Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award [MA000062]

This page is a summary of who the Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award covers and doesn’t cover. Find a copy of the award at Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award.

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Who the Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award covers

The Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award covers employers in the hydrocarbons industry and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.

Hydrocarbons means hydrocarbon or other products extracted from:

  • oil and gas fields
  • the earth in solid, liquid or gas form, that excludes coal but includes:
    • gas
    • butane and methane
    • crude oil.

The hydrocarbons industry means:

  • exploring and/or drilling for hydrocarbons by using on and offshore drilling rigs, platform drilling rigs or by any other way
  • the work to prepare and develop oil or gas fields, including the service and decommission of wells and hydrocarbon facilities
  • extracting, separating, producing, processing, piping, storing, distributing and transporting hydrocarbons
  • providing services that are connected to and performed at a site where, the activities listed above are performed, including:
    • clerical and administrative, warehousing, stores and materials, medical, laboratory, utility, general or platform services
    • catering, cleaning and accommodation services (when owned/operated by an employer carrying out the activities listed above)
    • supplying base services (when owned/operated by an employer carrying out the activities listed above).
    • commissioning, servicing, maintaining, modifying, upgrading or repairing facilities, plant and/or equipment used in the activities listed above (when carried out by employees mainly employed to work at a location where the activities listed above are performed on an on-going basis)
    • providing temporary labour services, where the employee is mainly employed to work at a location where the activities listed above are carried out.

Examples of employees covered by the Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award include:

  • laboratory technicians
  • offshore drilling workers
  • onshore drilling workers
  • modification and maintenance tradespersons
  • clerical and administrative workers
  • on-site caterers
  • on-site cleaners
  • on-site security officers.

Check the award for full information on who is covered and the classification descriptions.

Source reference: Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award [MA000062] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

Who the Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award doesn't cover

The following employers and employees are not covered by the Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award:

  • employers in the aviation industry
  • hydrocarbon refineries of crude oil, petroleum and petro-chemical products
  • hydrocarbon-based product manufacturers
  • information technology professionals
  • professional engineers, geologists and scientists
  • security guards employed by a security business
  • contract cleaners
  • maritime officers/engineers and ratings/catering crew working on a vessel used in offshore hydrocarbon operations
  • catering and accommodation services provided by a business not in the hydrocarbons industry.

The Hydrocarbons (Upstream) Award doesn’t cover employers and employees when they are covered by the Manufacturing Award.

Check the award for full information on coverage and classifications.

Source reference: Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award [MA000062] clauses 2, 4 and schedule A

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