‘Lawfare’ threatens Australian investor confidence
Barossa is just the latest project impacted as the industry warns of a worsening regulatory environment
“Investment in Australia will dry up” without renewed regulatory certainty, cautioned Kevin Gallagher, CEO of Australian LNG producer Santos. Gallagher issued the warning as Santos fights a court battle over a section of subsea pipeline integral to the Barossa gas project, a development that is required as a fresh source of feedgas for Darwin LNG. The Federal Court of Australia recently issued an interim injunction halting work on the Barossa project’s pipeline where it nears Bathurst Island, following a legal challenge by Tiwi traditional owners. Plaintiff Simon Munkara—later joined by other Tiwi plaintiffs and backed by legal pressure group the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO)—lodged
Also in this section
14 April 2026
The GECF has warned it may revise its projections for demand this year downwards in light of conflict in the Middle East, although it maintains its forecasts for 2027 and onwards
13 April 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis highlights sharp shift from crude oversupply to market deficit, with Iraq and Kuwait badly affected and key producers Saudi Arabia and the UAE also seeing output sharply lower
13 April 2026
Turkmenistan is moving ahead with a modest expansion of the giant Galkynysh field to sustain gas deliveries abroad, but persistent delays to other key pipeline projects and geopolitical risks continue to constrain its export ambitions
13 April 2026
Expensive electricity has forced out swathes of energy-intensive industry and now threatens the country’s ability to attract future investment in datacentres and the digital economy






