RE: Timor Gap - Sunrise Update2 Dec 2022 15:42
NEWS UPDATE ON GREATER SUNRISE
2 December 2022
The Greater Sunrise gas field is 150 kilometres south of Timor-Leste and was discovered by Woodside in
1974.
Greater Sunrise is the largest known deposit of hydrocarbons in the Timor Sea and 70% of this important
resource lies within Timor-Leste’s territorial waters.
With nearly 50 years now having passed, the people of Timor-Leste have waited too long for this crucial
asset to be developed.
Timor-Leste’s future prosperity, energy security, and economic independence is intrinsically tied to
development of Greater Sunrise and bringing the gas to Timor-Leste’s southern coast. It is a technically
and commercially viable option - supported by independent technical studies produced by world-class
engineering firms and paid by TIMOR GAP because the Operator wasn’t conducting these studies.
Very recently, with pressure from TIMOR GAP to accept the results of these world-class studies,
Woodside proposed that new studies be conducted. However, as the Operator, Woodside has had more
than enough time and opportunity to update old studies, undertake new studies, propose options, seek
agreement from stakeholders, and prepare detailed plans for this project.
TIMOR GAP realises that Woodside has many other competing projects, but Greater Sunrise is TimorLeste’s only potential income producing project ready to develop. Timor-Leste cannot afford any further
unnecessary delays or be constrained by the actions or inactions of the Operator and minority
shareholder.
For the gas, after cost-recovery and before taxes, Woodside’s share is 16.7%, Osaka Gas is 5%, Australia
is 15% and Timor-Leste/TIMOR GAP is 63.3%. We believe that it is unreasonable for a small shareholder
to hold the major shareholder hostage to the small shareholder’s priorities and operational preferences.
For Woodside, this is just another project. For the people of Timor-Leste, Greater Sunrise is an economic
imperative that is desperately needed to provide revenue, education, jobs, infrastructure development,
and energy security. Therefore, bringing Greater Sunrise gas to Timor-Leste’s southern coast remains
the only acceptable option for TIMOR GAP and the Timor-Leste government.
On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, TIMOR GAP’s management team initiated a vote of the Greater
Sunrise Joint Venture (“SJV”) partners on its proposal to include a special provision in the new (under
the Maritime Boundary Treaty) Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”). This provision commits the SJV,
Australia and Timor-Leste to agreeing that the gas from the Greater Sunrise fields will be piped to, and
processed onshore, Timor-Leste.
Woodside and Osaka Gas voted NO. They claim they want more studies. TIMOR GAP believes this is a
classic example of a corporate bully holding a poor, developing country to ransom just to engorge their
balance sheet.