East Timor and Australia strengthen cooperation in developing Greater Sunrise « Government of East Timor

At the invitation of Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, Australia’s Special Representative for the Greater Sunrise Project, Steve Brax, is visiting Timor-Leste to observe first-hand the implementation of the South Coast Integrated Project under the initiative of Tassimane in Timor-Leste. During his stay, he met with the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Calbuadi Ley, on July 17 and 18, respectively, to discuss the progress and cooperation in the development of the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields, known as Greater Sunrise.

The Greater Sunrise field is located approximately 140 km south of the coast of Timor-Leste and was discovered in 1974. The Greater Sunrise field development consortium (Sunrise Joint Venture) consists of TIMOR GAP with a 56% stake, Woodside with a 6% stake, and Osaka Gas Australia with a 10% stake. In April 2024, a conceptual study led by Wood Australia began, which will evaluate the best options for gas development, processing and commercialization and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The Timor-Leste South Coast Gas Pipeline Project is a national priority and is extremely important to Timor-Leste’s future growth and economic development.

In May, the Prime Minister appointed Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Agio Pereira as interlocutor for discussions with Australia’s Special Representative for Greater Sunrise Development, Steve Bracks.

In a meeting with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Mr. Blacks stressed that the trip to the South Coast was an excellent opportunity to observe first-hand the development of the region and praised Timor-Leste’s vision and efforts. He also reiterated the Australian Government’s commitment to continue to work closely with Timor-Leste after the release of the study results.

During the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Steve Brax informed government officials of the results of his visit to the South Coast, which he described as very positive. He also expressed the hope that Timor-Leste and Australia would meet again after the project concept study is completed to assess the results and continue cooperation.

Visit Costa del SurThe Timor-Leste Summit, held at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, was the main purpose of Steve Blacks’ visit to Timor-Leste. Accompanied by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, and the Executive Director of TIMOR GAP, Blacks inspected the progress of the projects under construction in the region.