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2023
Oct 2023: Beach (operator, 50%) and Mitsui (50%) discovered gas in the Tarantula Deep 1 well in the Perth Basin in L1/L2 permits, intersecting a 63m gross section of Kingia Sandstone with a net gas pay of 10m above the GWC. The rig will move to the Waitsia 11 well followed by the Beharra Springs Deep 2 well and the Redback Deep 1 exploration well.
Aug 2023: Beach (operator, 50%) and ) Mitsui (50%) discovered gas in the Trigg NW 1 well in license EP 320, onshore Perth basin. The well will be cased and completed for future testing of the Kingia Sandstone reservoir. The rig will move to the Tarantula Deep 1 well location 16 kms west.
Jun 2023: Chevron (operator, 47.3%) with ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and JERA (0.417%) began producing gas from the Gorgon Stage 2 development expanding the existing subsea gas gathering network of the Gorgon project with 11 wells in the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields along with pipelines and subsea infrastructure.
2022
Apr 2022: LNG cargoes have resumed from Shell’s Prelude FLNG facility.
Mar 2022: Processing of gas from the Pluto fields (Pyxis Hub) commenced ahead of schedule at the Karratha Gas Plant (KGP) via the Pluto-KGP Interconnector. Project participants are Woodside (operator; 16.67%), BHP (16.67%), BP(16.67%), Chevron (16.67%), Japan Australia LNG (16.67%) and Shell (16.67%). Woodside Burrup holds 90% of Pluto LNG.
Mar 2022: Santos (operator, 70%) and Carnarvon (30%) announced the Pavo-1 well confirmed an oil discovery 46 kms E of the Dorado field in the Bedout Sub-basin at a water depth of 88m. The well encountered a 60m gross oil column in the Caley member reservoir target with 46m of net pay. The Pavo field may be developed as a tie-back to Dorado. After Pavo-1 the jack-up rig will move to the Apus-1 location 20 kms to the SW.
Mar 2022: The National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) is now assessing ten bids for the 2021 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. The release comprised 21 areas across the Bonaparte, Browse, and Carnarvon basins off Western Australia, and the Otway, Sorell and Gippsland basins, off Victoria and Tasmania.
Mar 2022: Norwest Energy reports strong, sustained gas flows from Lockyer Deep-1 well (a 2021 discovery) production tests from the Kingia reservoir in EP368/426 in the onshore Perth Basin.
Jan 2022: Beach boosted production by adding gas from the Geographe wells -4 and -5 in the offshore Otway Basin. Six development wells are planned with 3 subsea wells to be abandoned, more than doubling the Otway Gas Plant capacity. Thylacine North 1 well was recently completed, the Thylacine West 1 well is beginning and two more Thylacine wells will follow.
2021
Sep 2021: Santos and Oil Search have entered into a Merger Implementation Deed. Oil Search shareholders will own 38.5% of the merged entity and Santos shareholders will own 61.5%. The company will have a portfolio across Australia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and North America.
Sep 2021: Energy Resources Limited (operator, 80%) and Norwest Energy (20%) announced a significant gas discovery at the Lockyer Deep-1 well (EP 368) in the Kingia and High Cliff Sandstones within the Lockyer Deep/North Erregulla Deep structure in the Perth Basin. Oil was also encountered within the shallower Dongara/Wagina Formations.
Aug 2021: Woodside and BHP have entered into a commitment to combine oil and gas portfolios via an all-stock merger. The expanded Woodside would be owned 52% by Woodside shareholders and 48% by BHP shareholders and is expected to be completed in 2Q 2022 creating a merged company worth US$28 bn. BHP has been under pressure to cut its fossil fuel footprint. The business will have 2P reserves of over 2 bn boe (59% gas).
