Timor-Leste’s Minister of Petroleum Francisco da Costa Monterio announced the move to media after a series of high-level meetings between Woodside’s CEO Meg O’Neill and Timor Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Jose Ramos Horta and Monterio. The visit was O’Neill’s first to Timor-Leste

“We are very happy and ready to start the services and evaluating the options that are being agreed to be implemented related to the Greater Sunrise project," Monteiro told reporters.

Woodside Energy announced the move on a social media post on Wednesday.

“Woodside Energy understands, respects, and wholeheartedly supports Timor-Leste’s aspiration for Sunrise to deliver real benefits to its people and we are very excited to collaborate on this important next step for the project,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill did not provide any additional information.

Woodside operates the Greater Sunrise gas fields about 150 kilometres south of Timor-Leste, located, with a 33.4 percent stake.

Timor-Leste’s national energy company Timor Gap has a 56.56 percent stake while Osaka Gas has a 10 percent stake.

In February this year, Woodside said that the joint venture partners agreed to undertake a concept select program for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields.

This follows Timor-Leste’s years long fight for the joint venture to consider delivering the gas, for processing and LNG sales, to Timor-Leste compared to delivering the gas to Australia as Woodside previously wanted.