PESA are proud to be joint organisers of the Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC) 2025, taking place in the beautiful city of Perth, Australia from 8-11 September 2025. AEGC is the premier event for petroleum and mineral geoscience in Australasia and promises to be an exciting and enriching experience, bringing geologists, geophysicists, geochemists and industry professionals from across the globe.
PESA Gazette
ADNOC Eyes Santos: A High-Stakes Bid That Could Reshape the Asia-Pac LNG Landscape
In a bold strategic maneuver, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil giant, ADNOC—via its international arm XRG, in partnership with ADQ and global private equity firm Carlyle—is pursuing the acquisition of Australia’s Santos Ltd. The A$30 billion (US$18.7–19 billion) all-cash bid, unveiled in mid-June 2025, emerges as the largest takeover proposal in Australian corporate history.
This acquisition aligns with ADNOC’s ambitious goal: becoming a top-five global player in LNG by 2035. Santos’ assets—including Darwin and Barossa LNG projects, a stake in PNG LNG, and significant exploration acreage like Beetaloo Basin—provide essential footholds in the Asia-Pacific region
ADNOC has made...
GA releases plans for the 1st 10 years of “Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity” initiative
Geoscience Australia have showcased their planned projects for the first 10 years (2024-2034) of the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative in an online webinar, where the Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia the Hon. Madeleine King MP announced the location of the third deep dive project in the Georgetown-Julia Creek region, Queensland.
The 35-year $3.4 billion investment by the Australian Government was established to accelerate the discovery and development of the resources needed to support Australia’s net zero transition and resources management through 4 interrelated components.
Held on Tuesday 26 August 2025, the webinar went into detail about what to expect from the wide range of projects over the next 10 years and how they fit under the 4 components.
SAExploration Finalizes Acquisition of Australia’s Leading Seismic Contractor, Terrex Seismic
Houston-headquartered SAExploration Holdings has acquired Terrex Seismic, a leading Australian seismic contractor, a deal that returns to SAE to the Australian land market and gives Terrex deep global support to continue its four-decade tradition of innovation and quality in seismic exploration.
SAE said Terrex is recognised for its innovative approach to projects in challenging environments, as well as its deep expertise in land-based seismic operations.
GSWA Record 2025/6
A Summary of GSWA Stratigraphic drilling in sedimentary basins, Western Australia
The Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) routinely acquires new pre-competitive geoscience data to encourage exploration within Western Australia. Drilling in underexplored regions by this organisation aims to update stratigraphic and age relationships, and the prospectivity for many commodities. In Neoproterozoic–Phanerozoic sedimentary basins such drilling can reveal the existence of reservoir, seal and hydrocarbon source rocks, and can provide geothermal data to aid prospectivity assessments for petroleum (oil, hydrocarbon gas, helium, and hydrogen), coal, geothermal energy and CO2 sequestration.
PESA Symposium 2025 – Juggling the Energy Mix
Symposium Chair Melanie Fitzell and the Queensland branch committee delivered another successful one-day symposium on Monday 1st September at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The conference opening address was delivered by the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, the Honourable Dale Last, who closed his speech with the words: “you drill, I sign”. This was followed by a Keynote address from Darren Moor, Executive Director Georesources from the same department, and a final Keynote from industry stalwart Rick Wilkinson of Energy Quest “Energy plan or just muddling through?”.
A technical session featuring CCS and geothermal followed morning tea, three top quality presentations from Nikki Accornero (Accornero Advisory), Rachel Kieft (Santos) and Ray Johnson and Heinz-Gerd Holl (Novus).
Carbon Loop #012
Read the full newsletter here
Hello and welcome to The Carbon Loop — a newsletter by the CCUSNA dedicated to highlighting the Australian carbon capture, utilisation and storage industry
Several heavy-hitting globals are collaborating to investigate the potential for CCUS hubs in Asia and Northern Australia. The consortium brings together BHP (bhp.com), which is leading the study, alongside steel giants ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) (amns.in), JSW Steel (jswsteel.in), and Hyundai Steel (hyundai-steel.com), as well as energy and infrastructure players Chevron (chevron.com) and Mitsui & Co. (mitsui.com).
The Renaissance Tour: A revival of frontier basins with data-driven exploration
by Karyna Rodriguez, Neil Hodgson & Lauren Found
Presented at the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (WA Branch) Lunch Series, June 2025
Full article available here
As the energy exploration landscape evolves, so too does the thinking around the basins being investigated. Advancing seismic acquisition and processing technologies in the last decade have allowed for explorers to take a fresh look on frontier and previously discarded basins, with the shifts in thinking and interpretation yielding billions of barrels of results.
In this world tour, four deep-water basins are investigated, including the Papuan Basin of Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Scotian Basin of Canada, the Namibian-South African Orange Basin and its Brazilian conjugate margin in the Pelotas Basin.
Background to resolution on Retired members from AGM May 2025
By Max Williamson
FCA PESA Distinguished Member
For and on behalf of the NSW Branch Executive Team
Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia Ltd
NSW Branch
GPO Box 625 Sydney NSW 2001
(Incorporated in WA) A.B.N 12 009 061 278
PESA GAZETTE - BACKGROUND TO RESOLUTION ON RETIRED MEMBERS
Date: 26 May 2025 5.00pm
Place: AGM PESA - Rydges Hotel Southbank
The Motion:
The Annual renewal fee for members who have retired and are not working in a paid role or paid employment be reduced to the sum of $50 per annum starting from renewals after 31 December 2025.
Business:
SA/NT Branch Winter Warmer
Not to be outdone by WA Branch, SA/NT Branch held their Winter Warmer on 7 August at Prohibition Gin Distillery, in Adelaide’s CBD. Over 40 hearty souls braved the cold evening in the distillery’s tin shed to sample 3 different gins (Classic, Blood Orange & Field Blend Shiraz); cleansing ales were available for purchase as well. The proprietor provided detailed information on each of the gins (and ales) and gave us suggested drinking instructions. Unsurprisingly, most members did not require much of the latter. Pizzas a-plenty were provided to sop up the drink.