Jul 2021: Santos (operator, 52.5%) and Inpex (47.5%) announced first oil from the Van Gogh Phase 2 Infill Development in WA-35-L in the Exmouth Basin. The 1st of 3 new production wells is producing at a peak rate of 23,200 bbls per day, the highest rate from a well in field history. Van Gogh is 1 of 3 subsea oil fields tied into the FPSO Ningaloo Vision. Production from Van Gogh began in 2010 with Coniston and Novara tied back in 2015 and 2016.
Jul 2021: Chevron, operator of the Gorgon joint venture, will proceed with the US$4 bn Jansz-Io Compression (J-IC) project. It will involve the construction and installation of a floating Field Control Station (FCS), subsea compression infrastructure and a 135km submarine power cable linked to Barrow Island. The project will take approximately 5 years to complete.
Jun 2021: Santos (operator, 80%) and Carnarvon (20%) initiated the FEED for the Dorado oil and gas project in the Bedout sub-basin, Western Australia. It will be developed in two phases with the US$2 bn Phase 1 involving a WH platform with export to an FPSO. Gas will be reinjected until Phase 2.
Jun 2021: Bidding is open for the 2021 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. Around 80,000 sq kms of acreage is available for exploration. Companies may bid on 21 areas until 3 March 2022 across 6 basins: Bonaparte, Browse, North Carnarvon, Otway, Sorell and Gippsland.
Apr 2021: Esso Australia (operator, 50%) and BHP (50%) delivered first gas from the West Barracouta field in the Gippsland basin, VIC/L1 block offshore Victoria. The US$309 mm development consists of 2 subsea wells controlled from the Barracouta platform. Gas flows through the Barracouta pipeline to Longford.
Mar 2021: Santos (operator, 62.5%) and SK E&S (37.5%) awarded BW Offshore the FPSO services contract for the $4.6-billion Barossa project in the Timor Sea. The FPSO is due to start operations in the first half of 2025 connected to 6 subsea wells, and a gas export pipeline tied into the Darwin LNG plant. Condensate will be stored on the FPSO for periodic offloading.
Mar 2021: Beach Energy (operator, 60%) and OG Energy (40%) announced a gas discovery at the offshore Artisan 1 well in licence VIC/P43 in the Otway Basin. The well intersected a net gas column of 62.9m in the Upper Waarre Formation. The well is being suspended as a future producer.
Jan 2021: Woodside has received approval from the regulator NOPSEMA for the Greater Western Flank 3 (GWF-3) and Lambert Deep (LD) tie-backs to the GWA and Angel facilities, respectively. They will provide additional gas to the North West Shelf Project. The fields are located in Licences WA-5-L (GWF-3), WA-16-L and WA-3-L (LD).
2020
Nov 2020: Beach Energy (operator, 60%) and O.G. Energy (40%) announced the Enterprise-1 gas discovery in licence VIC/P42(V), offshore Otway Basin. The well was drilled by ERD from land and will be cased and suspended ahead of connection to the Otway Gas Plant.
Oct 2020: Shell (operator, 67.5%), Inpex (17.5%), Kogas (10%) and CPC (5%) are not expecting to restart full production from Prelude FLNG before 2021 since going offline in February 2020 due to an electrical trip. It has the capacity to produce 3.6 mmtpa of LNG, 1.3 mmtpa of condensate and 0.4 mmtpa of LPG.
Aug 2020: The 2020 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release covers 42 areas of Western Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory and the territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Bonaparte, Browse, Northern Carnarvon, Otway, and Gippsland basins). Bidding will close June 2021.
Aug 2020: Santos (operator, 80%) and Carnarvon (20%) will begin FEED on the Dorado oil and gas field in the 2nd half of 2020 using an FPSO delivering up to 100,000 bbls of oil per day. A 1st phase of oil/condensate production with gas reinjection will support oil recovery. The WHP is expected to host 8 to 10 wells. An FID could be made in 2021.
Aug 2020: The LNG plant at Karratha will receive gas from the onshore Waitsia field in the Perth Basin from 2023.as well as the offshore Pluto fields from 2022. The Karratha gas plant has 5 LNG trains with a capacity of 16.9 mmtpa plus domestic gas trains, condensate stabilisation units and LPG units.
