A year is not a long time in the gas game, where the life of projects tends to be measured in decades and even centuries. But a year is a long time in politics – and the Albanese government’s decision to finally approve the extension of Woodside Energy’s North West Shelf project is proof.

Woodside’s seemingly endless battle to get federal government approval to extend the life of its flagship LNG asset has long been a story defined by time, whether it’s the 40 years the asset has been in operation, the 45 years of life that the company believes it has left, or the 6½-years the fossil fuel giant has been fighting to secure approvals.