Feature Articles

Mozambique soldiers repel insurgent attack on Total LNG project

28/12/2020 Posted by Dale

Media in Africa have reported that Mozambique soldiers were able to defeat an Islamic insurgent attack which was targeting Total’s $30 billion LNG plant in the east African country – the second attack launched during the month of December.

According to reports, the battle came within 21km of the project in the Cabo Delgado province and is the continuation of a conflict that is believed to have killed 2,500 people and left 570,000 homeless.

The Total LNG plant is the largest current investment anywhere in Africa and has already secured contracts to supply TokyoGas and Centrica, Shell, CNOOC and Power Singapore Trading & Marketing and Bharat Petroleum.

ShearShearwater GeoServices signs US$437 million refinancing of main debt facilities

28/12/2020 Posted by Dale

Shearwater has signed new debt and guarantee facilities totalling US$437 million, as part of the planned refinancing of the company’s maturing debt.

The new facilities include the refinancing of the US$325 million bridge facility originating from the acquisition of the marine seismic acquisition assets and operations of WesternGeco in November 2018.

“We enjoy continued confidence from our lenders whose long-term backing has supported Shearwater in driving the necessary consolidation in the market.

New funding for training materials supports LNG jobs

22/12/2020 Posted by Dale

APPEA has welcomed new funding by the WA Government to deliver the learning materials needed to ensure training of operators for liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants is recognised industry-wide.

APPEA WA Director Claire Wilkinson said the funding, outlined in the State’s 2020–21 Government Mid-year Financial Projections Statement, will ensure operators are taught in a consistent manner across training providers.

“With the bulk of Australia’s LNG plants and production located in Western Australia, it’s great to see the WA Government back our industry by supporting the training of local workers in these critical skillsets,” Ms Wilkinson said.

“Developing...

Gladstone plants exceed nameplate capacity for first time since 2015 start-up

22/12/2020 Posted by Dale

EnergyQuest CEO Graeme Bethune said November was a strong month for Australian LNG exports, with 6.9 million tonnes (Mt) shipped, the highest since April this year. This was despite supply disruptions from Gorgon, Australia’s second largest project, and delays to the start-up of the Prelude floating LNG project.

Bethune said one of the reasons for the strong performance was record production from the east coast LNG projects at Gladstone. Taken together, the Gladstone projects exceeded nameplate capacity for the first time since exports commenced in January 2015.

Total Australian exports for the year to November are running 1.

CGG, PGS and TGS announce strategic partnership for shared multi-client data

22/12/2020 Posted by Dale

CGG, PGS and TGS have announced a pioneering strategic partnership to offer a shared ecosystem providing direct access to their subsurface multi-client data libraries.

The independent, cloud-based ecosystem will offer a single search point to access all three companies’ multi-client data and allow customers to interactively find, visualize and download their subsurface assets and entitlements all in one place.

All three companies released a joint media statement and commented on developments as follows:

Sophie Zurquiyah, CEO, CGG, said: “The industry historically lacked an ecosystem that provided a vendor neutral single point of access to the industry’s commercial data.

Shearwater GeoServices awarded 3D contract by ONGC

22/12/2020 Posted by Dale

Shearwater GeoServices has announced the award of a 3D broadband marine seismic acquisition contract by ONGC in the Western Offshore India area. The project is scheduled to commence in Q1 2021.

The four-month campaign covers two areas totalling 2,800 sq. km in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of India. Shearwater plans to use the SW Duchess and SW Vespucci for the surveys.

“Shearwater has a strong, long-standing relationship with ONGC and adding this award to our 2021 backlog demonstrates our market leading position in Indian offshore geophysics, enabling us to maintain high activity in the region throughout 2020 and into 2021”, said Irene Waage Basili, the CEO of Shearwater GeoServices.

‘Regulatory reform will enhance resources investment’

15/12/2020 Posted by Dale

A new Productivity Commission report has highlighted that better and more streamlined regulation of Australia’s resources sector will help support future investment and build community trust in the sector.

The Resources Sector Regulation report said there is considerable scope to improve regulatory processes and reduce unnecessary burdens to support investment into resources without having adverse impacts on the environment, heritage, worker safety, landowners and communities.

In welcoming the report, APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville said the report has some important recommendations that should be adopted by government to help streamline regulation, reduce duplication and unnecessary costs – all of which will be critical to help further improve the investment environment.

CO2CRC commences CO2 injection at the Otway International Test Centre

15/12/2020 Posted by Dale

CO2CRC has announced that the CO2 injection for the Otway Stage 3 Project has successfully commenced.

CO2CRC’s Otway Stage 3 Project trials next generation subsurface monitoring and verification (M&V) technologies to reduce the costs for monitoring in industrial applications.

CO2 storage projects require M&V to understand movement of the injected CO₂ plume in the subsurface.

Traditional methods monitor the CO2 from the surface and can be costly due to long-term planning and their interaction with farming or marine industries.

Sercel wins second Saudi Mega-Crew Equipment Contract

15/12/2020 Posted by Dale

Sercel has won a second major contract to supply land seismic equipment to a leading seismic acquisition contractor for a 3D mega-crew survey in Saudi Arabia.

It has also won a smaller contract to equip a 2D survey to be conducted by the same contractor. These two new contracts closely follow the recently announced award to Sercel of a similar large-scale contract to equip a separate Saudi 3D mega-crew survey.

The new 3D contract includes a Sercel 508XT seismic acquisition system of over 60,000 channels equipped with strings of SG-10 geophones, and a fleet of over 30 Nomad 65 Neo all-terrain vibrator trucks with a full VE464 advanced vibrator electronics package.

Blue skies brighten after Queensland North Bowen Basin gas-supply agreement

06/12/2020 Posted by Dale

Blue Energy shares surged over 57% after announcing a 10-year Queensland gas supply deal with Energy Australia.

The agreement is for annual deliveries of 10PJ and on the ASX BLU stock climbed to 8.8 cents on news of the deal, before settling at 8.2 cents at close on Friday.

Blue’s Managing Director, John Phillips, said: “This is the first such agreement that will allow North Bowen Basin gas to be delivered into the main East Coast domestic market to the south from Moranbah”

“It is a foundation volume that will contribute to the underpinning of the proposed...