PESA Lunch Digests the Year in Review and Ponders Future ones to come

The PESA WA Branch hosted a successful luncheon on August 15, 2024, at the Parmelia Hilton in Perth.
The event began with welcoming remarks from Matthew Docherty, followed by a significant announcement from PESA President Helen Debenham, who proudly revealed the winner of
the 2024 Survey. This annual survey is a testament to PESA’s dedication to recognizing excellence and innovation within the petroleum exploration and geosciences field.

The highlight was a presentation by Adam Craig, Principal Advisory at RISC Advisory. Adam, a geoscientist with over 30 years of experience in the industry, shared insights from his extensive career, which includes roles at Lasmo Oil, WMC Resources, Novus Petroleum, Woodside, Cooper Energy, and KUFPEC before joining RISC in 2020.

He is a member of PESA (2021-24 WA branch President), a certified petroleum geologist of the AAPG and a Fellow of the Geological Society. Adam Craig, Adam shared his expertise on several critical topics, providing attendees with valuable insights into the current state and future of petroleum exploration.

Petroleum exploration spend

Adam analyzed trends andvobservations in petroleum exploration spending from 2013 to 2023, highlighting the key factors influencing , offering insights into the evolving landscape of title acquisition and management.

Release and permits awarded

A detailed summary of recent exploration acreage releases and permits awarded was presented, outlining
the significant developments in this area.

Adam provided a summary of recent exploration transactions and farmins, shedding light on the strategic moves within the industry.

Farmins and activity

The presentation included a summary of exploration and appraisal activities, with a focus on key wells and surveys conducted.

Wells planned for 2024

Looking ahead, Adam discussed the exploration wells planned for 2024 and beyond, offering predictions and potential opportunities for the industry.

Summary and acknowledgments

The presentation concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and acknowledgments. Adam expressed his gratitude to contributors includingSimon Barber (RISC), Craig Gumley (Consultant), Matthew Quinn (IHS), Rhys Simpson (EurozHartleys), and Peter Cameron (Australian Oil & Gas
Research) for their support and data contributions. The data was compiledfrom GPinfo, GlobalData, and other public sources.

Q&A

The presentation was followed by an engaging Q&A session where participants, including independent advisors, university representatives, and company executives, posed insightful questions. The discussion covered a range of topics from practical applications of strategies discussed to the potential for future collaborations.

PESA thanks Xipo Zhang for his images and text contribution to this article.