Woodside Energy Group Ltd stock is back in the spotlight on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, as energy markets swing between “lower-for-longer” oil anxiety and headline-driven spikes. Investors are tracking three near-term forces in particular: oil-price volatility, industrial action risk at Pluto LNG Train 2, and Woodside’s capital-heavy global expansion (from Australia to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana LNG).
Below is a roundup of the most relevant news, forecasts and analysis available as of Dec. 17, 2025, plus what they could mean for Woodside’s share price in the weeks ahead.
Woodside share price today: WDS slips as the energy sector wobbles
In Australian trading, Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX:WDS) was A$23.44, down A$0.555 (-2.31%) on the day (data delayed at least 20 minutes; timestamp shown as Dec. 17, 2025 04:56 GMT). The stock remains well off its 52‑week high and is sitting below the year’s peak as investors weigh commodity prices against project execution risk. [1]
Key stats from the same market snapshot:
- Market cap: ~A$46.67 billion
- 52‑week range:A$18.61 to A$27.30
- Trailing P/E (TTM):~10.58
- Indicated annual dividend yield:~6.95% [2]
For U.S. investors using the ADR, Woodside Energy (NYSE:WDS) most recently showed a close of US$15.65 on Dec. 16, down 2.73% that session. [3]
What’s driving Woodside stock on Dec. 17: oil headlines, again
Woodside remains highly sensitive to crude and LNG pricing expectations, and oil has been exceptionally headline-driven this week.
Reuters reported that oil prices rebounded on Dec. 17 after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered what was described as a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. In the same report, Reuters noted U.S. crude futures around $55.97/bbl and Brent around $59.60/bbl, after a sharp slide the prior day tied to shifting expectations around a possible Russia‑Ukraine peace deal and sanctions outlook. [4]
Why this matters for WDS stock: when oil prices are falling fast, the market tends to compress multiples on upstream-heavy names, even if individual project news is positive. When oil pops on geopolitics, the reverse can happen—briefly. This sets the stage for choppy trading unless Woodside can deliver clear, company-specific positives that outweigh the macro tape.
Pluto LNG Train 2 strike risk: the biggest near-term “execution” headline
A major stock-specific overhang is the potential for industrial action tied to Pluto LNG Train 2, part of the broader Scarborough/Pluto expansion story that investors have been watching for years.
Strike notice and timeline: what’s new this week
Industry publication Argus reported that staff working for contractor Bechtel on the 5 million t/yr second train at Pluto are set to strike from next month, with union notice indicating action starting 6am local time on 5 January 2026. Argus also reported a new vote on the enterprise bargaining agreement planned for Dec. 20, which could still cancel the industrial action, and noted the current agreement is understood to expire on Dec. 19. [5]
What Reuters has reported about the dispute
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that nearly 99% of Offshore Alliance members voted to strike, with the union seeking a 30% pay rise and arguing Pluto 2 workers are paid materially less than comparable roles on Chevron’s Wheatstone project. Reuters also noted Woodside aims to ship the first cargo from Pluto 2 in the second half of 2026. [6]
Reuters has also previously framed the project as 91% complete (as of an October update referenced in its reporting) and warned that a strike could slow work and threaten schedule. [7]
Why the market cares
Pluto Train 2 is not “just another project.” It’s a high-visibility link in Woodside’s growth narrative:
- Delays risk pushing out first LNG cargo timing, affecting near-term volume growth and cash flow expectations.
- Even if the strike is avoided, prolonged bargaining uncertainty can keep a risk discount embedded in the stock.
Scarborough and Pluto expansion: the core growth catalyst (and the core risk)
Woodside’s Scarborough development is central to the next phase of its Australian LNG portfolio.
Woodside’s own project update describes Scarborough as ~91% complete with targeted first LNG cargo in the second half of 2026, supporting the thesis that the company’s medium-term volumes are set to step up if execution stays on track. [8]
Argus, discussing the labor dispute, described Woodside as planning to produce 8 million t/yr of LNG from Scarborough gas through the Pluto project “later next year,” reinforcing the market’s focus on that 2026 window. [9]
For investors, Scarborough/Pluto is the “big lever” because it can shift Woodside toward higher LNG-weighted cash flows—if construction, commissioning, and ramp-up stay disciplined.
Woodside’s U.S. growth engine: Louisiana LNG and the push to bring in partners
The other major pillar in Woodside’s equity story is its expansion in the United States—ambitious, potentially valuable, and capital intensive.
Williams deal: cash, capability, and momentum
Reuters reported that Woodside enlisted pipeline operator Williams as an investor and pipeline operator in Louisiana LNG, with Williams taking a 10% stake in the project holding company and 80% of the Driftwood pipeline. Under the deal, Williams would pay Woodside $378 million and contribute around $1.9 billion toward construction costs. Reuters also reported Woodside’s intent to sell down a further 10% to 20% and reduce its overall interest to 50%, while first production was described as expected in 2029 and initial capacity around 16.5 million t/yr. [10]
Demand pull-through: LNG offtake signals
Woodside has also been stacking commercial signals around LNG demand:
- Reuters reported an agreement with Turkey’s BOTAS to supply about 5.8 bcm (gas-equivalent) of LNG over nine years from 2030, primarily from Louisiana LNG. [11]
- Reuters also reported Woodside agreed with Petronas to supply 1 million tonnes per annum of LNG for 15 years starting in 2028. [12]
The balance-sheet counterweight: credit outlook
Expansion comes with scrutiny. Reuters reported that S&P Global Ratings revised Woodside’s credit outlook to “negative” from “stable” after the company reached a final investment decision on Louisiana LNG, while affirming the BBB+ issuer credit rating. Reuters said S&P cited reduced ratings headroom and the risk that project ramp-ups could pressure cash flow, leaving limited capacity to absorb weaker oil prices or cost overruns across major projects. [13]
For the stock, this matters because it frames Louisiana LNG as a value creation story that must be paired with capital discipline and credible sell-down execution.
