The PESA Gazette is our exclusive monthly online publication, accessible only to PESA members. Envisioned to be a newsletter by the members for the members, it targets including industry updates, breakthroughs in exploration, case studies, technical talks, expert analyses and PESA state branches social news. The PESA Gazette aims to help you stay informed and connected with Australia’s energy geosciences industry. The Gazette is scheduled to go out on the second Tuesday of each month February-December. Content submissions are requested on the first Thursday of each month for review by the editorial board and upload to the system.
General
Perth building stones walking tour
Write up by Helen Debenham. Photos from Helen Debenham and Karen Pandya.
On Friday night (6th February) a group of PESA members, led by Stephen Molyneux, and ably assisted by Peter Haines and Leon Normore from the geological survey, wandered through the streets of Perth looking at building stones and other geological wonders.
If you are sad to have missed this, you can take a look at the guide below that talks you through a self guided similar tour.
https://dmpbookshop.eruditetechnologies.com.au/product/stepping-stones-two-self-guided-geology-trails-in-the-city.do
Our intrepid walkers met up in the Melbourne Hotel on Hay street, where, as you can see in the image below, there is some lovely amygdaloidal basalt in the passageway down towards the toilets.
SA/NT Branch 2025 Christmas Luncheon
Around 40 SA/NT members enjoyed a convivial luncheon to celebrate Christmas and the end of 2025.
The meeting kicked off with the SA/NT Branch AGM, at which Paul Strong was voted in as the next Branch President and Sharon Tiainen as Vice-President. This was followed by a brief review of industry activity through the year by Rhodri Johns.
The guest speaker was Dave Grybowski, whose 35 years in petroleum geology have given him ample opportunity to ponder where things might have gone wrong.
The 2025 PESA SA/NT core workshop, a fresh look at South Australia’s eastern Warburton Basin, Daralingie Shelf Area
Author | Chris Cubitt: Geological Survey of South Australia
Chris Cubitt of the Geological Survey South Australia (GSSA), hosted the 2026 PESA SA/NT core workshop at the SA Drill Core Library on Friday November 21st, 2025, (Fig. 1). This year’s event was well attended by industry, government and academia focussing on the eastern Warburton Basin (Daralingie Shelf area) with the aim to produce a quick look GDE map and form an opinion on the basin’s prospectivity.
PESA QLD: Combined Oil and Gas Christmas Party 2025
The Queensland oil and gas industry came together in early December to celebrate the year’s achievements at the Combined Oil and Gas Christmas Party 2025 – an annual event hosted by the societies ASEG, PESA, SPE, QEC and QUPEX.
Held at Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events, attendees gathered in a riverside setting to reflect on the year, reconnect with colleagues and strengthen ties across the Queensland oil and gas community. The strong turnout and positive atmosphere marked a confident close to the year as the sector looks forward to a successful 2026.
Guests enjoyed an evening of celebration against the stunning Brisbane River backdrop.
Vale David (Dave) Roy McDonald (10.05.1932 – 26.11. 2025)
Compiled by Don Poynton with thanks to Andrew Thompson, Stephen Keenihan and Michael Chaney AO.
Our industry has been blessed with many outstanding leaders but few better than Dave McDonald, WA PESA President 1974-75, Distinguished Member of PESA 1981, Chairman of APPEA 1987-89, Honorary Life Member of APPEA 1990 and APPEA Reg Sprigg Gold Medal 1998.
Dave grew up as a hard-working farm boy in Clandeboye, Manitoba surrounded by his large extended family. He moved to Alberta to work in the oil industry after earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Manitoba in 1952.
2025 Horstman Scholarship Winner Announced
PESA are delighted to announce the winner of the 2025 Horstman Federal Postgraduate Scholarship is Aike Albers.
Aike is a PhD candidate in the School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences at the University of Adelaide, where he investigates the feasibility of permanent CO₂ sequestration in buried mafic (basaltic) reservoirs as part of Australia's energy transition. His research integrates seismic interpretation, petrophysical and geochemical analysis, and reservoir simulation to assess carbon mineralisation potential in volcanic systems, with a particular focus on the Bass Basin.
New GSWA publications on plays of the Canning and Perth Basins
These two GSWA Records provide a valuable resource, especially for potential new explorers, on the Canning and Perth Basins. The publications provide an introduction to the basins, their exploration targets and drilling results. Unforeseen new play commercial discoveries (Ungani oil in the Canning Basin and Waitsia gas in the Perth Basin) are testimony to undiscovered hydrocarbon potential in these basins.
These GSWA Records are based on historical petroleum exploration targets, covering formation by formation and including drilling results. Information was summarised from company well completion reports and relevant literature.
These new publications are found on the DMPE e-bookshop, linked to below.
Record 2025/9
A Summary of Geological Play Types for Energy Commodities in the Perth Basin, within Western Australian Jurisdiction
RH Bruce
Published August 2025
Record 2025/16
Bookings Open – Barry Goldstein Medal Lecture Tour
Our worthy winner of the 2025 Barry Goldstein Medal, Dr Bruce Ainsworth, begins his lecture tour shortly generously sponsored by Santos. Over 5 weeks, he will visit each state branch and give his presentation "Honouring the Humble Clinoform: Towards a Reservoir Modelling Best Practice". Bruce is an excellent geologist and engaging presenter so attendees are in for a treat. Bookings for these events are now live on the website.
The Barry Goldstein Medal was created by PESA to recognise the value of innovation, collaboration and communication in Energy Geoscience as we pursue a clean sustainable energy future.
Federation University closing Geology Course
The former Ballarat School of Mines, now Federation University, is abruptly closing its Geology course, mid-stream, leaving students marooned with their courses incomplete (ABC News).
Source: https://www.federation.edu.au/about/locations/ballarat/smb/
As highlighted by VIC/TAS PESA President Nick Hoffman, “This is the end of well over a century of geological teaching and marks the continued degradation of Australia's geoscience capacity at the same time as it is becoming apparent that minerals are not just stuff to dig up and sell but are the foundations of energy and commercial independence in an increasingly troubled world.