Santos awards $40M helicopter services contract in Timor-Leste

January 31, 2025, by Nadja Skopljak

Australian energy player Santos has awarded a joint venture formed in 2020 with a $40 million contract for the delivery of helicopter transportation services in Timor-Leste.

The agreement was formally signed on behalf of Weststar-GAP Aviation by board of directors members Syed Muhammad Azni Syed Azman and Vicente da Costa Pinto. Representing Santos were Vince Santostefano, Executive Vice President for Western and Northern Australia, and Timor-Leste, and Marcie Evans, Vice President of Upstream Gas and Liquids for Western and Northern Australia, and Timor-Leste. Source: Weststar Aviation Group

Under the contract structured for an initial 12-month period with options for two six-month extensions, Weststar-GAP Aviation LDA, a joint venture between Timor-Leste’s national oil company Timor Gas Petroleo (GAP) and Weststar Aviation Timor, will provide helicopter transportation services supporting Santos’ offshore operations in the Bayu-Undan region, starting from February 1.

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Weststar-GAP will deploy two Leonardo AW189 helicopters which will be dedicated to crew change and medevac standby services, operating between Dili, Timor-Leste, and Darwin, Australia, under the Malaysian (9M) aircraft registration, fully compliant with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) regulations.

According to Weststar Aviation, the investment will encompass training and capacity-building programs for Timorese pilots, engineers, and operational staff, through which the joint venture company aims to create a self-sustaining and highly skilled aviation workforce in Timor-Leste, fostering local expertise and long-term career opportunities within the industry.

“This contract is a landmark achievement for Weststar. It reinforces the strength of our partnership with Timor GAP and demonstrates the trust placed in us by industry leaders like Santos,” said Syed Azman Syed Ibrahim, Group Managing Director of The Weststar Group.

“We are fully committed to developing Timor-Leste’s aviation capabilities. Through comprehensive training programs and skill enhancement initiatives, we aim to empower local talent and contribute to the country’s aviation self-sufficiency.”

This agreement is said to mark a critical milestone in WeststarGAP’s broader strategy to enhance offshore aviation services in Timor-Leste, with prospective growth into the Greater Sunrise field to support ENI and Sunda Gas.

The total potential value of Weststar-GAP’s projected project pipeline over the next 10 years is estimated to be over $400 million, Weststar Aviation said.