Mr Knight met with Inpex President Naoki Kuroda and Inpex Browse Managing Director Seiya Ito, and also toured a facility that receives LNG from Darwin.

Mr Knight said that the meeting was a “great opportunity” to build on the already strong relationship the Northern Territory Government has with Inpex. It followed meetings with JGC, the onshore front-end engineering and design contractor for the Ichthys project and discussions with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Mr Knight said that the meeting also allowed the Chamber of Commerce and Northern Territory Industry Capability Network to talk about how Territory businesses could maximise their involvement in the project.

Inpex has previously announced plans to construct an 800 kilometre subsea pipeline from the Ichthys Gas Field, located in the Browse Basin, to Blaydin Point on the Middle Arm Peninsula in Darwin, Northern Territory. The associated Ichthys gas plant is expected to produce 8 million tonnes per annum of LNG.