Authors: Kat Gioseffi, Fernando Valencia Fermin
In early September, several Santos technical staff attended the 2024 PESA QLD Symposium. Ten students submitted posters and over 90 delegates attended the full day event at the Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Centre. Themed “Energy Unearthed”, speakers and posters covered a diverse array of topics including:
- Alternate energies (nuclear, hydrogen)
- Coal seam gas
- CCS and monitoring techniques
- Carbonate diagenesis
- Evolution of seismic acquisition technologies and applications
Several Keynote speakers discussed the importance of natural gas in supporting global decarbonisation and natural gases position in maintaining Australia’s energy security. These speakers referenced the Future Gas Strategy released earlier this year recognising essential role natural gas plays in Net Zero 2050. Other presenters acknowledged the role of traditional energies in the energy transition process, advocating for cleaner extraction and CCS as a practical solution to mitigate the environmental impact.
Further presentations highlighted the challenges facing the adoption of alternative energy sources particularly on the increasing consumer costs and lack of wider support for more feasible and reliable low-emission energy sources, such as nuclear, despite Australia’s vast uranium reserves.
All-in-all, the resounding takeaway message from the day was how important our work in natural gas and CCS remains to the Australian economy and that natural gas continues to play an integral part in the “energy mix” going forward.

Chris Harwood (TL CSG Exploration, PESA QLD Committee Member), chairing the Keynote Session. |

Fernando Valencia Fermin (Senior Staff Geologist, PNG), presenting his work on carbonates. |