Emeritus Professor and geophysicist, Kurt Lambeck (ANU), received the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science for his work on the ‘breathing Earth’, detecting sea level change, and developing precise navigation, using geophysical techniques. This award is an important step in the recognition of the importance of geosciences for Australia’s future. Kurt’s original work in the 1960s enabled accurate planning of space missions. It led him to use the deformation of continents during the ice ages to study changes deep in the mantle of the planet.
Feature Articles
Spectrum and TGS announce collaboration on expanded Santos Basin Multi-Client 3D Survey
Spectrum and TGS have joined forces and expanded the Santos 3D seismic program to 15,000 square kilometers over the prospective southern Santos Basin offshore Brazil. TGS and Spectrum will be equal partners with seismic data processing and imaging to be performed by TGS. The survey covers an area south of the high profile discoveries of the Santos Basin and the recent sought after blocks offered in Rounds 2,3,4,5 and 15. Rune Eng, CEO Spectrum, comments, “Spectrum is excited to cooperate with TGS in this survey over such a highly prospective area.
Wood wins new IRPC contract in south east Asia
Wood has been awarded a new contract by IRPC Plc for its Maximum Aromatics (MARS) project, leveraging its operations in the south-east Asian oil and gas market. Wood will provide frontend engineering design (FEED) for the world-scale paraxylene complex to be built at IRPC’s existing integrated petrochemical complex in Rayong Province, Thailand. The one-year contract will be delivered from Wood’s offices in Sriracha, Thailand, and secures around 100 jobs in-country.
Geoscience awards its top guns with national honour
Two of Australia’s foremost proponents of better ways to discover our natural resources using great science have been honoured in Adelaide by Australia’s Geoscience sector. The title of “National Geoscience Champion” has been bestowed by the Australian Geoscience Council (AGC) on each of Dr Marita Bradshaw of Canberra and Emeritus Professor David Groves of Perth, at an industry peer dinner in Adelaide hosted as part of the AGC’s inaugural four-day Convention last week in Adelaide.
High-End Seismic Imaging Solves Shallow Gas Challenges
The latest Q modeling, and Q-compensating imaging techniques bring greater clarity to Northern Viking Graben, CGG has announced. CGG has recently completed seismic depth imaging of its entire Northern Viking Graben multi-client survey, in the Norwegian North Sea. The latest visco-acoustic (“Q”) velocity modeling and seismic imaging technologies have been applied to BroadSeis™ broadband variable-depth streamer field data, acquired between 2014 and 2016. The final output forms a contiguous data volume covering 35,400 km².
Po Valley retains north Italian oil assets after key shareholder in private UK buyer blocks sale
Australia’s Po Valley Energy is to retain full ownership of two onshore oil fields in northern Italy after their sale to a private London-based resources company, Delta Energy Limited, was blocked by one of Delta’s large shareholders. After a year of substantial expenditure, due diligence and rising oil prices, Delta’s management is understood to have fully endorsed the acquisition of the large Cadelbosco di Sopra (Po Valley 85%) oil exploration licence and adjoining smaller Grattasasso (100%) oil exploration licence in northern Italy.
The value Geoscience brings to Australia
IN an opening address in Adelaide at the first session of the four day Australian Geoscience Council Convention, Geoscience Australia Chief Executive, Dr James Johnson, said geoscience was providing immense value to society, from the economic benefits of resource development through to GPS positioning, underpinned by the science of geodesy. “It is important that we, as geoscientists, act as ambassadors for our science, to raise awareness of the general public on how geoscience benefits society. Even Earth observations from space are becoming increasingly important in monitoring environmental change and in natural resource management,” Dr Johnson said.
Significant UK shale gas development “still a long way off”
Following the announcement that Cuadrilla Resources will start fracking operations at its shale gas exploration wells in Lancashire, leading industry commentators still view hydraulic stimulation at an embryonic phase in Britain. Will Scargill, Senior Oil & Gas Analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, said of the development: ‘‘Although beginning fracking is an important step for Cuadrilla, we’re still a long way from shale gas playing a significant role in the UK energy sector.
Global rocks stars all set for AGCC 2018
Dr Cornel de Ronde will be one of the five Plenary speakers at AGCC 2018 to be held in Adelaide, 14-18 October. He will be speaking on Wednesday 17th October during the Plenary Session at 8.30am in Hall C of the Adelaide Convention Centre. His talk will focus on the prospectivity of modern seafloor hydrothermal systems associated with submarine arcs for Cu-Au mineralisation. This presentation should not be missed. Dr de Ronde delivered the AusIMM Distinguished Lecturer series in Queensland and NT in 2015, but did not speak in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA or WA.
Woodside confirms successful Shwee Yee Htun-2 appraisal well offshore Myanmar
Woodside has announced that the Shwe Yee Htun-2 appraisal well in Block A-6, located offshore Myanmar, has successfully appraised the 2016 Shwe Yee Htun-1 discovery. The Shwe Yee Htun-2 appraisal well was drilled down-dip from the Shwe Yee Htun-1 well and intersected a gross gas column of 168 m (measured depth rotary table (MDRT)) (143 m true vertical thickness). A total of 41 m of net pay (true vertical thickness) has been interpreted within a high quality-reservoir.