Hydrocarbons Industry (Upstream) Award
Industry award covering employers throughout Australia in the hydrocarbons industry (upstream) — exploration/drilling for hydrocarbons (on/offshore rigs), preparatory work, well servicing, decommissioning, extraction/separation/production/processing/piping/storage/distribution/transport of hydrocarbons, incidental services (clerical, warehousing, medical, laboratory, utility, platform, catering/cleaning/accommodation when employer-engaged in hydrocarbons, supply base), commissioning/maintenance/upgrade of facilities, and temporary labour. Excludes downstream refining/distribution and maritime/aviation/IT/professional roles. Single sector (hydrocarbons_upstream). 8 classifications (Entry Level + L1-L7), Standard rate = Level 3 = $1,068.40/wk = $28.12/hr. Distinctive features: industry allowance $63.68/wk all-purpose BAKED INTO ordinary hourly rate (cl 2 def + cl 20.2(b)) — engine MUST add this BEFORE applying any penalty/OT multiplier; NO fallback super fund list (cl 22) — engine relies entirely on ATO stapled fund; cycle work pay condition (cl 13.4) for FIFO/DIDO/BIBO rosters with on-duty days capped at total cycle days × 0.714 (~71.4%); annualised wage (cl 18) and composite daily rate (cl 19 — prospecting/exploration drilling only) as explicit alternatives to standard wage + OT/penalty/AL loading; lay-up shutdown 1 week notice (cl 25.7) — vs standard 28-day; storms and cyclones stand-down up to 5 working days (cl 16.8); permanent night shift loading 130% (cl 24.3(b)) vs 115% standard; point of assembly travel time 4hrs each end of cycle baked into min rates.
Fully built. Rates, allowances, penalties and any required apprentice / junior rates are all wired to the rate resolver and have been verified against the consolidated award text and the latest pay guide.
What's built
- All 8 cl 16.1 classifications across 4 streams (Schedule A.3 — hydrocarbons industry services, onshore drilling, offshore drilling, operations and processing) at PR786600 ppc 01Jul25 figures: Entry Level $954.90/wk → L3 $1,068.40/wk STANDARD RATE → L7 $1,300+/wk. Stored hourly is INFLATED by industry allowance + electrician's licence baked into ordinary rate.
- All cl 20 allowances: industry allowance $63.68/wk ALL-PURPOSE (cl 20.2(b) — baked into ord rate); electrician's licence $30.88/wk ALL-PURPOSE (also baked in); leading hand tiers; LAFH (living away from home) $64.10/day; meal/tool/standby allowances; **point of assembly travel time** (cl 20.4) — min rates include compensation for 4 hrs travelling time at start AND end of each work cycle, travel >4 hrs paid at ord rate up to 12 hrs each way.
- Penalty rows: shift afternoon/night 115%; **permanent night 130% (cl 24.3(b)) — DISTINCTIVE** vs 115% standard; Sat 150% first 3h / 200% after; Sun 200%; PH 250%; OT FT 150 first 2h / 200 after; OT casual 175/225 (loading-inclusive); OT continuous shift 200%; recall min hours; storms/cyclones stand-down (cl 16.8) — continued payment of min rate up to 5 working days.
- 8 leave entitlements: AL 4w day worker / 5w shiftworker (NES + cycle worker variant), 17.5% loading, excessive accrual 8w (10w shiftworker), AL in advance + cashout, **lay-up shutdown 1 week notice (cl 25.7) — DISTINCTIVE** vs standard 28-day shutdown notice; personal/carer's, compassionate, parental, community service, FDV, LSL.
- 4 pay conditions: Full-Time, Part-Time, Casual (25% loading), **Cycle Work (cl 13.4) — DISTINCTIVE** for FIFO/DIDO/BIBO rosters: total ord hrs ≤ 38 × (total days / 7), up to 12 consecutive ord hrs/day, on-duty days capped at total cycle days × 0.714 unless agreed.
- Cl 13A right to disconnect with reserve/stand-by carve-out.
- **Annualised wage (cl 18) and composite daily rate (cl 19) — DISTINCTIVE alternatives** to standard wage + OT/penalty/AL loading. Composite daily rate is for prospecting/exploration drilling only. Both have BOOT obligation + 12-month reconciliation + signed time records.
- **Accident pay 52-week workers comp top-up (cl 21)** — same pattern as Stevedoring + Sugar. Casual: avg ord hours over 12 months including loading.
