DILI, 31 January 2025 (TATOLI) – Today, Weststar-GAP Aviation LDA, a joint venture between Timor GAP, a state-owned oil and gas company in Timor-Leste, and Weststar Aviation Timor signed Helicopter Service Contract with Santos Australia.
The Helicopter Service Contract worth US$40 million was signed by Santos’ Executive Vice President Vince Santostefano and Weststar-GAP Aviation Director, Syed Muhammad Azni Syed Azman at the Hotel Timor, in Dili.
Weststar Aviation Group said that the operations under this contract are set to begin on February 1, 2025.
With the signing of the contract, Santos will use the two Leonardo AW189 helicopters to support its offshore operations in the Bayu-Undan region.
Santostefano said that Santos always seeks to use local suppliers and “the new helicopter service contract with Weststar Gap will result in more well-paid jobs for Timor-Leste workers. As part of this new contract, the Weststar GAP is committed to using Timor-Leste sub-contractors as much as possible.”
“It’s important to keep Timorese in jobs and to generate a new source of revenue for the country,” Santostefano said, today.
Meanwhile, Director Azman said that this initiative represents more than investment in the aviation sector and energy: “It is a significant contribution to the economic growth and sustainable development of Timor-Leste.”
He said that Weststar’s commitment includes training local pilots, engineers, and operational staff to meet the regular standards as set by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP).
Azman stressed that Weststar GAP will provide essential crew change and Medevac standby services, operating between Dili, Timor-Leste, and Darwin, Australia.
“Our collaboration with Santos will contribute to the success of the Bayu Undan field and its role in the region’s energy infrastructure,” he said.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, Malaysian Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, the Chairman of Timor GAP, Rui Maria Alves Soares, the Chairman of the National Petroleum Authority, Gualdino do Carmo da Silva, and Vice President of Upstream Gas and Liquids, Western Australia, Northern Australia, and Timor-Leste, Marcie Evans.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
