Western Australia’s Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) has welcomed Premier Roger Cook’s recognition of the enduring role of gas for the state’s future energy security, as well as the critical importance of the proposed Browse development.

Responding to the Premier’s assessment that Western Australia faced a “Browse-sized hole” in its near-term energy requirements, CME CEO Aaron Morey said it would be impossible to meet the rapid growth in global energy demand without new gas projects coming online.

The $48.7-billion Browse project is a massive proposed offshore gas development in the Browse basin, located 425 km north of Broome in Western Australia. It is operated by Woodside Energy, which is still working towards a final investment decision on the project.

The project has faced heavy public and environmental opposition owing to its proximity to the Scott Reef marine ecosystem and its overall carbon footprint.

However, organisations such as CME and others have encouraged support for the project instead, citing domestic energy security and avoiding gas shortfalls in the 2030s as their main motivation points.

“The Premier is right: gas will be essential to keeping Western Australia’s energy system reliable and affordable for decades to come,” Morey affirmed.

For Morey the Browse development is a no-brainer for the region. It would drive a $147-billion uplift in economic activity, support thousands of well-paying jobs and provide the firming capacity needed to support the deployment of renewables both at home and abroad.

Morey explained that Western Australia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports greatly supported the economy.

He pointed out, in fact, that they made Australia an indispensable energy partner for its Asian neighbours in an increasingly hostile and uncertain world.

“That reputation matters. Amid global energy disruption, Australia’s standing as a reliable LNG supplier has strengthened our ability to maintain access to critical imports, including fuel and fertiliser.”

In welcoming the Premier’s support for Browse, Morey said the $48.7-billion project should not be viewed as a direct alternative to hydraulic fracturing.

“Browse and onshore gas are not either/or options. In an energy-hungry world, Western Australia will need every reliable energy source it can responsibly develop,” Morey noted.

He motivated that Western Australia held a scientific inquiry into hydraulic fracturing that concluded the risks were low if controls and processes were followed.

“Western Australia is a Tier 1 resources jurisdiction and our existing policy and regulatory frameworks are well-equipped to manage the environmental, health and safety aspects,” Morey concluded.