Latest News

Exploration Success in the Otway Basin

08/12/2025 Posted by Rachel

November saw the announcement from ConocoPhillips Australia and their JV partners, 3D Energi and Korea National Oil Corporation, the results of their recent drilling campaign in the Otway Basin. Read on below for their issued press release.

November 17th 2025:

ConocoPhillips Australia today announced a natural gas discovery in the Otway Basin (VIC/P79). Initial results from the Essington-1 well have detected the presence of natural gas in the two target reservoirs, Waarre A and Waarre C.

Preliminary estimates from logs and wireline results place the primary Waarre A target reservoir as a 62.6-metre gross hydrocarbon column.

PESA SA/NT Branch November 2025 Technical Luncheon

08/12/2025 Posted by Rachel

Anthony Western of Santos gave the SA/NT Branch a very interesting and informative talk on“Moomba CCS – delivering a world leading CO 2 storage project”.

The Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage project is a large-scale CCS project at the MoombaGas Plant in the Cooper Basin, South Australia. New facilities were constructed to capture,dehydrate, transport and permanently store CO 2 emissions that were previously vented toatmosphere, and depleted gas fields were selected as the initial storage reservoirs. Five newinjection wells were drilled, and existing wells were re-purposed as monitoring wells to enable theMonitoring and Verification (M&V) plan including environmental assurance monitoring.

Vale John Scott 1944-2025

04/12/2025 Posted by Rachel

Dr John Scott was an internationally known and respected geologist, knownespecially in Australia for his Curtin professorship and geochemical studies. Hiscareer across half a century was wide-ranging, enlivened by the adventure of foreignassignments and enriched by coincidences that brought new directions, lifelongfriends and a lifetime partner. He loved rocks, books and a glass or two of red wine,not necessarily in that order, his daughter wrote recently, and all who knew himwould agree.

Born in England in August 1944, John attended primary and secondary school inEssex and, on his father’s advice to spread his wings, studied geology at theUniversity of Wales (Aberystwyth), gaining a BSc in 1965 and an MSc and Diplomain Micropalaeontology in 1966.

Vale Vincent Paul St John Ph.D.

04/12/2025 Posted by Rachel

Vale Vincent Paul St John. Ph.D. 19.10.1947 to 16.11.2025

Long-standing PESA VIC/TAS Member, Geophysicist, Company Founder, and Mentor

PESA notes with deep sadness the passing of Dr Vincent Paul St John (“Paul”), who died peacefully at home in Albert Park, Victoria, on 16 November 2025, aged 84. Paul was a PESA VIC/TAS member for more than fifty years, first joining the Society in 1974. During that time, he contributed as an explorer, a quiet volunteer, a vigorous debater, and a distinctive and memorable presence at countless lunchtime meetings.

Paul was born in Western Australia in 1941 and after gaining a first class Honours Degree at UWA, completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania in 1967 under the guidance of Professor S.W.

PESA Barry Goldstein Medal Lecture Tour 2026 – Bruce Ainsworth

19/11/2025 Posted by Rachel

Our 2025 winner of the Barry Goldstein Medal for Innovation, Collaboration and Communication Dr Bruce Ainsworth will be touring our state branches early in 2026. Read on to find out more about Bruce and the presentation he will be sharing "Honouring the Humble Clinoform: Towards a Reservoir Modelling Best Practice".

Bruce is currently Head of Geology at Santos Ltd and an Adjunct Professor at Adelaide University. He is a sedimentologist and stratigrapher with a strong background in 3D reservoir modelling.

Australia’s Energy Commodity Resources 2025 published by Geoscience Australia

10/11/2025 Posted by Rachel

Geoscience Australia’s latest edition of Australia’s Energy Commodity Resources (AECR) publication reinforces Australia’s position as a as a key global energy exporter and leader in emerging low carbon solutions.

Delivering a comprehensive assessment of the nation's emerging low-carbon technologies and non-renewable energy commodity resources, the 2025 edition shows the status of Australia’s energy resources as at the end of 2023 set against a backdrop of accelerating global decarbonisation, technological innovation, and shifting patterns of energy demand and trade.

For decades, Australia’s non-renewable resources have supported not only its own prosperity but also the economies of nations around the world.

Vale Christopher R. Porter

10/11/2025 Posted by Rachel

Sadly, we bid farewell to Chris Porter a geologist with over 60 years’ experience in the petroleum industry, who passed away in Adelaide recently. Chris received a BSc (Honours) in Geology from the University of Adelaide in 1961, and a MSc in Geophysical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines in 1968. Chris’ first job was as a geophysical “jug hustler" on seismic crews in New South Wales, West Texas and the swamps of Louisiana. His career progressed with companies including Australian Aquitaine, Phillips Petroleum, Western Mining (WMC) and Santos Limited.