DILI, 17 April 2026 (TATOLI) – On April 16th, 2026, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão met with Australia’s special envoy for the Greater Sunrise Project, Katrina Cooper, at the Government Palace in Dili as part of a working visit to follow up on and further bilateral discussions regarding the project’s development.
During the meeting, the Australian envoy, accompanied by the Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Caitlin Wilson, and the Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, provided an update on the ongoing negotiations, which are at an advanced stage and focused on finalising three key documents: the Production Sharing Agreement, the Fiscal Regime, and the Petroleum Mining Code, the latter of which has already been finalised.
Following the meeting, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources noted that the purpose of the meeting with the Australian Government’s special representative for Greater Sunrise was to report on progress and to share ideas on how to strengthen cooperation between the two governments in developing the project.
He added that the discussions had been constructive and focused on finalising the necessary instruments to move the project forward.
Katrina Cooper expressed Australia’s satisfaction with the progress made, noting that the negotiating teams from both countries have already finalised one of the key documents, the Petroleum Mining Code, which allows negotiations to proceed on the Production Sharing Agreement and the Fiscal Regime.
During her visit to Timor-Leste, the special envoy also met with the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the President of the National Petroleum Authority, Gualdino do Carmo da Silva, as part of the technical meetings.
Following her visit to Timor-Leste, Katrina Cooper met, in Darwin on the same day, with Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and Timor-Leste’s representative in the Greater Sunrise discussions, to continue the bilateral dialogue.
The teams from Timor-Leste and Australia are engaged in intensive negotiations, including virtual sessions and preparations for new in-person rounds scheduled for June in Dili and Canberra, to finalise the remaining legal and contractual documents required for the project’s development.
The Greater Sunrise gas fields lie about 140 kilometres south of the Timor-Leste coast. The project’s development consortium comprises TIMOR GAP, Woodside, and Osaka Gas Australia. An independent conceptual study conducted in 2024 confirmed the project’s feasibility in Timor-Leste and its potential contribution to the national economy.
The development of Greater Sunrise, including the pipeline connection to the south coast, aligns with the national priorities for economic growth and development set by the 9th Government.
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