July 29 (Reuters) - Australia's Woodside Energy ( WDS )

said on Tuesday it will take over operatorship of the Bass

Strait oil and gas assets from ExxonMobil ( XOM ), unlocking an

estimated $60 million in synergies.

The Bass Strait portfolio includes the Gippsland Basin and

the Kipper Unit joint ventures. Woodside and ExxonMobil ( XOM ) each

hold a 50% stake in the Gippsland Basin, while they own 32.5%

each in the Kipper Unit. ExxonMobil ( XOM ) had been the operator of

these assets until now.

The change in operatorship will not affect the companies'

equity interests or existing decommissioning plans and

provisions, Woodside said.

The company flagged future development potential under its

capital allocation framework, identifying four possible wells

that could supply up to 200 petajoules of gas to the domestic

market.

The announcement comes just weeks after the Australian

government said it was considering a gas reservation policy for

the east coast to help avert supply shortfalls.