Gulf of Mexico leases: Woodside expands upstream optionality
Woodside has also been active in U.S. offshore opportunities. Reuters reported that in the first U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale since 2023, Woodside was among the top winners by high bid totals (about $38 million), and that the second-highest bid of the sale was a joint bid involving Woodside and Repsol for a Walker Ridge block. [14]
This is not an immediate earnings driver, but it signals Woodside is continuing to build a long-dated pipeline of upstream options, which can be strategically valuable—again, provided it doesn’t dilute the focus on delivering Scarborough/Pluto and Louisiana LNG.
Company outlook: production guidance and longer-term growth forecasts
Woodside has been publishing a distinctly pro-growth message in 2025, especially around LNG.
- Reuters reported Woodside forecast oil and gas sales rising by ~50% by 2032, to 300 million boe per year, up from 203.5 million boe in 2024, citing demand growth particularly in Asian markets. [15]
- Reuters also reported Woodside expects global LNG demand to grow 50% over the next decade, with comments made at the Louisiana LNG groundbreaking. [16]
- On nearer-term operations, Reuters reported Woodside raised its fiscal 2025 production outlook to 192–197 mmboe, up from 188–195 mmboe, alongside third-quarter revenue details. [17]
Taken together, the company’s messaging is clear: Woodside wants the market to value it as a global LNG platform with multiple growth legs—not simply as an Australia-centric upstream dividend play.
Analyst forecasts and price targets: what the Street is saying now
Analyst sentiment is mixed-to-neutral in the most widely visible updates, with upside targets often paired with execution caveats.
Macquarie stance and consensus targets for the ADR
A Nasdaq/Fintel write-up states Macquarie maintained a Neutral recommendation on Dec. 12, 2025. It also cites an average one-year price target (for the ADR) of $18.07/share as of Dec. 6, with a range of $15.16 to $23.25, and notes that target implied roughly 12% upside from the cited closing price at the time. [18]
Australia-focused target trimming
A Simply Wall St analysis update said analysts trimmed their price target by about $0.49 to ~A$27.42 per share, citing slightly softer long-term revenue growth expectations (while describing profit margin forecasts and valuation multiples as broadly intact). [19]
How to read these forecasts: price targets are not facts—they are scenarios. Right now, the market appears to be saying: there is upside if Woodside executes, but execution risk (labor disruption, cost control, sell-down timing, and commodity prices) is enough to keep many analysts from going “full bull.”
The bull case vs. bear case for Woodside stock in late 2025
Reasons investors stay constructive on WDS
- Attractive yield relative to many global peers, as reflected in current market data. [20]
- A visible 2026 catalyst window if Scarborough/Pluto ramp-up proceeds as planned. [21]
- Louisiana LNG has attracted major U.S. infrastructure partners and commercial interest, supporting the idea of a scalable LNG platform. [22]
- Long-term LNG demand narrative remains central to Woodside’s public strategy. [23]
What keeps the market cautious
- Oil and gas price volatility is still the biggest swing factor day-to-day. [24]
- Industrial relations disruption at Pluto Train 2 could delay a key growth project. [25]
- Capital intensity and balance-sheet scrutiny, highlighted by the negative credit outlook from S&P after Louisiana LNG decisions. [26]
- Additional long-dated investments (e.g., Gulf of Mexico leases) can be seen as strategic—or as distraction—depending on execution elsewhere. [27]
What to watch next: the near-term calendar that matters
For investors tracking Woodside Energy Group Ltd stock into year-end and early 2026, these dates and signals are likely to move sentiment:
- Dec. 19, 2025: Argus-reported expiry timing of the current Bechtel EBA (context for negotiations). [28]
- Dec. 20, 2025: Argus-reported planned vote on the EBA that could avert action. [29]
- Jan. 5, 2026: Earliest reported start time for industrial action if not resolved. [30]
- Any update on Scarborough/Pluto schedule confidence as commissioning approaches. [31]
- Further announcements on Louisiana LNG sell-downs or financing structure as Woodside seeks to reduce its ownership and risk exposure. [32]
Bottom line
On Dec. 17, 2025, Woodside Energy Group Ltd stock is being pulled by a familiar triad: commodity prices, project execution, and capital allocation. The share price dip today aligns with broader energy-sector sensitivity to oil’s rollercoaster, but the bigger stock-specific variable is the developing Pluto Train 2 labor dispute—with clearly defined dates that could force investors to reprice schedule risk quickly. [33]
Meanwhile, the longer narrative remains intact: Scarborough/Pluto is the crucial 2026 catalyst, Louisiana LNG is the high-upside (high-capex) growth engine, and analysts remain broadly cautious but not dismissive—often mapping a path to upside if execution holds. [34]
References
1. markets.ft.com, 2. markets.ft.com, 3. stockanalysis.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.argusmedia.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.woodside.com, 9. www.argusmedia.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.nasdaq.com, 19. simplywall.st, 20. markets.ft.com, 21. www.woodside.com, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.argusmedia.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. www.argusmedia.com, 29. www.argusmedia.com, 30. www.argusmedia.com, 31. www.woodside.com, 32. www.reuters.com, 33. markets.ft.com, 34. www.woodside.com
