A Santos team that helped evacuate stranded residents, tourists and a nine-month-old baby during historic Cooper Basin flooding has been recognised by peers, receiving the People’s Choice Award at the 2026 Directors’ Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) Awards.
The 2025 Cooper Basin Major Flood Response team was mobilised as floodwaters swept across Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia isolating communities and placing pressure on critical infrastructure.
Santos teams moved quickly to respond to rapidly changing conditions and to support broader emergency efforts in the region, assisting emergency evacuations in rising waters, including a young family with a nine‑month‑old baby and a woman requiring urgent medical care who had been isolated for three days with her dog.
The Directors’ EHSS Awards celebrate the innovation and passion Santos’ people bring to delivering safer, more environmentally sustainable and efficient operations and supporting the communities where we operate.
Santos Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gallagher said the flood response team and all EHSS award winners exemplified Santos’ values, demonstrating incredible innovation and leadership to make exceptional contributions in some of the toughest conditions.
“Our EHSS Awards celebrate Santos’ people and teams who consistently go above and beyond from every corner of our portfolio from Australia to Papua New Guinea, Alaska and Singapore,” said Kevin Gallagher.
“This year’s recipients demonstrated excellence from first-in-kind innovators to decarbonisation projects that included retrofitting LNG vessels with fuel saving technologies, to the incredible work of the Santos Foundation which established PNG’s first HPV- based cervical cancer screening and treatment clinic.
“I am immensely proud of these Awards that recognise the individuals, projects and outcomes that showcase our commitment to doing what’s right and reflects how Santos operates every day.”
The CEO Values Leader of the Year was awarded by Kevin Gallagher to Wayne Kasou, Senior Vice President PNG Stakeholder Management for the integrity and consistency he delivers when engaging with thousands of stakeholders across government, community and landowner groups to support the business’ ongoing operations in PNG.
The Chairman’s Community Award, selected by Santos Chair, Keith Spence, went to the Cape Fox Improved Forest Management Carbon Project from Santos’ Alaska operations. The partnership delivers an indigenous-led carbon offset project that protects traditional Tlingit forest lands, preserving habitat and cultural access, while providing economic benefit to Tlingit shareholders and generating carbon credits to offset Pikka project emissions
Congratulations to all the 2026 Santos Directors’ Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability Award winners:
- CEO Values Leader of the Year – Wayne Kasou (PNG)
- Chairman’s Community Award – Cape Fox Improved Forest Management Carbon Project (Alaska)
- Santos Foundation Project/Program of the Year – HPV-based Cervical Cancer Screening (PNG)
- Environment Team of the Year – Barossa Production Environmental Approvals (NT, Australia)
- Health and Safety Team of the Year – Brazed Aluminium Heat Exchange Core Replacement (NT, Australia)
- Innovation Award – Ethylene Cold Box Leak Repair (Queensland, Australia)
- Decarbonisation Award – LNG Vessel Efficiency Upgrades (Singapore)
- Efficiency Award – Varanus Island Integrated Shutdown Efficiency Initiatives (Western Australia)
- Contractor of the Year – Jasper Methods (Queensland, South Australia, Australia)
- People’s Choice Award – 2025 Cooper Basin Major Flood Response (Queensland, South Australia)
Santos donates $2,000 on the behalf of each winner to the charity/cause of their choice. This year’s chosen organisations included:
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance
- Mercy Ships Australia
- Beyond Blue
- Ray’s Soup Kitchen
- Belyuen School
- Leukaemia Foundation
- St Frances Care Home
- Port Moresby Nature Park
- Arctic Slope Community Foundation
- R U OK?
CEO VALUE LEADER OF THE YEAR
Wayne Kasou
Santos Senior Vice President PNG Stakeholder Management Wayne Kasou has been named CEO Values Leader of the Year at the 2025 Santos Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) Awards.
Based in Papua New Guinea, Mr Kasou leads engagement across a diverse stakeholder landscape involving more than 35,000 landowners, alongside government, regulators and joint venture partners, where trust, relationships and cultural understanding are central to long‑term success.
Working in regions shaped by significant tribal, geographical and language diversity, Mr Kasou is recognised for embedding values into day‑to‑day decision‑making and fostering open, respectful communication with communities.
He has built teams where people are encouraged to speak up, collaborate openly and support one another, reinforcing a leadership approach grounded in integrity, accountability and consistency.
Mr Kasou said values must be demonstrated through action, not rhetoric.
“There’s no point just talking about the values across the business – we must live them in a consistent way and demonstrate that to our stakeholders and those around us.”
He said supporting communities is a responsibility that goes beyond formal obligations.
“We must go out of our way to help in every way possible. It’s the right thing to do – to try our best and support communities alongside government efforts.”
The CEO Values Leader of the Year Award recognises individuals who consistently role‑model Santos’ values through their leadership, particularly in challenging and complex environments.
