Feature Articles

Searcher receives ISO certification

25/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Searcher has announced that it achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system.

The certification covers the provision of geological, geophysical, geotechnical and GIS data acquisition, collection, processing and interpretation to the exploration and resources sectors. Following an extensive audit process, the certification was issued to Searcher by SAI Global in April 2020, the company said.

Alan Hopping, Executive Vice President of Operations for Searcher, said: “Achieving the ISO 9001 accreditation is confirmation of Searcher’s demonstrated and ongoing commitment to consistently delivering the highest quality products and services to our clients.

“The team was faced with...

Neptune completes survey in Bonaparte Basin

25/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Neptune Energy announced the successful acquisition of the 3D broadband seismic survey of the extensive Petrel field located in the Bonaparte basin of Australia.

The 2,900 km2 survey significantly expanded the area of seismic data Neptune holds and increased the quality and breadth of data.

Initial findings from the survey have been received with the remaining processed data due to be delivered later this year.

Internal analysis and interpretation of the acquired data will allow Neptune and its partners to plan for the future.

Neptune Energy Australia Managing Director, Janet Hann said: “The safe and successful completion of the survey is testament to the excellent teamwork of Neptune and its partners.

Shearwater wins Forties Field seismic survey from Apache

19/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Shearwater GeoServices has announced the award by Apache of a 4D seismic survey with 3D extension over the Forties Field in the UK North Sea.

“We are very pleased to see a Shearwater Qmarine 4D crew returning to the Forties Field for the fourth time,” said Irene Waage Basili, the CEO of Shearwater GeoServices.

“The project adds to the North Sea 4D program we announced earlier this year and we continue to demonstrate industry leading technology and experience in 4D seismic.”

Senex and CleanCo Queensland sign new gas sales agreement

19/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Senex Energy announced it had agreed a further domestic gas sales agreement with power generator CleanCo Queensland for 2.55 petajoules (PJ) of natural gas.

Under the one-year agreement, Senex will supply CleanCo with 2.55 PJ of natural gas from Atlas, commencing 1 January 2021. Gas will be supplied at the Wallumbilla Gas Hub in Queensland at a fixed price in line with current market levels.

CleanCo is the new Queensland Government-owned corporation focused on delivering affordable and reliable clean energy.

Atlas gas will fuel Swanbank E, CleanCo’s highly efficient 385 MW gas-fired power station near Ipswich in south-east Queensland.

Woodside plans to abandon three wells

12/05/2020 Posted by Dale

NOPSEMA is assessing a decommissioning plan submitted by Woodside for subsea infrastructure no longer required for production from the Echo Yodel field located in the Dampier Sub-Basin in permit WA-23-L.

The plan, which was was submitted on April 17, make provision for Woodside to permanently plug for abandonment purposes the Yodel-3 and Yodel-4 production wells and the Capella 1 exploration well via the deployment of a mobile offshore drilling unit.

Plugging for the three wells is expected to take about 20 to 60 days per well to.

DUG onboard processing contract with Polarcus extended to include DUG McCloud

11/05/2020 Posted by Dale

DUG has announced the signing of a three-year contract with Polarcus to utilise hardware and software for data processing and seismic acquisition quality control (QC) onboard Polarcus’ fleet of seismic vessels.

DUG said it will provide workstations, storage, processing nodes, and software onboard Polarcus vessels.

"This marks the sixth year of Polarcus’ commitment to DUG technology for the provision of data processing and QC services," DUG said.

Further, Polarcus also signed a three-year agreement to leverage the DUG McCloud platform to significantly enhance their Priority Processing and imaging offering to E&P clients.

"DUG McCloud is a customer-focussed and collaborative cloud solution that encapsulates DUG’s high-performance computing (HPC) environment. T

Jobless Geos climb in first quarter, but COVID impacts limited

11/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Australian geoscientists reported a deterioration in employment in the first three months of 2020. Fears, however, that the coronavirus pandemic would have a deep and dramatic impact on employment, have not as yet materialised.

Unemployment amongst Australia’s geoscientists increased to 10.0% at the end of the March 2020 quarter compared to 7.3% at the end of the 2019 December quarter. Under-employment amongst self-employed geoscientists increased from 13.1% to 18.1% for the same period.

Australian geoscientists reported a deterioration in employment in the first three months of 2020.

Queensland Government supports exploration

07/05/2020 Posted by Dale

APPEA has welcomed the announcement by Queensland Resources Minister Anthony Lynham of a range of measures to support exploration as the industry confronts challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

These measures announced will provide for relief and flexibility to support explorers. It also encourages innovative exploration activities through a direct grant process.

The package provides companies with the ability to continue to operate now, and respond quickly when the health crisis abates, and Australia’s economy recovers.

APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville said this package would particularly help smaller exploration companies that continue to play a critical role in the identification and development of new energy resources.

WA research streamlining the study of Earth’s earliest life forms

04/05/2020 Posted by Dale

A new publication summarising more than 50 years of geoscience research on Western Australia’s microbialites is setting a new standard for the study of some of Earth’s oldest fossils. Created by microbes, some of these fossils date back to the Archean period, around 3.5 billion years ago.

Eminent scientist and retired Chief Paleontologist from the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA), Dr Kathleen Grey, worked with Professor Stanley Awramik from the University of California, Santa Barbara, to develop GSWA Bulletin 147 Handbook for the study and description of microbialites.

This handbook sets a benchmark for universal terminology and descriptive methodology for the study of microbialites, which includes stromatolites like those from the Shark Bay World Heritage site.

Blue Energy urges action to stave off East Coast gas shortage

04/05/2020 Posted by Dale

Debt-free Blue Energy has urged the state of Queensland and the Federal Government -- in spite of COVID-related upheavals and oil price haemorrhaging -- not to lose sight of an impending domestic gas shortage in 2023 and the urgency of infrastructure projects to stave off this famine.

Blue Management said it has been in active discussions with representatives of both Federal and State Governments to highlight the need for national energy infrastructure projects to ensure timely and reliable delivery of energy to domestic East Coast manufacturers and gas users.

“This is in light of the projected long-term East Coast domestic gas shortfall commencing in 2023, as identified by the latest AEMO GSOO March 2020 report.