PESA Gazette

Australian Natural Hydrogen Conference 2025

09/07/2025 Posted by Helen

It’s a crucial year for the potential commercialisation of natural hydrogen, and the second Australian Natural Hydrogen Conference October 21-23 in the Adelaide Hills promises to shed new light on this emerging energy source.

With a handful of companies worldwide having confirmed high levels of natural hydrogen in the ground, all are now racing to prove they can commercialise the zero-carbon resource, and the conference, put on by the Natural Hydrogen Association of Australia, has some of the industry’s heavyweights fronting attendees.

One of the biggest finds so far has been by French geologists in the Lorraine region and Jacques Pironon, founder of GeoRessources Research Laboratory, has signed up as a keynote speaker to help explain what they have found.

Do Australian regulations support net zero goals?

01/07/2025 Posted by Helen

One of Australia’s biggest energy challenges is building sufficient long duration energy storage (LDES) to meet market needs for dispatchable power, while also supporting net zero goals.

This challenge will become more urgent as Australia’s coal-fired power stations approach their end of life and close.

But do Australian regulations support the cost-effective clean energy solutions available?

How compressed air can ensure clean, reliable energy

Denison Gas is at the forefront of tackling the LDES challenge by progressing a first of its kind project to repurpose a depleted gas field into compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility.

The renewable energy project is designed to leverage existing infrastructure, unique geology within the Bowen Basin and Central Queensland’s abundant sun to deliver a 600 MW, 12-hour CAES facility.

Core Storage is at Capacity at the Exploration Data Centre in Zillmere, your Support is Needed!

12/06/2025 Posted by Janny

The Exploration Data Centre (EDC) in Zillmere, QLD is a cornerstone of Queensland's geoscientific infrastructure, preserving and providing access to an extensive collection of geological core samples and drill cuttings. These samples are fundamental to research, mineral and energy exploration, and long-term resource planning for the state. However, the facility is currently at or near full capacity, significantly limiting the ability to archive new sedimentary cores from exploration, appraisal and development programs.

At the Australian Energy Producers (AEP) Conference held in Brisbane from May 26–29, 2025, significant discussions centred on Queensland's oil and gas investment outlook.

Unlocking Subsurface Insights: The Power of Spectral Decomposition in Geoscience

11/06/2025 Posted by Helen

Spectral decomposition is a method that transforms seismic data into the frequency domain, revealing geological features that may not be visible in conventional seismic interpretation. This technique is widely used in hydrocarbon exploration, reservoir characterization, and geohazard identification.

It enhances thin bed detection, allowing geoscientists to resolve thin reservoirs and stratigraphic layers beyond conventional seismic resolution. The method can also serve as a direct hydrocarbon indicator, detecting frequency anomalies associated with hydrocarbons. Lastly, it supports lithology and facies mapping by differentiating rock types based on their spectral response, making it a valuable tool in subsurface exploration and reservoir studies.

The Mixer in Petrel allows users to compare and evaluate multiple seismic frequency volumes simultaneously using RGB/CMY blending.

PESA Year in Review Session at the 2025 AEP conference

09/06/2025 Posted by Helen

Sue Slater, Ray Slater & Assoc, commenced with the 2024 Exploration and Appraisal Review. With relinquished exploration permits not being reissued, no new land releases, more restrictions on seismic acquisition and only new acreage releases in South Australia and WA (the latter with significant restrictions) the story is not promising from a reserves replacement point of view.

To everyone's surprise, after finishing this session, the Queensland Government announcement new onshore acreage releases.

Next was Martin Wilkes from RISC, who provided the 2024 Development and Production Review.

PESA 2025 Awards

09/06/2025 Posted by Helen

The best bit about our AGM is being able to hand out the awards.

MSA Award

The 2025 PESA Meritorious Service Award (MSA), which recognizes individuals who voluntarily provide exceptional service to PESA at State or Federal level over a significant period of time, has gone to Andrew Riznyczok from the NSW Branch. He will be receiving his award at a Branch event later this year.

Barry Goldstein Award

We received several worthy nominations this year, with the final selection focussing on the key skills of innovation, collaboration and communication.

Of Firewalls and Spam Filters

09/06/2025 Posted by Helen

If you receive this Gazette, you may just be lucky. Did you know that a large number of our members apparently never hear from us?

If you use your company email address, a hotmail or a gmail account, this likelyhood that correspondence from PESA is intercepted and lands in your SPAM folder, or never even makes it in, is rather high.

So, please check with your co-workers, friends and family, anyone who could (or should) be a PESA member, and get them to update their contact details to preferably a personal email account.

East Coast Supply Project to boost gas supply to the Victoria domestic gas market

09/05/2025 Posted by Helen

● Three-well drilling program approved for East Coast Supply Project in Otway Basin

● Exploration wells target Elanora, Isabella, and Juliet prospects with high gas discovery success rates

● Project phases include drilling, subsea development, and Athena Gas Plant modification

In March 2025, Amplitude Energy and joint venture partner O.G. Energy have approved a three-well drilling program in the offshore Otway Basin, Australia, for the East Coast Supply Project (ECSP).