East Timor May Walk Away From Gas Treaty With Australia

East Timor may walk away from its treaty with Australia and Woodside Petroleum over the development of oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea, ABC News has reported.

Timor has been pushing for a pipeline to be built from the Greater Sunrise gas field in the sea to a yet-to-be-built processing plant on its south coast. However, Woodside says this would not be commercially viable and wants to build an offshore floating platform instead, the news report said.

ABC News quoting Timorese government lawyer Pierre-Richard Prosper said that East Timor is mulling leaving the treaty when it expires in February next year.

“Timor could easily find a new partner that would be willing to have a pipeline to come through," Prosper said.