(EnergyAsia, February 5 2013, Tuesday) — Australian Rod Duke has left his number two position at Singapore LNG Corp for a senior appointment overseeing the downstream development of Queensland state’s US$18.5 billion Gladstone LNG (GLNG) project.

Mr Duke, SLNG’s senior vice-president for commercial operations, was a key member of the pioneering team involved in developing Singapore’s first LNG import terminal which is due to start up in the second quarter.

Australian upstream company Santos which is leading a consortium to develop the export-oriented project said Mr Duke has taken up the position of GLNG’s vice president for downstream operations overseeing the delivery of its gas transmission pipeline and LNG terminal. Reporting directly to Santos CEO David Knox, he will work closely with the company’s vice president Trevor Brown who is overseeing GLNG’s upstream component.

Mr Duke had been a member of the pioneering team to build Singapore’s LNG terminal since joining the Energy Market Authority in 2007 from Australia’s Woodside Petroleum. Mr Duke, who took over from Mark Macfarlane, has more than 28 years experience in project management, engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, commercial, marketing and business development areas of the upstream natural gas and LNG industry.

The GLNG’s other shareholders include France’s Total SA, Malaysia’s Petronas and Korea Gas Corp. The project is more than 45% complete and on track to produce its first cargo in 2015.