Gorgon could be delayed until 2016

AUSTRALIA'S largest gas project Gorgon could be delayed until at least 2016 as joint venture partners Chevron and Shell differ on the expected start-up date.

It follows a series of delays and cost blowouts to the massive $US54 billion ($A60.02 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in north Western Australia.

Shell chief executive Ben Van Beurden presented a table to analysts overnight showing the estimated start-up date for the massive 450 million ton project had been pushed back to between 2016 to 2018.

Shell's presentation in London contradicts lead partner's Chevron's assurances that the project is on track to begin in mid-2015.

Chevron this week reiterated its start-up date for first gas next year.

In December last year, Chevron pushed back the time-frame from the first quarter of 2015 and announced the cost of the project had blown out by $US2 billion to $US54 billion.

A spokeswoman for Royal Dutch Shell, which has a 25 per cent stake in Gorgon, referred questions about the start-up time to Chevron.

The original budgeted cost of Gorgon was $US37 billion when it was given the green light in 2009.

Earlier this week, Chevron said Gorgon was almost 80 per cent complete, with two thirds of the gas already committed to buyers.

Offshore pipelaying was now complete and 65 per cent of the LNG from Gorgon had been committed under long-term contracts.

Mr Beurden also reaffirmed the company's $US15 billion target for asset sales over 2014-15 but made no mention of whether it would include a sell down of its stake in Perth-based Woodside Petroleum.

Royal Dutch Shell, a joint venture partner in Woodside's Browse project in Western Australia, has previously indicated it will begin an asset sales program.

Analysts predict Shell could reap $US6.95 ($A7.82) billion by selling its 23.1 per cent interest in Woodside.

Mr Beurden said the company had already announced more than $US4.5 billion of asset sales, including equity in the Wheatstone LNG stake and downstream businesses in Australia.

"There are more divestments to come reaching an expected $US15 billion for 2014 and 2015 combined," Mr Beurden told analysts.

Shell also said start-up for its 110 million ton Prelude floating LNG project would be between 2016 2018.

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Jakarta governor to run for president

INDONESIA'S main opposition party has nominated popular Jakarta governor Joko Widodo as its candidate for July's presidential election.

"To the people of Indonesia, please give your support to Mr Joko Widodo as the candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle," the party's deputy chairwoman Puan Maharani, daughter of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, said at a press conference.

Recent polls suggest that Widodo, a former furniture businessman and mayor of Solo in Central Java province, would win the election if it were held now.

Widodo rose to political prominence as Solo mayor thanks to his hands-on leadership style and programmes including free healthcare and education.

As governor, he has a reputation for paying frequent visits to Jakarta's slums, and is known for riding a bicycle to work.

"I have been given a mandate by PDI-P chairwoman Madam Megawati Sukarnoputri to be the presidential candidate of PDI Perjuangan," Widodo said during a visit to a Jakarta neighbourhood.

Analysts say the party is hoping Widodo's nomination will boost its support in the April 9 legislative elections.

The popularity of the ruling Democratic Party, led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has been declining following a series of corruption scandals.

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Aust ready to do more for Malaysia: Bishop

Canberra says it will do more to help search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: AAP

CANBERRA will do more to help search for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane if Kuala Lumpur needs additional assistance, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said after speaking with her Malaysian counterpart.

The Australian minister also flagged the need for tighter passport controls.

Malaysia has dispatched ships to investigate the sighting of a floating object that could be a life raft, as it continues to hunt for the missing airliner.

The plane's disappearance has led to an international search and rescue operation with Australia sending two P-3C Orion RAAF aircraft.

"It does show that countries pull together when there is a crisis such as this," Ms Bishop told reporters in London where she's attending the annual Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) meeting.

"I spoke to the Malaysian foreign minister Anifah (Aman) yesterday and offered him our support.

"I asked that if there was anything further that Australia could do they just have to let us know."

Ms Bishop said it was a very distressing time for the families of passengers and crew on the flight.

"We can assume that it has gone down but we don't know where or why."

Six Australians and two New Zealanders are among 239 people feared dead aboard the Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight.

A terrorism investigation is underway amid revelations two passengers travelled on false passports.

Asked if Australian airports regularly scanned passports against the Interpol database of stolen documents, the foreign minister said: "I believe so."

"We would like to think that our passport system is exceedingly robust," Ms Bishop said.

"But this is an incident that is not isolated and the response from Interpol, for example, indicates that much tighter scrutiny may well be required."

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Girl, 11, missing from Sydney home

AN 11-year-old girl has gone missing from northern Sydney.

Scarlett Mitchell was last seen at her home on Holt Avenue, Mosman, shortly before 8.30am (AEDT) on Monday, police say.

But she never showed up at school and has not been seen since.

She is described as being of Caucasian appearance and medium height, with a thin build, long brown straight hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.

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Australian found with amnesia in Cambodia

AN Australian man who went missing in Thailand more than a month ago has been found across the border, reportedly suffering from memory loss.

Financial consultant Nathan Hansford had last been seen leaving his home in the Bangkok suburb of Thungkru on January 31, prompting Thai police to launch an investigation last week.

Late on Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed Mr Hansford had been located in Cambodia.

"Consular officials in Cambodia are in contact with Mr Hansford's family," a DFAT spokeswoman told AAP.

A family statement released to Fairfax Media said Mr Hansford had been involved in a motor vehicle accident and was suffering from amnesia.

"It is time for us to focus on helping Nathan in his recovery," the statement said.

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Thai case against Aust journalist delayed

AN Australian journalist facing criminal defamation and computer crimes brought by the Royal Thai Navy says the case is being delayed until April, raising hopes the charges may be dropped.

Alan Morison, originally from Melbourne and editor of online news website Phuketwan, along with Thai reporter, Chutima Sidasathian, were due to face the Phuket prosecutor on Monday and be formally charged.

But Morison told AAP the prosecutor's office informed them Friday the hearing of the case was being delayed until next month.

"We actually (still) have to front down there (at the prosecutor's) office on Monday at 9.30 but we're not expecting the case to proceed because of this delay that the prosecutor now says is necessary until April," he said.

The office did not clarify reasons for the delay.

"There was no reason given and there was no date set in April either," Morison said.

But AAP has learnt the charges against Morison and Chutima had also been raised by diplomatic sources at senior levels within the Thai government.

The Navy's charges relate to a report in "Phuketwan" last year of a Reuter's news story into alleged trafficking and other mistreatments against Muslim Rohingya who flee ongoing persecution in western Myanmar hoping to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

The report alleged that members of the Thai security forces in the southern provinces were corruptly involved in the human trafficking of the Rohingya.

Morison and Chutima say they have been willing to go to jail over the charges, which if convicted could face up to seven years jail.

Both journalists have received significant support from media outlets, the United Nations, as well as the US-based Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch said on Friday the Thai Navy's response to the reports in the Phuketwan covering the Rohingya had been "heavy handed".

The Rights group called on the Navy to "cease its efforts to silence the journalists and instead permit civilian authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into alleged trafficking and other serious mistreatment of Rohingya boat people."

Morison said the delay gave hope authorities may drop the charges altogether.

"We think that maybe the 'roots' finally seeped that this is quite a significant case; we hope so anyway," he said.

"But we're happier to have a delay than suddenly be forced to make the choice between bail or jail."

"We just hope that some of the support and influence that has sprung up in Bangkok has actually seeped through to Phuket and they are getting the message," he said.

But a street protest in Melbourne outside the Thai consulate on Tuesday is still expected to go ahead.

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