WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ONSHORE ACREAGE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 2016 Richard Bruce, Exploration Geologist Petroleum Division The Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) continues to provide access to the petroleum potential of Western Australia’s vast sedimentary basins using a specific area release system. On 13 September 2016 DMP released a total of fourteen onshore areas or blocks (see related image). This release comprises six blocks in the Canning Basin and eight blocks in the Officer Basin.
Archives for September 2016
September 2016
34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists
2016 Call for Applications is now open! Deadline: 31 October 2016 Specific funding is available to provide Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers with opportunities to travel internationally to further their careers as geoscientists by, for example, undertaking field work in appropriate areas, visiting and working with appropriate international experts, inspecting appropriate mines or other geoscientific features such as type localities, participating in professionally-organised geoscientific conferences or conventions, etc. CRITERIA: The Scheme is open to practising geoscientists resident in Australia or New Zealand who hold a degree in geoscience (or equivalent).
Geo jobs directly linked to commodity price movements
The first comprehensive review of long-term jobless data amongst Australia’s geoscientists against mineral commodity price movements over the same period has revealed a startling direct link between the two trends. As commodity prices dip, job prospects for geoscientists plummet – with little or no lag time between one outcome following the other. The results confirm what the profession’s lobby group, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, has suspected for some time – employment prospects for their membership are highly leveraged to prevailing minerals commodity prices.
Polarcus announces broadband 3D project in Australia
Marine seismic acquisition company Polarcus has announced that it received a letter of award for a 3D marine seismic acquisition project offshore Australia. The company revealed that to deliver the broadband dataset it will be utilizing its XArray acquisition technique - developed to deliver high quality data optimizing larger streamer spreads and which the company claims improves in-line shots by 100-250% and cross-line bin density as much as 400% on any streamer separation. It can be set up to provide higher fold data, increase crossline sampling and improve acquisition efficiency.
2D long offset multi-client survey in Barents Sea
SeaBird Exploration has announced that the company will acquire a long offset 2D multi-client survey in the Barents Sea. SeaBird and Lundin Norway have jointly designed this survey of deep seismic profiles to be acquired in the Barents Sea during September-October 2016. The survey objective is to acquire long-offset profiles that image large scale deep seated crustal structures beneath the Norwegian Barents Sea. Lundin Norway will be supervising the processing of this unique dataset. Seabird said in a statement that the program is fully supported with industry funding and SeaBird will be using the Harrier Explorer for the work.
UKOG awards seismic reprocessing contract
Schlumberger, WesternGeco and DownUnder Geosolutions, in collaboration with GeoPartners Ltd, have been jointly awarded two contracts worth $4.5 million for 15,000km of reprocessed multi-client 2D seismic data in six areas around the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The areas to be surveyed include the Southwest Approaches, Northern Approaches and Bristol Channel, Cardigan Bay and the Celtic Sea, Morecambe Bay and East Irish Sea, the East Shetland Platform and North Western Britain, encompassing the Minches and the Firth of Clyde.