Woodside gets OK from East Timor to start work on Sunrise concept study

Australian LNG player Woodside and its partners Timor GAP and Japan’s Osaka Gas have received approval from East Timor (Timor-Leste) to kick off work on a concept study for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields.

Woodside announced this approval in a social media post on Wednesday after the company’s CEO Meg O’Neill made her first visit to East Timor.

During the visit, O’Neill met with Timor Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Jose Ramos Horta, and Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro.

“Woodside Energy understands, respects, and wholeheartedly supports Timor-Leste’s aspiration for Sunrise to deliver real benefits to its people and we are very excited to collaborate on this important next step for the project,” the CEO said.

O’Neill did not provide any additional information.

Woodside operates the Greater Sunrise fields, located about 450 kilometers north-west of Darwin and 150 kilometers south of East Timor, with a 33.4 percent stake.

The nation’s oil company Timor GAP has a 56.56 percent stake while Osaka Gas has a 10 percent stake.

Earlier this year, Woodside said that the JV partners agreed to undertake a concept select program for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields.

A spokeswoman for Woodside told LNG Prime that the February announcement was the SJV commitment to undertake the concept select study.

“This week’s statement confirmed the Timor-Leste government’s alignment to this activity proceeding,” she said.

Woodside said in February the JV will consider all of the key issues for delivering the gas, for processing and LNG sales, to Timor-Leste compared to delivering the gas to Australia, it said.

The Australian firm said the JV is aiming to complete the concept select program “expeditiously” given the benefits that could flow from developing the Sunrise fields.

Woodside, partners get OK from East Timor to start work on Sunrise concept study
Image: Woodside

The Sunrise development comprises the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields.

According to Woodside, the fields contain an estimated contingent resource (2C) 5.3 Tcf of dry gas and 226 MMbbl of condensate.

Woodside previously preferred the option of sending the Sunrise gas to Darwin as there are two existing LNG plants in the region, namely the Santos-led Darwin LNG facility and the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG plant.

However, O’Neill revealed in November last year that the firm is willing to consider sending the gas to a new LNG plant in East Timor.

In parallel to the concept select program, the Sunrise JV is progressing the negotiation of the new production sharing contract, petroleum mining code, and associated agreements with the Timor-Leste and Australian governments, which upon finalization will provide the fiscal and regulatory certainty required for a development to proceed, Woodside previously said.

(Updated with a comment from Woodside)

Most Popular

Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG to commission fourth tank

US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG has received approval from the US FERC to commission the fourth storage tank with LNG at its Plaquemines plant in Louisiana.

Worley gets full notice to proceed on first phase of CP2 LNG project

Australian engineering firm Worley has received a full notice to proceed from US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG under its reimbursable EPC contract for the first phase of the CP2 LNG project in Louisiana.

US FERC issues final SEIS for NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released a final supplemental environmental impact statement for NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG facility and the accompanying pipeline in Texas. FERC continues to conclude that approval of the projects would result in "less than significant impacts."

More News Like This

Woodside scraps US hydrogen project

Australian LNG player Woodside has scrapped its proposed H2OK hydrogen project in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Australia’s Woodside retires second NWS LNG train

Australian LNG player Woodside has completed the permanent retirement of the second LNG train at its North West Shelf LNG terminal in the Pilbara region of Western Australia due to declining natural gas supplies.

Work progresses on Woodside’s Louisiana LNG export plant

Australian LNG player Woodside is moving forward with construction work on its Louisiana LNG export terminal.

Woodside inks LNG collaboration pact with Hyundai Engineering, Hyundai Glovis

Australian LNG player Woodside has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Hyundai Glovis, establishing a strategic framework to collaborate on LNG project development, engineering services, and shipping logistics.