Australia is about to announce the final version of a controversial plan, forcing liquefied natural gas producers to reserve up to one-fifth of their production for domestic buyers. Three people familiar with the matter directly involved in the proposal said that the government will submit legislation next week to implement the “Domestic Natural Gas Reservation Mechanism”. Relevant discussions have not yet been made public, so they requested anonymity. Due to the Middle East war, gas supply to Qatar was blocked, and Australia is currently the second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. About three-quarters of the country's natural gas is exported, but the more densely populated east coast will face a domestic gas supply gap by the end of this decade. The plan was strongly opposed by producers, who said the move would discourage investment and damage Australia's reputation as a reliable supplier to the global market.

Australia is about to announce the final version of a controversial plan, forcing liquefied natural gas producers to reserve up to one-fifth of their production for domestic buyers. Three people familiar with the matter directly involved in the proposal said that the government will submit legislation next week to implement the “Domestic Natural Gas Reservation Mechanism”. Relevant discussions have not yet been made public, so they requested anonymity. Due to the Middle East war, gas supply to Qatar was blocked, and Australia is currently the second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world. About three-quarters of the country's natural gas is exported, but the more densely populated east coast will face a domestic gas supply gap by the end of this decade. The plan was strongly opposed by producers, who said the move would discourage investment and damage Australia's reputation as a reliable supplier to the global market.