DILI, 10 july 2023 (TATOLI) – The Head of the Democratic Party (PD) bench in the National Parliament, António da Conceição ‘Kalohan’, appreciated the commitment of the Australian Government to accelerate the development of the Greater Sunrise project, which is crucial for the economic development of Timor-Leste.
Kalohan expressed his appreciation following the visit of the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, to Dili, where she expressed the Australian Government’s commitment to accelerate the development of the Greater Sunrise field.
Wong’s visit opened a new phase in diplomatic relations between the two countries, especially with regard to the development of the Greater Sunrise field.
“Her visit is crucial to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Timor-Leste and Australia. I believe that the visit opens a new phase to the bilateral relations between the two countries for the development of the Greater Sunrise project,” Kalohan said at the House of Representatives, in Dili, today.
In her speech at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wong said Australia wanted the development of the Greater Sunrise to happen as soon as possible.
It was Wong’s second visit as Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to Timor-Leste where she met with the newly appointed Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, and the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, to discuss diplomatic ties and the development of the Greater Sunrise project.
“We have only one ambition for Greater Sunrise, and that is to see it developed as soon as feasibly possible to support Timor-Leste’s development,” Wong said.
She said Australia agreed with Timor-Leste’s new Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão that the Greater Sunrise Development project needs to be a feasible and economically sound solution, that creates a petroleum industry that can yield direct economic dividends for the Timorese people: “We would encourage the work to be done within the partners in Greater Sunrise for that to occur.”
The Sunrise project is operated by Joint Venture between TIMOR GAP (56.56%), Woodside Petroleum (33.44%), and Osaka Gas (10%).
The Sunrise field is estimated to contain 5.13 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas and 226 million barrels of condensate (oil), which could give Timor-Leste US$50 billion in revenues.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
