As a team, ELS has unmatched operating experience across project commercialisation, commercial negotiations and commercial operations on Australia's largest energy projects.
Ken Chan, Managing Director
BEng (Chemical Engineering), BSc (Chemistry), M.B.A. Curtin University
Ken has more than 17 years experience commercial operations (oil refining, domestic gas/LNG), contract negotiation (Lifting, LNG tolling) and management (LNG, domestic gas). Commencing as a process engineer at BP Kwinana Refinery, he complete roles in Process Safety, Hydroprocessing Support, Business Analysis, Refinery Optimisation, Production Planning. In 2012 he was appointed as pipeline gas scheduler for BP's East Coast refinery.
In 2014 Ken was seconded to the Northwest Shelf project’s shipping division, Northwest Shelf Shipping Services Company responsible for scheduling, communications and optimisation of the projects six LNG carriers in coordination with the LNG contract coordinators and plant offtake coordinators. 2015 he was recruited to Chevron's Wheatstone project as the Annual Delivery Programme manager, responsible for operationalising LNG Lifting Agreements and negotiating the allocation of 130 LNG cargoes to the 5 project owners in line with the project’s Joint Operating Agreements and LNG Lifting Agreements.
In 2017, Ken founded Equity Lifting Solutions (ELS) to provide commercial services to non-operating joint venture partners (NOJVs). In the years since ELS was established, he has lead growth of the business to serving project Operators, shifted the company's focus to low carbon projects, recruited a world-class team of subject matter experts and expanded the company's service line to commercial operations services, operations support, hydrocarbon accounting system design and gas supply origination. Ken has been directly involved in Burrup Hub Lifting Agreement negotiations, Mitsui E&P's Waitsia commercial negotiation and operationalization, Commercial concept design for Jemena on Port Kembla and Trucked LNG due diligence for Kimberley Mineral Sands' Thunderbird project.
Geoff Hegney, Senior Commercial Consultant
BSc (Industrial Chemistry), Curtin University, M.B.A. Edith Cowan University
Geoff began his career in 1987 as an Industrial Chemist with the State Energy Commission of Western Australia (SECWA). He later worked on fuel strategy and obtained government approvals for power station projects. In 1995, he joined Alinta Energy, focusing on marketing Domestic Gas and managing gas agreements.
By 1996, Geoff had moved to Western Power, identifying new power station projects and evaluating various opportunities. He continued to grow in roles at CMS Energy and AGL, managing gas transportation agreements and energy sales, respectively.
His time with Chevron, starting in 2002, was marked by responsibilities in Domestic Gas Marketing for the Gorgon Project, followed by roles as LNG Marketing Manager and Chevron’s inaugural Land Tenure Manager. He was also involved in negotiating agreements for the Wheatstone LNG Project and served as Downstream Commercial Manager on the Gorgon Project.
In 2017, Geoff's responsibilities broadened to include Midstream Business Development at Chevron, followed by independent consultancy work in late 2020. His career spans 34 years, with experience in electricity, gas utilities, and the oil and gas sector, focusing on new project development and operations.
In 2021, Geoff joined Equity Lifting Solutions (ELS), where he has been actively involved in projects with Port Kembla for Jemena and Mitsui E&P's carbon capture and storage project. His wide-ranging experience and pragmatic approach have been valuable in assisting ELS clients across various energy initiatives. His presence at ELS further emphasizes the firm's commitment to practical solutions and robust expertise within the energy industry.
Stewart Gallagher, Senior Commercial Consultant
BSc (Chemistry), University of Auckland, Executive M.B.A. Australian Graduate School of Management
Stewart has spent more than 35 years’ working as a commercial professional in the oil and gas industry, particularly in operating businesses at the interface between production / processing and marketing. He has wide ranging experience along the oil and gas value chain, having worked in gas production and processing projects, LNG and pipeline gas marketing, shipping, oil refining and oil products marketing, and petrochemicals marketing.
Stewart has extensive experience in product offake from oil and gas projects, both onto ships (LNG and oil) and into gas pipelines. This has required an understanding of how LNG production, storage and loading facilities, port and marine operations, shipping, and ADP development and management interact. Stewart was acknowledged as a production offtake expert when he worked at Shell and Woodside. In his most recent role at Woodside, he led the process of implementing equity lifting arrangements for LNG and other products from Pluto in readiness for delivery and processing of Scarborough gas at Pluto onshore facilities.
In addition to product offake, Stewart has spent much of the past two decades working on the North West Shelf (NWS) and Pluto projects in a variety of different roles. This includes JV commercial on Pluto foundation project, pipeline gas marketing at NWS, developing and managing the ADP for LNG jointly marketed by NWS participants, and implementing commercial arrangements for third party gas processing at NWS. Stewart holds a postgraduate degree in Chemistry from The University of Auckland, New Zealand, and an MBA Executive from The Australian Graduate School of Management.
Greg Woodward, Senior Commercial Consultant
Master of Engineering and Technology Management University of Queensland
Greg has more than 35 years experience with Shell, including as Senior VP Commercial Operations and Trading for North West Shelf Venture and Senior Commercial Manager for the Shell Australia’s LNG business responsible for devising, negotiating and implementing operational and commercial agreements to allocate, lift and sell each partner’s equity share of LNG, LPG and Condensate production from North West Shelf, Prelude, Gorgon, Wheatstone and Arrow) in addition to acting as Shell’s shipping representative on each project.
Andrew Caddy, Manager Commercial Operations
CA, BComm (Accounting) Charles Darwin University
Andrew has over 20 years experience, including more than 10 years with Chevron Australia in senior management roles on Gorgon and Wheatstone including Finance Manager at Chevron responsible for the financial review of Chevron’s LNG marketing business, Chevron’s Sellers Representative to the NWS responsible for domestic gas, LNG, condensate and LPG, as a seconded to Australia LNG, the NWS Project’s LNG marketing and operational entity responsible for managing the operational relationship with 11 LNG buyers from Japan, Korea and China.
In 2016 Andrew returned to Chevron to establish the Specific Lifting Schedule for the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project managing the team responsible for the operationalisation and implementation of the Wheatstone Lifting Agreements. Andrew was later appointed Gorgon Lifting Coordinator. Andrew joined ELS as Manager, Commercial Operations in 2021 acting as Lifter Representative for a NWS Lifter since May 2021.
Malcolm West, Senior Operations Consultant (Facility)
BEng (Chemical Engineering) Curtin University, Master of Oil and Gas Engineering, University of Western Australia
Malcolm has over 30 years experience in project and operational roles. Knowledge and capability across the full project lifecycle, from early concept work through detail design, construction, commissioning, early and late phase operation, Operating experience (NWS, Gorgon, Wheatstone) with Commercial, JVP Relations, Marketing, Engineering, Production, Maintenance, Information Technology and Finance. Unique combination of Technical, Operations, Commercial and Marketing skills.