Applications are now being accepted for the 34th International Geological Congress Travel Grant Scheme for Early-Career Australian and New Zealand Geoscientists. This scheme provides funds to support travel by Australian and New Zealand geoscientists in the early stages of their careers. The application deadline has been extended to 14 December 2018. Details on how to apply and previous grants awarded can be found here. AN INITIATIVE OF THE AUSTRALIAN GEOSCIENCE COUNCIL AND THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
Archives for November 2018
November 2018
Leigh Creek Energy confirms fertiliser production plans
The former Leigh Creek coal field site will be transformed into an agriculture energy hub, with Leigh Creek Energy (LCK) confirming it will pursue a fertiliser production commercial pathway for its Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP). The company has concluded its commercial options analysis for downstream Syngas production, and has determined the most financially attractive choice for the company’s 2,964 petajoules of 2C syngas at the former Leigh Creek coal field site is to make fertiliser products.
Eni given green light to drill appraisal well in the Barents Sea
Eni Norge has been granted a permit to drill an appraisal well in the Barents Sea offshore Norway. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said the Italian oil and gas giant had received permission for the 7122/7-7 S well to be drilled from the West Hercules rig after it had wrapped up drilling of wildcat well 7324/3-4 for Equinor in production license 615. This follows a gas discovery by Equinor in production license 615, which is located near to the Atlantis gas discovery in the Barents Sea, from the West Hercules rig.
BP brings Clair Ridge to life 41 years after oil discovery
BP, in partnership with Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, has begun first oil production from the Clair Ridge project in the West Shetland, offshore the United Kingdom. The supermajor said that Clair Ridge was the second phase of development of the Clair field, located 75km West of Shetland, which had been discovered in 1977 and has an estimated seven billion barrels of hydrocarbons BP said that two new bridge-linked platforms and oil and gas export pipelines have been constructed as part of the Clair Ridge project. The new facilities, which required capital investment in excess of £4.
APPEA says Labor’s energy policy recognises role of gas in a cleaner energy future
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association has welcomed the release of the Labor Party’s energy policy platform. APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts said implementing the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) would help attract the new, long-term investments needed to build a reliable, affordable and cleaner electricity sector. “Australia needs an energy policy framework which cuts emissions without jeopardising reliable electricity supply or inflating energy prices,” Dr Roberts said. “APPEA believes these goals are best achieved by allowing the market to innovate and invest in a stable policy environment.
Kevin Hill’s course on Structural Geology for Petroleum systems
PESA WA was lucky enough to be able to persuade Kevin Hill to travel across to Perth in order to give us a 4 day training course on structural geology. For the group who attended this was a solid learning experience covering techniques and examples that helped us rethink the way we go about interpreting. Throughout the 4 days, we covered structural examples from extensional regimes, compressional, strike slip, and also salt. This was accompanied by numerous hands on exercises where we determined growth sections and fault timing, reactivations, and may other methods of understanding the data.
APPEA’s Brighter community
An initiative by APPEA, the Brighter program is a new way of talking to Australians about the role natural gas plays in their everyday life. ‘From gas-powered ships and the best public BBQs to the role industry plays in STEM education and supporting small businesses, the Brighter program exists to draw out and champion the positive stories surrounding Australian natural gas. APPEA will be telling these stories through stakeholders and local communities, through an array of digital channels, at local forums, through creative media and at live events.
Ichthys LNG is officially opened
Japan’s INPEX has officially opened the onshore LNG processing facilities of the Ichthys LNG project. Japanese, Australian and Northern Territory government representatives unveiled a plaque to commemorate four decades of future natural gas benefits that will flow from Ichthys LNG to the Northern Territory, Japan and the Asia Pacific region. First gas was produce in July this year and the first LNG cargo ship set sail in October. Hiroshige Sekō, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon.
Regulators approve Santos’ $2.15B Quadrant Energy buy
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has approved Santos’ proposed acquisition of Quadrant Energy. Under the proposed transaction which was announced three months ago, Santos will acquire 100% of Quadrant Energy for $2.15 billion in addition to potential contingent payments flowing from the Dorado offshore oil discovery. After detailed investigation the ACCC said it was unlikely that the acquisition would result in a substantial reduction of competition in the supply of gas to users in Western Australia.
Fresh exploration potential in offshore Argentina highlighted in new study.
Explorers interested in Argentina’s upcoming offshore bid round will benefit from a new geological study which constrains the timing and structural context for Triassic to Early Cretaceous basin development prior to and during continental rifting of the South Atlantic Ocean. This new framework for basin evolution will inform exploration strategy and reduce investment risk in the unexplored and underexplored Argentina and Falklands regions. The Offshore Argentina and Falkland Islands SEEBASE® Multi-client Study and GIS is an integrated geological and geophysical study of basement and basin evolution on the Argentine Shelf.