Dec 12 (Reuters) - Santos , Australia's No.2 independent oil and gas producer by market cap, said on Thursday it signed a deal to supply Japanese gas distributor Shizuoka Gas

with liquefied natural gas $(LNG)$.

Starting from 2032, Santos will supply Shizuoka between 0.35 and 0.4 million tonnes of LNG every year for 12 years, the company said in a statement.

"The agreement underscores Santos' commitment to providing reliable, cost-competitive energy within the Asia Pacific region," the company said.

In May, the Australian government introduced a plan to enhance natural gas development, highlighting strong demand from Asian partners despite the nation's pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

(Reporting by Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

((Roshan.Thomas@thomsonreuters.com;))