Australia to continue supplying natural gas to S'pore amid global disruptions due to Middle East conflict: PM Wong

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has assured Singapore that Australia will continue supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Singapore, even as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global supply chains and energy markets, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Apr. 10.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Albanese during the Australian leader’s official visit to Singapore, PM Wong said the assurance was “vital”.

“I appreciate Prime Minister Albanese’s assurance that Australia will continue supplying LNG to Singapore. This is vital for us — because natural gas is our main source for power generation.”

Singapore, in turn, has assured Australia that it will continue supplying refined petroleum products such as diesel, so long as upstream supplies remain available.

Relationship works both ways

Albanese also said Australia would continue supporting Singapore’s LNG needs through commercial arrangements.

“If Singapore requires, through commercial processes, further LNG, there is, over a period of time as well, additional fields that are going to come online, and we will continue to provide support for Singapore, which is important for your economy, but also produces benefit for Australia.”

Albanese affirmed that the energy relationship worked both ways, noting that around 25 per cent of Australia’s fuel comes from Singapore’s refineries, which he had visited earlier in the day, while Australia supplies about 32 per cent of Singapore’s LNG.

“We are in a time of global uncertainty, and at a time like this, trust, friendship and cooperation with our neighbours matters more than ever before,” Albanese continued.

He added that both countries needed to coordinate their response to the global fuel crisis so that both economies could become more resilient, describing such cooperation as “a win-win”.

Working towards supply resilience agreement

Beyond keeping trade flowing between Singapore and Australia, PM Wong said both countries are also working towards a legally binding protocol on economic resilience and essential supplies covering energy and other critical sectors.

He added:

“This is not just about managing today’s crisis. It is about building trusted supply lines for a more uncertain future.”

He said officials from both sides had already held extensive discussions and agreed to accelerate negotiations, with the aim of concluding the agreement soon.

However, neither side disclosed when the protocol might be finalised or what sectors beyond energy it would specifically cover.

The move reaffirmed the joint statement issued by both leaders in March, where Singapore and Australia said they would work together to strengthen energy supply chain resilience and strengthen energy security to support the flow of essential goods such as diesel and LNG.

Albanese said the joint statement signed by both leaders was intended to protect mutual energy security and support the continued flow of fuels and LNG between both countries.

Middle East conflict affecting supply chains

Wong said both countries were meeting at a time when the conflict in the Middle East was already affecting economies worldwide.

“The conflict in the Middle East is disrupting global supply chains and energy markets. The effects are rippling across the global economy,” he said.

As open and trade-dependent economies, both Singapore and Australia feel these pressures directly, he added, which makes closer coordination necessary in order “not just to manage the risks, but to protect the wellbeing of our people”.

Wong also announced that both sides will convene their first Energy Ministerial Dialogue soon, alongside a new Economic Resilience Dialogue aimed at tackling trade common challenges and preserving the flow of essential supplies.

Australian PM visits Jurong Island during 3-day trip

Albanese is in Singapore for a three-day official visit from Apr. 9 to 11.

On the morning of Apr. 10, he visited the Singapore LNG Terminal and Singapore Refining Company on Jurong Island.

Albanese said the visit underscored how closely both countries’ fuel security is linked, adding that he had “literally” seen a ship supplying Singapore LNG from Australia at Jurong Island during the morning visit.

The visit also comes six months after Wong and Albanese launched the next phase of the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, known as CSP 2.0, during Wong’s visit to Australia in October 2025.

Wong said the two countries had worked closely to keep critical supply chains open during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that this trust was allowing both sides to act decisively again now.

He assured:

“In a more fractured and volatile world, we choose to stay open and we choose to stand together.”

Top image via Mothership