Australia’s domestic gas issues threaten exports

And a lack of fresh developments means supply is set to tighten

Australia is at a critical junction. The country vies with Qatar and the US as the world’s largest LNG producer, at a time when the liquefied fuel is more vital to the balance of global energy supply than ever before. But the country has also experienced gas supply shortages at home, prompting the government in Canberra to intervene in the domestic market and threaten the LNG export sector. And the looming shortfall in domestic supply is set to worsen as fields mature without fresh volumes coming online, due at least in part to public environmental opposition. Graeme Bethune and Rick Wilkinson, chairman and new CEO respectively at Australian consultancy Energy Quest, spoke with Petroleum Eco