Jun 2020: Woodside filed environment plans for the Greater Western Flank 3 (GWF-3) and Lambert Deep (LD) drilling and subsea installations to provide additional gas to the North West Shelf (NWS) Project. GWF-3 includes 3 production wells and flowlines. LD includes 1 production well, flowlines and tie-in to the Angel Platform. Completion is expected ed in 2023.
Apr 2020: Jadestone Energy will defer a planned infill drilling campaign on its Stag and Montara oil fields offshore northwest Australia until 2021.
Apr 2020: Woodside announced that drilling has begun on its Pyxis Hub development comprising tiebacks of the Pyxis, Pluto North and Xena infill wells. It has also taken an FID to proceed with the Greater Western Flank Phase 3 and Lambert Deep offshore developments. Development drilling started in January on the Julimar-Brunello Phase 2 project.
Mar 2020: Woodside is postponing FIDs for its Scarborough, Pluto Train 2 and Browse LNG growth projects in response to the oil price crash and COVID-19 pandemic. It will reduce spending by 50% in spending in 2020. It will continue finalizing commercial deals and regulatory approvals.
Feb 2020: Cooper Energy has begun producing gas from the Sole field off Victoria into the Eastern Gas Pipeline system connecting to the onshore Orbost gas processing plant. Full rate production is expected in March.
Jan 2020: Otway Energy advised that the Nangwarry-1 well is a new field gas discovery in the Pretty Hill Formation of the onshore Otway Basin. This is the 3rd discovery in the past 2 years in the Penola Trough.
2019
Dec 2019: Shell (operator, 100%) announced a significant gas and condensate discovery in the Browse Basin. The Bratwurst-1 exploration well in AC/P64 lies 60 kms north east of Prelude FLNG and may be eventually tied into this facility.
Nov 2019: Cooper Energy (operator, 25%) announced commencement of an appraisal program by the PEL 92 joint venture with the spudding of Callawonga-22. This will be followed by 3 more at the Callawonga oil field, 4 at the Butlers oil field and 2 at the Rincon oil field.
Oct 2019: Senex announced that first gas has been achieved at Project Atlas. Eleven of the 60 wells have been drilled and completed with the first 4 brought online delivering gas through a 60km buried pipeline to the Wallumbilla Hub to supply Queensland manufacturers.
Sep 2019: Cooper Energy (operator, 50%) and Mitsui (50%) announced that the Annie-1 well encountered gas in the Otway Basin off Victoria. Gas is present within the Waarre C sandstones in a water depth of 58m. It will be delivered to the onshore Minerva Gas Plant by 2021. Annie is the first discovery in the Otway Basin since Netherby in 2008.
Aug 2019: Woodside’s has delivered first oil from the Greater Enfield project (Laverda Canyon, Norton over Laverda, and Cimatti) via 12 wells and a 31km subsea tie-back to the Ngujima-Yin FPSO (Vincent field). The FPSO has been upgraded and Vincent re-started in July 2019. Peak production at Greater Enfield is expected to be 40,000 bbls per day.
Jul 2019: The Government announced the 2019 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release, comprising 64 areas. It is the largest since 2000 across 5 basins off Western Australia, Victoria and the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands.
Jun 2019: Shell (operator, 67.5%) with INPEX (17.5%), KOGAS (10%) and OPIC (5%), announced first shipment of LNG from the Prelude FLNG facility 475kms NE of Broome. It will produce 3.6 mmtpa of LNG plus condensate and LPG.
Jun 2019: Santos (operator, 80%) and Carnarvon (20%) announced that the Dorado-2 appraisal well confirmed a major oil and gas field in the Caley Formation and underlying Baxter and Milne sandstones of the Bedout Basin, permit WA-437-P. The water depth is 91m.
Jun 2019: Senex Energy has begun its 110 well gas drilling campaign for full-scale production at its Surat Basin development projects, Roma North and Atlas with commissioning of the Atlas gas processing facility in late 2019.
