Western Australia (WA) will need to start developing new sources of gas very soon to avoid a deficit in the next few years, Australia’s energy monitor has said. Meanwhile, similar concerns are brewing nationwide. The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) annual gas outlook for WA has projected a gap in supply between 2025 and 2027, with concerns alleviated after 2027 following the completion of Woodside Energy’s Scarborough gas project. The upcoming gas supply imbalance has been caused by growing demand in the mining sector, combined with the retirement of two out of four units in the Muja coal-fired power station, with renewables only partially replacing the loss. To address the issue, the AEMO has suggested the development of available gas fields, such as Corvus and Lockyer Deep. It also offered increasing output from existing gas plants, and highlighting existing gas stock which can be withdrawn from storage. The AEMO also …