Australian Energy Producers is pleased to celebrate the winners of the 2026 In.Site Photographic Competition, recognising exceptional images that capture the people, places and communities of Australia’s oil and gas industry.
Now in its sixth year, the national competition invited industry workers to submit photographs that showcase the stories behind the sector and the people who power it every day. This year’s entries once again highlighted what makes Australia’s oil and gas industry unique.
The overall winner was Dave Sanderson, Inventory and Logistics Supervisor at Senex Energy, for his image Oils Well That Blooms Well, capturing a beam pump framed by blooming wildflowers.
"I was actually there for a sunset shot that didn't work out, but what caught my eye was the beam pump surrounded by wildflowers," he said.
Mr Sanderson said the image reflected the industry’s focus on environmental stewardship and the coexistence of operations with the natural environment.
“Beam pumps are ubiquitous in this industry, but they're often seen as emblematic of pollution or as something that damages the natural environment. That's not the reality. Wildflowers don't bloom where it's toxic,” he said.
"In this industry we follow geology, and that means we're privileged to work in some of the most remote and beautiful parts of Australia.
“I wanted to capture a different perspective on something so familiar to us, and show the care we have for every place we operate in.
“That co-existence between industry infrastructure and the nature around it is something I find genuinely beautiful."
Australian Energy Producers is also proud to support an important cause through the competition, with a $5,000 donation to Heart of Australia, an organisation that works alongside industry to deliver access to medical specialists and testing equipment to rural and remote people in Australia.
The full 2026 In.Site gallery is available at https://insite.photography/2026-gallery/
2026 Winners
Winners share in $5,000 in prizes, with $2,000 awarded to the overall winner and three category winners each receiving $1,000.
Overall winner: Dave Sanderson, Senex Energy - 'Oils Well That Blooms Well'
Location: Cooper Basin, South Australia.
Photographer’s description: A single good rain wakes the desert. Wildflowers spread across the plains, turning the landscape alive and sustaining insects, birds, and countless species.
Environment category winner: Elysia Gustafson, Amplitude Energy - 'Equinox Rig — Sea1 Aquamarine and Crested Tern'
Location: Otway Basin, Victoria
Photographer’s description: A crested tern passes by the Equinox Rig and Aquamarine in the Elanora-1 operational area, during Amplitude Energy's campaign in the Otway Basin.
People category winner: Bruce Jacques, ExxonMobil - 'Walking to Work'
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Photographer’s description: Walk-to-walk personnel transfer operations are growing across many sectors of the offshore oil and gas industry.
Community category winner: Shannon Hemmings, Beach Energy - 'Teamwork on the water'
Location: Port Campbell, Victoria
Photographer’s description: Teamwork on the water - Facing the swell together and pulling as one - just like our community partnerships.
