ACCC: To Allow Continued Joint Marketing By NW Shelf Partners

MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission said Thursday it planned to allow joint-venture partners in the North West Shelf Gas Project to continue to market their product on a joint basis in Western Australia state. The competition watchdog said in a statement that the North West Shelf partners had jointly marketed their gas since the project began production in 1984. It said that while it had received some submissions suggesting individual marketing would encourage competition, it didn't consider the Western Australian market mature or liquid enough to make it commercially viable. The North West Shelf Project partners are BHP Billiton Petroleum, BP Developments Australia, Chevron Australia, Japan Australia LNG (MIMI), Shell Development Australia and Woodside Energy. -By Neil Sands, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-3-9292-2095; neil.sands@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 07, 2010 23:53 ET (03:53 GMT)