This is the 2026 state nomination comparison for ANZSCO 399212 — Gas or Petroleum Operator. For pathway guide, skills assessment, invitation trends, and cost / timeline, see the linked cluster.
The summary
| State | 190 | 491 | Industry strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | ✗ | ✓ | Limited — pipeline / distribution only |
| VIC | ✗ | ✓ | Bass Strait gas processing (Longford ExxonMobil) |
| QLD | ✗ | ✓ | Curtis Island LNG (Gladstone — GLNG / APLNG / QCLNG) |
| SA | ✗ | ✗ | NOT ELIGIBLE — but Moomba via 186 DE / 494 |
| WA | ✗ | ✓ | Strongest — NW Shelf / Pluto / Wheatstone / Gorgon LNG |
| NT | ✗ | ✓ | Ichthys LNG (Darwin — INPEX) |
| ACT | ✗ | ✓ | No gas / petroleum industry |
| TAS | ✗ | ✓ | Limited gas operations |
7 of 8 states nominate for 491. 190 permanent NOT available federally for 399212 — only 491 Regional Provisional.
WA — strongest LNG market
WA does not nominate 190 (federal closed). 491 ✓ + 186 DE / 482 / 494 with WA sponsor available.
Industry fit — strongest in Australia:
- NW Shelf LNG (Karratha — regional) — Woodside. Australia's longest-running LNG plant.
- Pluto LNG (Karratha — regional) — Woodside.
- Wheatstone LNG (Onslow — regional) — Chevron.
- Gorgon LNG (Barrow Island — regional) — Chevron.
- Upstream offshore platforms — NW Shelf.
- Karratha Gas Plant — onshore processing.
Karratha is regional for 491 / 494. WA is the realistic primary state for 399212.
NT — Ichthys LNG
NT allocates 800 for 491. All of NT regional.
Industry fit:
- Ichthys LNG (Darwin — all NT regional) — INPEX. Major LNG facility, sustained operations.
- Darwin LNG (ConocoPhillips legacy).
NT is the realistic secondary state for LNG candidates.
QLD — Curtis Island LNG
QLD allocates 750 for 491. Gladstone regional ✓.
Industry fit — strong:
- Curtis Island LNG (Gladstone — regional) — three LNG trains:
- Gladstone LNG (GLNG) — Santos. - Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) — ConocoPhillips / Origin. - Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) — Shell.
- Surat Basin / Bowen Basin CSG (coal seam gas) operations.
- Wallumbilla gas hub.
- Ampol Lytton refinery (Brisbane metro).
VIC — Bass Strait
VIC allocates 700 for 491. Limited tight allocation.
Industry fit:
- Longford gas processing (Bass Strait — regional Vic) — ExxonMobil / Esso.
- Viva Energy Geelong refinery (regional Vic).
- Offshore Bass Strait platforms.
SA — NOT ELIGIBLE (but Moomba via 186 DE)
SA does not nominate 399212 (federal ✗). 491 NOT available in SA.
Fallback: 186 DE / 482 / 494 with SA sponsor.
Industry fit:
- Moomba (Cooper Basin — all SA regional for 494) — Santos gas processing.
- Adelaide Brighton chemicals adjacency.
NSW — limited gas industry
NSW allocates 1,500 for 491. Limited 399212-specific operations:
- Port Kembla LNG import terminal (Squadron Energy — developing).
- Pipeline / distribution operations.
- Newcastle / Hunter region gas distribution.
ACT — no industry
ACT allocates 800 for 491. No significant gas / petroleum industry. Matrix structurally weak.
TAS — limited
TAS allocates 650 for 491. Limited gas / petroleum operations. Basslink + small operations.
Realistic state selection by background
LNG operator (Qatar / Trinidad / US Gulf / Indonesia LNG background):
- Tier 1: WA 491 / 186 DE (Karratha NW Shelf / Pluto / Wheatstone).
- Tier 2: NT 491 / 186 DE (Ichthys Darwin).
- Tier 3: QLD 491 / 186 DE (Curtis Island Gladstone).
Refinery operator background:
- Tier 1: VIC 491 / 186 DE (Viva Energy Geelong).
- Tier 2: QLD 186 DE (Ampol Lytton — Brisbane metro).
Gas processing background:
- Tier 1: VIC 491 / 186 DE (Longford Bass Strait).
- Tier 2: QLD 491 / 186 DE (Wallumbilla / Surat Basin).
- Tier 3: SA 186 DE (Moomba — no state nom but 494 viable).
Pipeline / distribution background:
- Multi-state — APA Group, AGN, Jemena, Multinet 186 DE.
The honest recommendation
WA is structurally the strongest state for 399212. Multiple major LNG operators concentrated at Karratha + Onslow. WA 491 (Karratha / Onslow regional) is the realistic primary points-tested channel. WA 186 DE for sponsored candidates.
NT Ichthys LNG and QLD Curtis Island LNG are strong secondaries.
186 DE is the realistic primary employer-sponsored path — Woodside, Chevron, INPEX, Shell, Santos all sponsor regularly.
490 permanent state nomination is NOT available — only 491 regional provisional (5-year wall-clock to 191 PR). Plan accordingly.
Tools
- Points calculator
- Visa fee calculator
- Document checklist
- Eligibility wizard
- Invitation rounds tracker
- ANZSCO search
Authoritative sources
- NSW Skilled Nominated
- Live in Melbourne (VIC)
- Migration Queensland
- Migration WA
- MigrationNT
- ACT Skilled Migration
- Migration Tasmania
- Australian Energy Producers
Next step
Want help picking the right state / LNG operator for your gas / petroleum profile? Book a 30-minute free strategy call with a MARA-registered agent at Global Select.