HMAS Newcastle’s recent transit from Darwin to HMAS Stirling south of Perth was a busy one with the ship patrolling the waters around over 20 oil and gas platforms.
Commanding Officer of Newcastle, Commander Dominic MacNamara, said the importance of providing an Australian Defence Force presence in the north of Australia could not be understated.
“Maintaining a manifest presence and demonstrating Navy’s commitment to protecting Australia’s natural resources is an important tasking for the Royal Australian Navy.”
This was one of a number of patrols of the North West Shelf area by major fleet unit this year with HMA Ships Sirius, Success, Ballarat and Toowoomba having conducted similar patrols as part of the Royal Australian Navy’s strong ongoing commitment to the security of the region.
The North West Shelf in the Indian Ocean is an extensive oil and gas region off the North West Australian coast in the Pilbara region. It has a considerable number of oil and gas wells, pipelines, production areas and support facilities.
[mappress] Press Release, October 07, 2014; Image: Australian Navy