06-12-03 A high-level mission to promote Australian LNG in the US market has been encouraged by the Bush Administration, according to West Australian Premier Geoff Gallop.
Speaking after meeting with US Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow and Undersecretary for Energy, Science and Environment Robert Card, Dr Gallop said the US recognised it had a gap between gas supply and demand and LNG had a role in partly filling that gap.

Dr Gallop is leading a 10-member delegation organised by his state's chamber of minerals and energy, designed to educate potential US customers about WA LNG. The immediate aim is to build on initial arrangements that could result in upwards of 8 mm tons of LNG from ChevronTexaco's Gorgon project being shipped to the US west coast later this decade.
Dr Gallop said the US wanted more LNG imports but for national security reasons did not want to become dependent on a handful of countries, as was now the case with crude oil.

He told in Washington that US officials believedmore suppliers would encourage competition, resulting in reliable LNG imports at the best prices.
Australia will be among more than two dozen countries attending a Washington meeting this month on the international LNG trade.