DILI, 18 september 2023 (TATOLI) – Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, held a meeting with the Australian Government Special Representative for the Greater Sunrise Project, Steve Brack, to discuss how to get the Greater Sunrise project off the ground.
After the meeting, Brack told reporters that the Australian government would continue to work with the government of Timor-Leste, under the leadership of Prime Minister Gusmão, on the Greater Sunrise project negotiations to reach an ideal outcome by the middle of next year.
He said that the Australian government realized the importance of the Greater Sunrise project for Timor-Leste, saying therefore: “Australian government is committed to making sure we can get the project up. That’s what I discussed with Prime Minister Gusmão to see how this project is viable for the future.”
“We are hopeful that we can get some outcome by certainly sometime in the middle of next year,” said Brack.
Brack emphasized that the Australian government understands the Timorese government’s wish to develop oil and gas from the Greater Sunrise field in onshore Timor-Leste.
“We have to work through the economic viability of the project and we will see how that can work but we understand that that’s is the strong request of Prime Minister Gusmão,” he said.
Brack also said that the Australian government will closely work with Sunrise Joint Venture Partners (Timor Gap 56%), Woodside Petroleum (33.44%), and Osaka Gas (10%) to get the project done.
He reiterated that he would be very keen for the negotiations on the project to be done in the middle of next year: “That’s something I hope we can get agreement on and get the concept study that everyone agrees on.”
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
