ACCC approves Woodside’s purchase of Apache stakes in LNG projects

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it will not oppose Woodside’s proposed acquisition of Apache’s interests in the Wheatstone, Balnaves and Kitimat projects.

The Wheatstone and Balnaves projects are located in the Northern Carnarvon Basin, offshore WA, while the Kitimat project is located in British Columbia, Canada.

In Australia, Woodside and Apache overlap in the wholesale supply of natural gas to the domestic market in WA.

“Following the proposed acquisition, Woodside would continue to face strong competition from other suppliers in the market, including Apache, Chevron, and Santos,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.

He added that Apache will continue to supply gas to the market through its interests in the Macedon, Varanus Island, and Devil Creek projects. As a result, Apache will remain a larger supplier of domestic gas in WA than Woodside following the proposed acquisition.

“Apache’s minority interest in domestic gas produced by the Wheatstone project will represent only a small fraction of the total gas to be supplied to WA, when it comes online in around 2018. The acquisition will not change the structure of the market in a material way, with Woodside’s share of the total market changing by less than 5 percent,” said Sims.

While the ACCC determined that, in this instance, the proposed acquisition would be unlikely to raise significant competition concerns, the ACCC noted concerns expressed by the market about the effects of any further industry consolidation.

“The ACCC will continue to monitor the supply of domestic gas in WA and any future acquisitions in this area will be scrutinized carefully,”  Sims said.

The Balnaves and Kitimat projects are not expected to supply product to Australia.

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Image: ACCC