In a recent speech, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman, Rod Sims, shared some early insights from the ACCC’s inquiry into the east coast gas market. “While we are not quite at the halfway mark in our 12-month Inquiry, and we are still some way off drawing conclusions, there are some preliminary observations I would like to make.” “First, [...]
APGA has welcomed the Federal and New South Wales government's’ commitment to further research into gas development in NSW. However APGA has warned that further delay must be avoided in the development of gas reserves. “While significant scientific studies, including by the NSW Chief Scientist, have found that developing gas reserves in NSW can be undertaken safely in a clear [...]
Oil and gas industry body APPEA has made a submission to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into onshore unconventional gas to support sensible policies based on the best possible scientific evidence and the needs of Victorian families and businesses. “Inquiry after inquiry has found that a properly regulated natural gas industry is safe and delivers real benefits to regional communities,” APPEA [...]
The Australian newspaper has reported that Santos GLNG has awarded a long-term contract to service the turbines and compressors of the $24.3billion project. GE’s oil and gas business will maintain these core components of the facilities to ensure reliability. The performance of the LNG plant in Gladstone will be monitored with advanced technology that can learn from the plant’s performance [...]
Santos CSG operations near Narrabri (NSW) have been cleared by water expert, Dr Richard Cresswell, who has reiterated that Santos’ operations are not a threat to water resources including the Great Artesian Basin. Questions around the company’s proposed Leewood facility have also been addressed. Dr Cresswell, who is a former CSIRO Hydrogeologist and sits on the Federal Government’s Expert Panel [...]
The Palaszczuk Government will invest $3.6million to fund activities by the Coal Seam Gas Compliance Unit, as well as $12m for the construction of the Port of Bundaberg pipeline. Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham said, “The resource sectors are vitally important to the state economy for the jobs, regional growth and [...]
BG Group has announced the start up and loading of its first LNG from the second production train at the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) facility in Australia. The first LNG from Train 2 set sail on the Maran Gas Posidonia. At plateau production, expected mid-2016, both trains at QCLNG will be producing enough LNG to load ten vessels per month [...]
The EPA will now be responsible for the compliance and enforcement of all non-work, health and safety conditions for gas exploration and production activities in NSW. NSW Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy, Anthony Roberts, said the independent Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has already begun its new role as the State’s sole authority responsible for such safety regulation. Mr Roberts [...]
EnergyQuest has forecast a potential shortfall of up to 133 petajoules across Australia’s east coast gas supply in under five years. In making its forecast, EnergyQuest has levelled criticism at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). According to EnergyQuest, assumptions by AEMO in its recent 2015 Gas Statement of Opportunities not only paint an unrealistically optimistic picture of gas supply [...]
While times are tough for the Australian oil and gas industry, emerging LNG export markets and the potential to tap into previously unconventional reserves, are providing a positive focus for the industry’s major players. When the industry gathered in Melbourne for the 2015 APPEA conference and exhibition, the current difficult market conditions impacted the mood at the event. However there [...]
AGL has been cleared of BTEX use in a recent investigation of flowback water from AGL’s Waukivory Pilot Project near Gloucester (NSW). On 27 January 2015, AGL Upstream Investments Pty Ltd reported elevated levels of BTEX chemicals in a water sample from one of its wells. Operations were voluntarily suspended while further samples were taken from the three other wells [...]
The Australian Newspaper has reported that Arrow Energy has taken a $700million writedown on its Bowen Gas Project (QLD) since mid 2014. Job losses of up to 40% of the company have also taken place over the past year. This impairment to the CSG project is the third of three major writedowns within the oil and gas industry, following BG [...]
Strike Energy has recently announced the discovery of contingent deep coal seam gas resources at the Southern Cooper Basin Gas Project (QLD). Consulting firm, DeGolyer and MacNaughton have independently certified the gas resource at the site. Strike Energy’s Managing Director, David Welsh, is excited by the discovery stating that, “strike is delighted that leading international petroleum industry consulting firm, DeGolyer [...]
The challenge of managing the water that is a by-product of the coal seam gas production process has been a major consideration for all of the major CSG-LNG projects currently underway in Queensland. Together with SunWater, the QCLNG project has developed a unique solution which allows produced water to be put to use in the community. In February, SunWater commissioned [...]
The Australian Government has released their Domestic Gas Strategy, which aims to aid the development of coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas resources by providing a framework based on comprehensive scientific data and expertise. The Domestic Gas Strategy will build upon the government’s Energy White Paper, which identifies the onshore gas industry as an important energy source for [...]
