WA Premier: Authorities would be 'nuts' to allow LNG plant to be replaced with FLNG facility

摘要

According to Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett, Federal and state authorities would be "nuts" to allow a US$40 billion gas hub planned for James Price Point, Australia, to be replacedwith a floating processing plant, The Australian reported. Barnett would rather the gas resources stay in the ground for years rather than let the LNG plant leave the mainland. The Woodside-led project deadline looms. Barnett is still confident that the project will go ahead, but not at the cost of allowing a floating LNG project to be built. "I am doing everything I can to make sure it goes ahead. ..but we would be nuts as a country to allow a massive natural resource which belongs to the Australian people to be developed by a floating structure built somewhere in Asia," Barnett said. "No jobs, no gas coming on shore.. .no benefit to consumers, to business, to industry. We are talking several thousand jobs, and the state and federal governments agree that gas comes onshore to benefit Australia. The bottom line is that the gas is owned by us, not Woodside. It is our gas, and ultimately the Australian governments will determine how that gas is developed and when it is developed. The gas might sit in the ground for a few more years until someone brings it onshore."