PERTH, March 19, 2026, 07:33 (AWST)
Woodside Energy barely budged in Sydney, ending Wednesday’s session up 0.06%, after new CEO Liz Westcott singled out the $17.5 billion Louisiana LNG project as a top focus. Over in the U.S., Woodside’s ADRs were quoted at $22.85, up about 1%. The muted response at home signals investors are looking for concrete progress, not just a change at the top.
The stakes are higher for Westcott now, with a weaker 2026 production forecast and plenty of competing projects on the table. Woodside is looking to offload a 20% slice of its Louisiana LNG venture — that’s liquefied natural gas, cooled down for export — even as it pushes Scarborough toward first cargo this year, eyes a 2028 launch for Trion, and advances Browse to a final investment decision.
Woodside’s board picked Westcott following a search that looked both inside and outside the company. Chair Richard Goyder pointed to her leadership and what he called “disciplined delivery” as distinguishing factors. For her part, Westcott highlighted “sustainable value creation,” operational excellence, and a disciplined approach to growth projects as her key priorities. Woodside
Shares briefly climbed 1.2% in early Australian trading, but those gains mostly faded. Santos added 0.3%, while Beach Energy advanced 2.5%. Stronger crude helped lift other energy names.
Westcott was named to the post shortly after Woodside clinched its agreement with Western Australia, clearing a path to ship an additional 3 million tonnes of LNG from Pluto in exchange for 23 petajoules more domestic gas by 2029. Pluto LNG 2, slated to come online in the final quarter of this year, will boost capacity by another 5 million tonnes per year.
The pick signals continuity, most analysts say. RBC Capital Markets’ Gordon Ramsay described Westcott as a “low-risk appointment,” while ETF Shares CIO David Tuckwell labeled her a “safe pair of hands.” Woodside faces what Westcott herself termed a “big year of delivery.” Reuters
Woodside isn’t working from a shaky foundation. In February, the company reported 2025 output hitting an all-time high—198.8 million barrels of oil equivalent. Net profit? $2.7 billion. Scarborough was 94% done by year-end, Trion at 50%.
Crude’s notched more gains. Brent finished 3.8% higher at $107.38, then tacked on another 5.6% after hours when Iran struck multiple Middle East energy sites—a move that can juice near-term revenue for producers like Woodside but also stiffens the inflation picture.
Here’s the hitch. Kevin Morrison at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis flagged Louisiana LNG as the project where investors will likely measure Westcott’s performance, pointing out that surging energy prices tied to the Iran conflict could push inflation into the mix. Browse, for its part, still has to secure commercial deals and clear environmental hurdles before advancing.
The market isn’t rushing to judgment just yet. Attention is set on the Louisiana stake sale, Scarborough’s rollout, and any updates to 2026 guidance—those weigh more heavily right now than news of Woodside naming a new CEO.