AGL’s two-year coal seam gas water irrigation program in Gloucester, NSW has been successfully completed, with more than 50 megalitres of produced water from its gas exploration efforts beneficially reused. AGL started the main Tiedmans Irrigation Program in April 2013, and will end the program to blend produced water with freshwater for irrigation of fodder crops and pasture on 30 [...]
A study titled CSG Water Re-injection Impacts: Modelling, Uncertainty and Risk Analysis, undertaken by scientists from CSIRO’s Gas Industry Social & Environmental Research Alliance has concluded that it is possible to re-inject water produced from CSG extraction into aquifers to benefit existing water users and water-dependent industries. After it is treated to remove salts and other chemicals, the water was [...]
The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) challenged the recommendation of the Senate Select Committee on Certain Aspects of Queensland Government Administration related to Commonwealth Government Affairs, to conduct a Royal Commission into the State’s coal seam gas industry. “This report ignores the comprehensive reviews of the science and regulation of the coal seam gas industry,” the APGA Chief Executive, [...]
APA Group is in discussion with Santos regarding a new pipeline between Narrabri and Tamworth, NSW. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the pipeline would be about 200km long and transport gas from Santos's proposed $2 billion Narrabri project to the existing APA pipeline grid in NSW. APA is also a lead contender to build another pipeline linking the Northern [...]
APPEA has urged NSW Labor to reconsider plans to stop the Narrabri Natural Gas Project if elected. The organisation states that preventing the project would forgo the creation of 1400 jobs in the state’s North West, royalties, significant income for farmers and the chance to supply up to half of the state’s gas needs. APPEA Acting Chief Executive Paul Fennelly said: “The continued [...]
UGL Limited has been awarded a new four year contract with ConocoPhillips on behalf of Australia Pacific LNG. This will allow downstream maintenance and shutdown and modification project services for the operational phase of the Curtis Island LNG Facility. The contract is expected to generate multi-million dollar revenue over the initial term. APLNG is a joint venture between ConocoPhillips, Origin [...]
QGC has extended its land access contract with Daly International to the end of 2016. In addition to the land access services, Daly International has been engaged to assist with managing relationships with landowners for ongoing maintenance to the pipeline. This work was also extended. “This is a testament to the good work of our people and our positive relationships [...]
In light of prolonged low oil prices, Origin Energy Managing Director Grant King says the company’s focus going forward will be on projects that increase gas production in Australia. Mr King made the comments during a presentation to investors and analysts on the company’s half year results to 31 December 2014. As a result of the current slump in global [...]
Australia Pacific LNG has reached a significant milestone with the arrival of first gas from its coal seam gas fields in the Surat Basin to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Curtis Island, near Gladstone (QLD). The arrival of the first gas into the LNG facility also marks the completion of commissioning of the 530km high pressure gas pipeline, [...]
AGL Energy has voluntarily suspended pilot production testing at its Waukivory Pilot Project. The decision was made in response to the detection of BTEX (Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) in samples of flowback water taken from two of the four wells and from an aboveground water storage tank. AGL has taken a total of five samples from three different locations. [...]
Science, state-of-the-art technology, and 60 years of demonstrated gas industry operation in Australia have been ignored in favour of a year-long Parliamentary inquiry that will delay the development of new gas supplies in Victoria for years, according to APPEA. APPEA Chief Operating Officer Eastern Australia, Paul Fennelly, said: “Restrictions, bans, delays, and inquiries do not represent the ‘immediate action’ called [...]
Decmil Group Limited has been awarded an extension to its QCLNG Upstream Project - Wellsite Installation Services Contract for QGC. Estimated to be worth approximately $65 million for 2015, the project is an extension of the existing framework contract with QGC, and has been awarded to the Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary Eastcoast Development Engineering. The contract extension will see Decmil move [...]
The Environmental Protection Authority in WA has issued updated advice on how and when it will assess proposals that involve hydraulic fracturing for shale and tight gas. The Environmental Protection Bulletin on Hydraulic fracturing for onshore natural gas from shale and tight rocks replaces advice issued in 2011. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process that uses fluids and other [...]
Arrow Energy is moving into the front-end engineering design (FEED) phase for its proposed Bowen pipeline – another key milestone in its Bowen Gas Project. The pipeline will supply gas from the Bowen Basin (Central Queensland) to liquefaction facilities at Gladstone (Central Queensland coast). Arrow CEO Andrew Faulkner said the FEED contract had been awarded to engineering services firm WorleyParsons, [...]
BG Group will sell its wholly-owned subsidiary QCLNG Pipeline to APA Group for approximately US$5 billion. QCLNG Pipeline owns the 543km large-diameter underground pipeline network linking BG Group's natural gas fields in southern Queensland to a two-train liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility at Gladstone on Australia's east coast. The pipeline was constructed between 2011 and 2014 and has a [...]
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