Yearly volumes will vary over the term of the 24-year contract, peaking at 135,000 tonnes of LNG a year. First deliveries under the agreement will start in 2005 and the LNG will be sold free on board.

Shizuoka Gas is the sixth largest and one of the fastest growing gas companies in Japan. Its current customer base includes Shizuoka and Fuji, which is a major industrial centre for paper and chemical manufacture. Shizuoka Gas sells 70% of its gas to the industrial market.

"We are very pleased to welcome Shizuoka Gas as a new customer of the North West Shelf Venture," said the chief executive officer of the North West Shelf, Steve Ollerearnshaw.

Mr Ollerearnshaw said the North West Shelf Venture's recent string of marketing successes in Asia was backed by an enviable reputation as one of the worlds most reliable suppliers of LNG.