Reuters: East Timor prods Australia on long-stalled gas project

Sep 19, 2022 | International Relations, Presidency

MELBOURNE, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and China could all be interested in investing in a long-delayed gas project in the waters between East Timor and Australia crucial to the Asian nation’s future, East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said on Wednesday.

Ramos-Horta named them as potential investors as his country is pushing to break a stalemate with Australia over how to develop the Greater Sunrise gas fields, looking to pipe the gas to East Timor instead of to Darwin as favoured by the project’s operator, Woodside Energy Group (WDS.AX).

He urged Australia to back a pipeline to East Timor, saying it could help turn his country into the next Dubai or Singapore, bringing the country $50 billion in revenue and $50 billion in development benefits.

“We have a neighbour, Australia, that can make this miracle happen,” Ramos-Horta said.

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