MinRes’ Chris Ellison in $1b ultimatum to WA on gas policy
Mineral Resources boss Chris Ellison has delivered a $1 billion ultimatum to Western Australia’s Labor government over its domestic gas reservation policy.
Mr Ellison said MinRes would not build a large-scale gas plant in the Perth Basin unless the WA government ditched restrictions on the export of gas from onshore projects.
Mining billionaire Chris Ellison lifted the lid on some of his lithium strategy at the company’s annual general meeting in Perth on Thursday. Trevor Collens
The company is lobbying the government hard before a final investment decision early next year.
MinRes wants to export gas from a 250 terajoule-a-day plant for about five years, and then tackle an expected shortfall in the domestic market. The WA government has doubled down on its policy of not allowing gas exports from the Perth Basin, except for the Waitsia project involving Kerry Stokes-backed Beach Energy.
The ultimatum was delivered before MinRes hosts a $6000-a-seat Labor fundraising event billed as a thank you to former premier Mark McGowan, who now works for the company as a consultant, at its headquarters.
“We like to show off our building, and we support all political parties across the board, federal and state,” Mr Ellison said at Thursday’s annual meeting. “Someone has to. They have got to get funds from somewhere to do what they do. The experience I’ve had with this state government is that if there’s something that’s good for WA, they’ll get behind it.”
The diversified miner, which spans iron ore and lithium interests, declared SQM’s $1.6 billion takeover offer for Azure Minerals “dead in the water” amid a battle for control of the exploration target.
Mr Ellison said MinRes wanted a big piece of Azure’s Andover project in WA in a
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