LogIn LogOut

Woodside, Partners to Pick Plan for Timor Sea Sunrise Gas Project Soon

February 6, 2023

Woodside Chief Executive Meg O'Neill  / Credit: Woodside - File Photo
Woodside Chief Executive Meg O'Neill / Credit: Woodside - File Photo

Woodside Energy Group and its partners on Monday formally committed to working rapidly to pick the best option for developing the Greater Sunrise natural gas field, factoring in for the first time the potential benefits for East Timor. 

The Sunrise Joint Venture, which includes majority owner Timor Gap, operator Woodside and the Australian arm of Osaka Gas 9532.T, said they would move ahead "expeditiously" with a program to select where to send the gas for processing. 

Development of the Sunrise fields has been stalled for decades amid disputes over whether the gas should be processed for export at an liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Australia or East Timor or on a floating LNG platform in the Timor Sea. 

No deadline was given for selecting the best option, but the joint venture said they aimed to complete the concept selection quickly to ensure the benefits from developing the Sunrise fields would flow. For the first time, global energy security issues and the rapid development of East Timor are now being factored in, beyond just capital and operating costs, as Timor's main source of income, the Bayu Undan field in the Timor Sea, has dried up. 

"The studies will include evaluation of which option provides the most meaningful benefit for the people of Timor-Leste," the joint venture said in a statement. Woodside Chief Executive Meg O'Neill reiterated that the joint venture would look at new technologies, such a modular LNG, which did not exist when the project partners previously concluded that the best option was to process the gas in Darwin. 

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta last year stepped up calls for the Australian government to back a gas pipeline from the Sunrise fields to East Timor to help bring the country $50 billion in revenue and $50 billion in development benefits. 

(Reuters - Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)




Current News

Samsung Heavy Industries Taps GTT for Tank Design of New FLNG Unit

Samsung Heavy Industries Taps GTT for Tank Design of New FLNG Unit

Perdana to Supply Accommodation Work Barge to Petronas Carigali

Perdana to Supply Accommodation Work Barge to Petronas Carigali

Pertamina Confirms Deaths and Missing Crew Member in Oil Tanker Fire

Pertamina Confirms Deaths and Missing Crew Member in Oil Tanker Fire

China Plans to Use Renewable Energy to Help Boost Oil & Gas Production

China Plans to Use Renewable Energy to Help Boost Oil & Gas Production

Japan's JERA to Buy Belgium's Top Offshore Wind Firm for $1.7B

Japan's JERA to Buy Belgium's Top Offshore Wind Firm for $1.7B

Valeura Energy Completes Modification of MT Jaka Tarub Vessel for Wassana Offshore Oil Field

Valeura Energy Completes Modification of MT Jaka Tarub Vessel for Wassana Offshore Oil Field

NYK's First Domestic CTV Named "Rera As"

NYK's First Domestic CTV Named "Rera As"
photo

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com