Santos says skills shortage yet to hit

Santos chief executive David Knox, whose company is building one of the three $15 billion-plus coal-seam gas export plants planned for Gladstone in Queensland, says he is yet to fall victim to the skills shortage and cost pressures that have hit the resource sector, particularly in Western Australia.

The comments were backed by Leigh Clifford, a director of US contractor Bechtel, who said recent changes to skilled migration visas would be vital in delivering the three Gladstone projects — all involving Bechtel — by their 2014 or 2015 start dates.