Melbourne

ROYAL Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips and Santos face curbs on exporting gas from Australia's east coast in 2018 if they fail to plug a projected local supply shortfall, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warned on Monday.

Eastern Australia faces a gas shortfall of up to 17 per cent of market demand in 2018, the nation's energy market operator and competition watchdog projected in reports submitted to the government on Monday that will be the basis for a decision by Nov 1 on whether to limit exports.