According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, gas access regulator Dr Ken Michael is expected to hand down a ruling after Easter on the transmisson tariffs Epic can charge its customers for delivering gas from the North West Shelf.

Epic claims Dr Michael's ruling could leave the company in default of its debt-servicing obligations on its $1.85 billion limited recourse borrowings if the independent regulator refuses to lift his interim tariff recommendation, which was the subject of a Supreme Court challenge.

WA Energy Minister Eric Ripper told the Financial Review he would not seek to intervene in the tariff process, even if Dr Michael's imminent ruling forced Epic into administration or raised the issue of sovereign risk.

"It's not a good thing if a company doesn't succeed, but neither can the government artificially alter circumstances to ensure that companies that make an assessment of the balance between profit and risk end up having the risk underwritten by the government," Ripper said.