Leon Normore, Geological Survey of Western Australia
Abstract
The nascent field of natural hydrogen investigations is expanding rapidly worldwide. Recent studies in Australia have documented hydrogen in natural gas samples in both sedimentary basins and cratonic settings, and discussed multiple abiogenic sources for natural Hydrogen (Boreham et al., 2021a,b).
On 20th February the WA branch lunch was held at the Hilton. The topic was “Natural Hydrogen in Western Australia” by Leon Normore, Geological Survey and Resource Strategy Division, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Government of Western Australia.
Leon provided an up-to-date summary of recent studies in Australia on hydrogen in natural gas samples in both sedimentary basins and cratonic settings and also discussed multiple abiogenic sources for natural hydrogen.
He summarised GSWA studies of open file data which focused on historical occurrences of hydrogen within the onshore sedimentary basins with petroleum wells the primary data source in Canning Basin, Perth Basin and Southern Carnarvon Basin well.
On 13th February 2025, Mark Bentley (Langdale Geoscience, UK) delivered a short course to the WA Pesa Branch members on “Good Models: Bad Models – How can we Tell?”. This course was well attended and a summary of this course is provided below.
Mark also delivered a presentation to the WA Pesa Brach on “Modelling for CCS - new tricks for old dogs”. Thirty or so young and ‘old dogs’ enjoyed an engaging, educational and stimulating evening with Mark who presented on the new paradigms required in reservoir modelling for CO2 storage.
The HICCUP cricket tournament, sponsored by PESA (Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia), has a rich 45-year history as a social tradition in the South Australian Oil & Gas industry, bringing together government, private, and academic personnel.
HICCUP is appealing due to the relaxed environment of playing a social, yet competitive, format of cricket after work in the Adelaide parklands while providing a fantastic avenue for strengthening working relationships between colleagues and peers from opposition teams.
Teams play with 12 players, and everyone gets to have a bowl and a hit in the 20 over format.
On 27Th Feb James Komenza gave a talk to the South Australian Branch titled “Seismic interpretation of the Petrel sub-basin for CO2 storage opportunity (G-11-AP)” The image above shows Dr Paul Strong awarding an appreciation gift to him.
The Branch was also pleased to award Cecilia Vanina Loyola (Uni Adelaide student) with the 2024 SA/NT Scholarship prize. This image below shows Dr. Mark Bunch (Uni Adelaide and chair of SA/NT Branch Scholarships committee) presenting it to her.
by Peter Hoiles – PESA Webinar Coordinator
As reported in the last gazette, the PESA webinar program has re-commenced for 2025. Recordings of most PESA webinars are available on the PESA website for members to view (more about this in a future gazette notice). In addition, PESA offers members free access to lecture and webinar recordings through Knowledgette. Knowledgette is a knowledge sharing platform that offers content from across the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts (SPWLA), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), and PESA.
Want to advertise in the PESA Gazette? We have sponsorship packages available to suit any budget!
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Fiona Burns took over the role as PESA President of the WA Branch during December 2024. She is a Sedimentologist/Ichnologist and Borehole Image Specialist, with over 30 years’ experience in the energy sector working on petroleum reservoirs. She works with the team at TaskFronterra in Perth and has been involved in projects throughout Australia and worldwide including Indonesia, West Africa, offshore China, North Sea and NZ. Prior to her time at TaskFronterra she worked through her company Firmground.
LOBE NEWSWIRE) -- US power demand has remained essentially flat for the past decade, but this is all about to change as a pending surge in demand growth will be the biggest challenge for utility companies in decades, according to the latest Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie.
According to the report, “Gridlock: the demand dilemma facing the US power industry” US electricity demand growth will be between 4% and 15% through 2029, depending on the region, with burgeoning data-centre development, a resurgence in energy-intensive US manufacturing, and greater transport and heating electrification driving electricity demand growth not seen since the 1990s.
As a new academic year starts it also means it is renewal time for all of our PESA student members, whose membership will automatically lapse on 31st March unless renewed.
To continue your PESA student membership you will need to provide to PESA membership - membership@pesa.com.au:
Such evidence needs to clearly show proof of your current enrolment as a student, which may include:
Upon receipt and verification of this evidence your PESA membership and associated benefits will be renewed until 31 March next year.
Have you recently graduated? If so, apply online for the discounted PESA Graduate membership.
If you have any questions about your membership or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact us any time.