Díli, 10 June 2025
His Excellency Francisco da Costa Monteiro, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, held a meeting with executives from Santos Ltd., including Mr. Vince Santostefano, Executive Vice President for Western Australia, Northern Australia and Timor-Leste; Mr. Alan Stuart-Grant, Executive Vice President for Midstream Processing and CCS; Mr. Richard Hinkley, Vice President for Northern Australia and Timor-Leste Energy Solutions; Mr. José Lobato, Country Manager to discuss the future of the Bayu-Undan field and emerging opportunities in carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The discussion covered the progress of CCS-related studies at Bayu-Undan, where Minister Monteiro welcomed the update and reiterated the Government’s openness to innovative solutions that can unlock long-term value from existing infrastructure while aligning with global energy transition goals.
The parties explored the technical feasibility of combining remaining gas extraction with the repurposing of Bayu-Undan for CCS, including potential synergies with other fields such as Chuditch. The Minister noted that any forward plan would need to consider parallel development pathways, allowing for concurrent production and storage, provided technical viability and regulatory compliance are ensured.
Minister Monteiro emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum in the field’s transition and invited Santos, in collaboration with joint venture partners and TIMOR GAP, to further develop a proposal that integrates the maximising recovery of the remains reserves and with CCS deployment. The proposal would serve as a basis for further dialogue and assessment by the Ministry.
The meeting also covered broader aspects of partnership, including skills development, remote operations, and Timor-Leste’s role in managing offshore resources. The Minister reiterated his support for solutions that maximize in-country participation and sustainable long-term benefits for the Timorese people.