Pankaj Oswal was the co-founder and developer of the Burrup Fertilisers project, located on the Burrup Peninsula near Dampier. He and his wife Radhika rose to prominence in Perth business and social circles during the 2000’s before leaving the country in acrimonious circumstances in 2010. The ANZ Bank placed Burrup Fertilisers in receivership in December 2010, amidst allegations Mr Oswal had siphoned money from the company to his private interests. Norwegian company Yara, which had acquired a 35 per cent stake in Burrup Fertilisers before it went into receivership, acquired the ammonia plant in 2012 through a 51:49 joint venture with gas supplier Apache Energy in a deal that valued the plant at $850 million. It now operates the plant under the name Yara Pilbara. Mr Oswal’s legacy in Perth included a sprawling half-built mansion in the Perth suburb of Peppermint Grove, which was demolished in 2016.
