for changing China’s energy policy to import LNG and to utilise gas. Locally Michael had a 3 year secondment to the Western Australian Government as Development Director for the Department of Resources Development where he liaised, negotiated with and assisted senior ministers and policy developers.

Michael’s influence on the development of energy policy in China and in Taiwan was recognised by the Energy Working Group of APEC and by the associated policy development body, APERC (Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, based in Tokyo). For a number of years he recommended and critique energy policies developed by APERC.

Michael was the inaugural manager of the onshore treatment plant of the North West Shelf LNG Project in Karratha, Western Australia, where he set up the organisation and managed the start-up and operation of the plant. As several innovative organisational concepts were pioneered, this involved complex, successful negotiations with unions to secure their buy-in, all against a tight timeframe.

Michael has a bachelor of engineering, with honors. He is also a fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Energy.

Michael was awarded an Order of Australia Medal by the Australian Government in 2015 for services to the LNG industry.