Queensland faces the partial shut-down of a third of its barely decade-old $84 billion LNG industry by the middle of next decade due to a gas supply shortage, together with diversions to the domestic market. This would cut output to four LNG production trains from the current six trains built on Curtis Island off Gladstone by three project owners. Underpinning the production noose is an emerging forward reliance for feedstock on gas reserve estimates that could fall well below delivery expectations, according to a new report by EnergyQuest.
Feature Articles
Shell leads capex spend on new global oil and gas projects
A total new-build capital expenditure (capex) of US$846bn is expected to be spent globally on planned and announced upstream projects from 2019 to 2025. Royal Dutch Shell Plc leads among all oil and gas companies and is expected to spend US$54.6bn on upcoming upstream projects during the forecast period, according to data and analytics company, GlobalData. The company’s report reveals that Gazprom and Exxon Mobil Corp are the next top spenders with new-build capex of US$49.8 billion and US$43 billion, respectively.
‘Bipartisan support will help resources sector dig deeper’
The peak body for Australia’s 8,000 geoscientists — the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) — has strongly welcomed commitments from both the Coalition Government and Australian Labor Party to boost support for the exploration of ‘next generation’ hidden mineral deposits in Australia. “While Australia is endowed with significant mineral resources and the resources sector contributes massively to our economy, the ‘easy to find’ minerals of past decades have largely been discovered and exploited” AGC President, Dr Bill Shaw, said. “There is now a need to explore much deeper underground for the nation’s new ‘hidden’ mineral fields.
‘National Resources Statement outlines a blueprint for success’
The oil and gas industry has welcomed the release of the National Resources Statement, the first since February 1998. The vital contribution the resources sector makes to Australia, particularly in the regional areas that host development, is highlighted in the Statement. APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts congratulated Minister for Resources Matt Canavan for taking the initiative to develop this statement and encourage a bi‑partisan and long‑term policy approach for Australia’s important resources sector.
Searcher completes Airborne Geophysical Survey in Papua New Guinea
Searcher Seismic has announced completion of the regional multi-client airborne gravity, gravity-gradiometry and magnetics survey covering the transition zone of the Gulf of Papua. The Roho Airborne Gravity, Gravity-Gradiometry and Magnetic Survey covers approximately 60,700 square kilometres (~52,700line km) along the southern coast of PNG. The survey compliments several marine seismic and geochemical projects recently completed by Searcher aimed at assessing the hydrocarbon potential of the Gulf of Papua and adjacent Coral Sea areas, offshore PNG.
Maiden gas reserves for Po Valley’s Selva field
Australia’s Po Valley Energy Limited has announced maiden gas reserves for its majority-owned onshore Selva Malvezzi field, northeast of Bologna in northern Italy. The maiden gross 2P reserves for Selva of 13.3 were prepared by CGG, from previously reported gross contingent resources (“2C”) but also includes results from new drilling on the field early last year (Podere Maiar 1 well). The milestone estimate announced delivers 8.38 bcf of net 2P reserves attributable to Po Valley and represents the company’s first reserves for this gas field.
CGG and TGS announce Greater Castberg Survey in Barents Sea
CGG and TGS have announced the Greater Castberg TopSeis™ survey in the Barents Sea. The survey is 5,000 sq km, and will be acquired and processed with the latest developments of CGG’s TopSeis acquisition and imaging technology. The survey will include the highly prospective Castberg area, and cover existing and newly awarded licenses in addition to open acreage with several play models in multiple geological layers. The acquisition is expected to commence late Q2 2019 with final delivery to clients in Q4 2020. The project is supported by industry funding.
Total steps on the gas with South Africa’s biggest discovery.
South Africa’s first ever globally significant oil and discovery was announced by Total last week when the French supermajor revealed it had made a billion-barrel oil equivalent gas find in the Southern Outeniqua Basin. The discovery is big enough to meet South Africa’s imported fuel needs for four years and is located 175km offshore in the Brulpadda Prospect, which is about 180km from South Africa’s gas-to-liquids plant at Mossel Bay on the Cape south coast.
AGIG welcomes NT Government announcement on new $170m pipeline
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) has welcomed the Northern Territory Government’s decision to grant conditional consent to commission and operate the new $170 million Tanami pipeline infrastructure. The recent announcement by NT Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, Paul Kirby, said construction of the Tanami Gas Pipeline was complete and AGIG could now test the pipeline by introducing gas at the pressure under which it will operate. The Minister said once testing is successfully completed and independently verified, the pipeline will be able to go into full operational mode.
Anadarko pens Mozambique gas sales agreement with CNOOC
U.S. oil and gas company Anadarko has signed 1.5 million tonnes per annum gas sale and purchase agreement for 13 years with China’s CNOOC for gas to be produced from its gas field offshore Mozambique. Mitch Ingram, Anadarko Executive Vice President, International, Deepwater & Exploration said: “We are pleased to announce this SPA with CNOOC, an important global energy player in one of the biggest and fastest growing LNG markets in the world.