Feature Articles

South Australian household gas bills to drop $30 a year as natural gas network charges reduce 8%

18/02/2020 Posted by Dale

More than 455,000 households and small businesses connected to natural gas in South Australia are set to receive significant reductions in their bills, on average ranging from about $30 to $270 per year respectively.

This follows Australian Gas Networks’ (AGN’s) publication of its South Australian Draft Plan for the five-year period commencing 1 July 2021. The Draft Plan was developed following an extensive period of consultation with customers and stakeholders.

The Draft Plan proposes an 8% reduction to gas distribution charges in real terms from 1 July next year.

CGG and Fairfield Geotechnologies Collaborate on New Multi-Client Program in the Central Basin Platform

11/02/2020 Posted by Dale

CGG and Fairfield Geotechnologies have signed a second cooperation agreement to acquire a series of large-scale, high-density, multi-client surveys in the Central Basin Platform (CBP) of the Permian Basin located in West Texas.

The new wide-azimuth datasets will provide a better understanding of the structural complexity of the transition between the CBP and surrounding basins to enhance industry drilling efforts, CGG said.

The CBP is a tectonically uplifted geological structure that separates the deep Delaware Basin and the shallower Midland Basin, which, all together, make up the greater Permian Basin of West Texas.

Northern Endeavour in limbo as NOGA goes into liquidation

11/02/2020 Posted by Dale

The Australian Government has been advised that the Northern Oil and Gas Australia (NOGA) group of companies has been placed into liquidation.

Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said this is an unprecedented event in the offshore oil and gas industry in Australia.

“It is regrettable that a commercial solution could not be found to prevent NOGA entering liquidation, but the Government will do everything it needs to do to protect the safety and security of the Northern Endeavour production vessel to protect the environment and keep workers safe,” Minister Pitt said.

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has advised that as the Northern Endeavour is not currently in production, the risks associated with safety and the environment are low.

Australian LNG cargoes not affected by coronavirus but broader market is impacted

11/02/2020 Posted by Dale

“Suddenly, the global LNG market is being buffeted from all directions. The market was already soft with a warm winter in North Asia and rapidly growing US production. Now the outbreak of the coronavirus has hit oil prices (to which Australian LNG prices are indexed) and spot LNG prices.”

This is according to the latest EnergyQuest report which revealed that Brent had started the month at US$67.05/bbl (A$96.03/bbl) and rose to US$70.25/bbl (A$101.34/bbl) but then fell steadily through the month to US$54.00/bbl (A$80.65/bbl) on 3 February, reflecting the expected fall in Chinese oil demand.

“There has also been a dramatic fall in Asian spot prices with the Platts JKM spot price, dropping to below US$3.00/MMBtu.

Searcher Completes Offshore Peru OpenSeis 2D & 3D Seismic Datasets

11/02/2020 Posted by Dale

Searcher is pleased to announce the completion of its Offshore Peru OpenSeis 2D and 3D Seismic Dataset as part of its Offshore Peru Multi-Client Campaign.

The Offshore Peru OpenSeis Seismic Dataset consists of both 2D and 3D vintage seismic data which has been rectified in a post-stack reprocessing method. The data package comprises of 44,389 km of 2D and 15,526 km2 of 3D seismic data along the coast of Peru.

Offshore Peru offers high impact, moderate-risk exploration in shallow water, with high prospectivity in multiple, unexplored basins, supported by Perupetro that is welcoming foreign investment.

ConocoPhillips acquires operatorship of 3D Oil Tasmania permit

04/02/2020 Posted by Dale

3D Oil Ltd, has executed a farmout agreement with ConocoPhillips Australia whereby the latter will acquire a 75% operated interest in the T/49P exploration permit in the Otway Basin offshore Tasmania for $5 million cash.

Prior to the deal 3D Oil held a 100% interest in the T/49P exploration permit, which covers 4,960km of the Otway Basin and is located adjacent to the producing Thylacine and Geographe gas fields.

The most recent agreement was finalised with ConocoPhillips on Dec 18.

“The beginning of this relationship represents an important step towards 3D Oil’s overarching strategy, to provide much needed...

PO Valley says ‘Mama Mia’ to first gas production in Italy

04/02/2020 Posted by Dale

Australia’s Po Valley Energy has welcomed the Italian Ministry of Environment giving the Selva gas field development in Northern Italy a green light that has brought the project to the cusp of production.

At the same time the company revealed that final environmental approval for the Teodorico offshore gas project was expected in the March quarter following primary environmental approval in 2019.

Po Valley CEO, Michael Masterman commented:

Coronavirus ‘trumps Middle East’s impact on oil prices’

04/02/2020 Posted by Dale

The UAE’s first confirmed case of the Wuhan coronavirus -- the first confirmed case in the Middle East – has had a greater impact on oil prices than Libyan oil shutdown or Iran-USA tensions.

That’s according to data analytics company GlobalData, who said of the recent outbreak and its influence on markets.

“The Gulf region, and Dubai in particular, is a major travel and business hub between Asia and Europe. Its links with China have been an important part of the region’s development in recent years.

Shearwater secures back-to-back work with 3D survey for Reliance in India

04/02/2020 Posted by Dale

Shearwater has been awarded a 3D broadband marine seismic acquisition contract by Reliance Industries in the Bay of Bengal, India. The project is scheduled to commence in Q2 2020.

The survey covers 1,500 sq. km of block KG-UDWHP-2018/1 in the Krishna-Godavari basin and will be executed by the Polar Duchess using a Dual source design, Shearwater has announced.

“We are pleased to add Reliance as a new customer with this award for the coming season in India” said Irene Waage Basili, the CEO of Shearwater GeoServices. “This is the third contract award we have won in India in recent weeks.

New five-year plan set to deliver WA gas supplies at ‘lower cost’

28/01/2020 Posted by Dale

Maintaining strong safety, reliability and service performance with lower revenue and costs are the focus of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group’s Final Plan for Western Australia's Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBP) for the 2021 to 2025 period.

The Plan also puts in place measures to support the DBP continuing to deliver gas to an evolving Western Australian energy market well into the future.

The Plan was presented this month to WA’s Economic Regulation Authority (ERA) and follows an extensive 18-month consultation period with customers of the pipeline.

The pipeline - part of the Australian Gas Infrastructure...