The chief executive of the country’s most advanced LNG import venture has rejected findings by the competition watchdog that gas consumers in southern states will be slugged with higher prices as they start to rely on imported fuel as early as 2026.

Rob Wheals, chief executive of Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s private company Squadron Energy, has taken issue with price assumptions made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in its latest report on the east coast gas market to be released on Friday.