In its mid-review, figures show the that government overspent by about $248 million, due mainly to the cost of responding to the Bali bombing as well as the drought. However, the state budget has stayed in the black thanks to production records being set at the NWS project.

Petroleum royalties from the project are expected to reach $429 million this year, $105 million more than budget forecasts. The NWS set a production record of 533,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in July, then broke the record the next month with an average 555,000 per day.

The NWS is now forecast to deliver $1.475 billion in royalties to the State Government over the next four years.