Western Australia’s state parliament
WA’s domestic gas policy dilemma
As a gas supply shortfall looms, balancing regulatory flexibility with energy security and investor confidence will be critical
Western Australia’s (WA’s) government is in a precarious position. It must address a looming gas supply shortfall while appeasing upstream investors’ discontent over gas sales restrictions. Perth is reviewing its more than 40-year-old domestic gas policy, designed to ensure local needs are met by controlling gas exports. That rethink is driven by forecasts that the west coast market will experience fluctuating annual gas supply shortages between now and 2033. The Australian Energy Market Operator expects gas supply to fall to 105PJ short of domestic demand in 2024–26, with the shortfall contracting to 31PJ in 2027–29 before blowing out again from 2030. While the domestic gas policy is widely
Also in this section
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
