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    Can Woodside (ASX:WDS) Maintain Project Discipline After CEO Meg O’Neill’s Surprise Departure to bp?

    Simply Wall St·12/20/2025 19:16:09
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    • Woodside Energy Group has confirmed that CEO and Managing Director Meg O’Neill has resigned to become CEO of bp p.l.c., with Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Australia Liz Westcott appointed Acting CEO effective 18 December 2025.
    • This leadership change comes as Woodside is in the middle of delivering large LNG growth projects and managing potential industrial action at Pluto LNG Train 2, increasing attention on execution continuity and governance.
    • We’ll now examine how Meg O’Neill’s departure and Liz Westcott’s interim leadership may influence Woodside’s existing investment narrative and risk profile.

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    Woodside Energy Group Investment Narrative Recap

    To own Woodside today, you need to believe its LNG growth projects can translate into resilient cash generation despite commodity volatility and execution risks. Meg O’Neill’s departure introduces governance and continuity questions, but Liz Westcott’s operational background and the board’s active search for a permanent CEO mean the near term catalyst around Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 delivery, and the key risk from potential industrial action at Pluto LNG Train 2, remain broadly unchanged for now.

    One recent announcement that sits right beside this leadership change is the potential industrial action at Pluto LNG Train 2 from January 2026, which could delay a project already seen as central to Woodside’s near term production and cash flow outlook. With Scarborough and Pluto around 91 percent complete and first LNG cargo targeted for the second half of 2026, any disruption here would hit precisely where investors are most focused on execution and timing.

    Yet investors should be aware that the potential industrial action at Pluto LNG Train 2 could...

    Read the full narrative on Woodside Energy Group (it's free!)

    Woodside Energy Group's narrative projects $14.1 billion revenue and $2.3 billion earnings by 2028.

    Uncover how Woodside Energy Group's forecasts yield a A$27.42 fair value, a 20% upside to its current price.

    Exploring Other Perspectives

    ASX:WDS 1-Year Stock Price Chart
    ASX:WDS 1-Year Stock Price Chart

    Across 26 fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community, views on Woodside’s worth span from A$18.99 to A$140.33, highlighting very different expectations about risk and reward. Set against this, the current focus on delivering Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 on time and managing strike risk shows why it can be useful to compare several of these perspectives before forming a view.

    Explore 26 other fair value estimates on Woodside Energy Group - why the stock might be worth 17% less than the current price!

    Build Your Own Woodside Energy Group Narrative

    Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

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    This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.