- Cl 22 super: NO fallback default super fund list — only names defined benefit members (cl 22.1) + employer SG obligation (cl 22.2). New employees with no chosen/stapled fund have no award-named industry default. Engine relies entirely on ATO stapled fund.
- Pay frequency weekly or fortnightly. Termination 7 days. Standard NES termination notice tier (1/2/3/4 weeks).
- ~110 configuration entries including cycle work parameters (0.714 cap, 12hr/day max, 38h/wk equiv), lay-up shutdown 1-week, storm/cyclone stand-down 5 days, permanent night 130%, industry-allowance-baked-in flags, no-fallback-super-fund flag, annualised wage + composite daily rate alternatives.
Known limitations
- Industry allowance $63.68/wk is BAKED INTO `ordinary_hourly_rate` per cl 2 definition + cl 20.2(b). Engine MUST NOT add it again on top of penalty/OT multipliers.
- Electrician's licence $30.88/wk is also ALL-PURPOSE and baked into ordinary hourly rate. Same warning.
- NO fallback default super fund list (cl 22) — `default_super_funds=[]`. Customer must nominate a fallback if no stapled fund returned by ATO. Engine must NOT auto-pick.
- Cycle work (cl 13.4) — FIFO/DIDO/BIBO rosters require resolver to track total cycle days, on-duty days, and enforce the 0.714 cap (on-duty days ≤ total cycle days × 0.714 unless agreed). Total ord hrs over the cycle ≤ 38 × (total days / 7).
- Permanent night shift 130% (cl 24.3(b)): definition — night-only engagement OR more than 4 consecutive weeks night OR no rotation giving ≥1/3 working time off in shift cycle. Resolver needs runtime classification of night-shift type.
- Annualised wage (cl 18) and composite daily rate (cl 19): both have BOOT obligation + 12-month reconciliation + signed time records. Composite daily rate is restricted to prospecting/exploration drilling only.
- Lay-up shutdown 1 week notice (cl 25.7) — distinct from standard 28-day shutdown. Triggered when drilling rig cannot be usefully employed (repair/survey/maintenance/external cause). Allows employer to direct AL during lay-up.
- Storms and cyclones stand-down (cl 16.8): employer may demobilise/reassign/stand-down employees affected by unsafe weather. Continued payment of minimum rate for ord hours up to 5 working days.
- Point of assembly travel time (cl 20.4): min rates already include compensation for 4 hrs travelling time at start AND end of each work cycle. Travel >4 hrs paid at ord rate up to 12 hrs each way.
Setup & special instructions
- Standard rate = Level 3 = $1,068.40/wk = $28.12/hr (cl 2 def). Used as basis for apprentice rate percentages and other %-of-standard references.
- Stored ordinary hourly rate is INFLATED by industry allowance + electrician's licence (where applicable). Combined inflation: industry $63.68/wk + electrician $30.88/wk = $94.56/wk = $2.49/hr added.
- Coverage excludes downstream refining/distribution and maritime/aviation/IT/professional roles. See cl 4 exclusions.
- Cycle work pay condition (cl 13.4) is the standard for FIFO/DIDO/BIBO rosters — route to it when employee is on cycle roster pattern.
- Annualised wage (cl 18) and composite daily rate (cl 19) — only use when explicit BOOT-tested individual agreement is in place with 12-month reconciliation.
- Cl 22 super: NO award-named fallback fund. Customer must nominate a fallback default fund for new employees with no stapled fund.
- Cl 25.7 lay-up shutdown 1 week notice — distinct from standard 28-day shutdown. Triggered by drilling rig conditions, not Christmas/New Year period.
- Cl 16.8 storm/cyclone stand-down — limited to 5 working days continued ord-rate payment. Beyond 5 days, employees revert to leave entitlements or unpaid stand-down.
- • Hydrocarbons
- • Oil and gas
- • Upstream oil and gas
- • Drilling
- • Onshore drilling
- • Offshore drilling
- • Well servicing
- • Hydrocarbon extraction
- • Hydrocarbon processing
- • FIFO
- • DIDO
- • BIBO
- • Rig operations
The consolidated award text is the authoritative source. Always confirm specific obligations against the award itself — Mployr's implementation status reflects what we've seeded; it does not replace legal advice.
Want to see this award running on your data?
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