Apr 2019: Santos (100%) announced that the Corvus-2 appraisal well has discovered a significant gas field plus condensate in 63m of water in the Carnarvon Basin, Dampier area, WA-45-R. Corvus-1 was drilled in 2000.
Mar 2019: Shell has shipped the first condensate from the Prelude FLNG project. Shell has yet to start shipping LNG from Prelude, the world's biggest FLNG production unit and the biggest ship ever built.
Mar 2019: PTTEP has made a gas and condensate discovery at Orchid-1 with net pay of 34m. It is the first exploration well in Permit AC/P54 in the Timor Sea. It will be incorporated into development planning of the Cash-Maple field in AC/RL7.
Jan 2019: Jadestone (operator) reported that production operations have restarted at the Montara field in the Timor Sea. It comprises 3 fields (Montara, Skua and Swift/Swallow), produced through the Montara Venture FPSO. The field was shut down in November 2018.
2018
Dec 2018: Shell (operator, 67.5%), Inpex (17.5%), CPC (5%) and KOGAS (10%) began production at the Prelude FLNG facility in the Browse Basin, Block WA44-L. LNG, LPG and condensate will be shipped by tankers via the facility from the Prelude and Concerto fields. It will produce up to 3.6 mm tpa of LNG for around 25 years.
Dec 2018: ExxonMobil (operator, 50%) and BHP (50%) made an FID to develop the West Barracouta gas field in the Bass Strait, VIC/L1 Block, Gippsland Basin. It will be tied back to existing Barracouta infrastructure, (the 1st offshore field ever discovered in Australia), by 2021.
Oct 2018: The 2017 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release has been completed with the award of 7 permits in waters off Western Australia, Victoria and the territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Meanwhile Round 1 for the 2018 release has attracted 12 bids. Offers are expected from March 2019.
Oct 2018: Woodside (operator, 16.67%) advised that Greater Western Flank Phase 2 (GWF-2) in the NW Shelf has commenced gas production from 8 subsea wells in 6 fields (Keast, Dockrell, Sculptor, Rankin, Lady Nora and Pemberton) tied back to the Goodwyn A platform extending the life of the onshore Karratha Gas Plant.
Oct 2018: Inpex has now started shipment of LNG from the Ichthys LNG Project’s onshore gas liquefaction plant in Darwin, to the Inpex-operated Naoetsu LNG Terminal in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
Oct 2018: Inpex announced its first condensate from the Ichthys LNG Project which started gas production in July. Liquids are piped to the FPSO Ichthys Venturer in the Browse Basin. At peak, the Project is expected to produce up to 8.9 mm tonnes of LNG and 1.65 mm tonnes of LPG per annum plus up to 100,000 bbls of condensate per day.
Jul 2018: The Total operated Ichthys LNG Project in 260m of water began producing from its first well. At full capacity it is expected to produce up to 16 bcm of gas a year and 85,000 bbls per day of condensate. The gas will be exported via an 889 km pipeline to a 2-train LNG plant producing 8.9 mm tonnes of LNG per year plus liquids.
Jul 2018: Carnarvon Petroleum (20%) and Quadrant (operator, 80%) confirmed that the Joint Venture has made a significant very light oil discovery comprising 120m of net pay in the Caley Member in the Dorado-1 well. Gas had been expected.
May 2018: The Government announced the 2018 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release covering Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. It is made up of 21 areas - 16 for work program bidding and 5 for cash bidding - in 6 basins (Bonaparte, Browse, Carnarvon, Bight Basin, Otway and Gippsland) in water depths of 15 to 4,534 m.
Mar 2018: ConocoPhillips, SK E&S and Santos received approval for development of the offshore Barossa field, 300 kms north of Darwin. The development will include an FPSO and subsea production system. Condensate will be exported to tankers and gas transported via a subsea pipeline connected to the Bayu-Indan line for onshore processing in Darwin. First gas is targeted for 2023.
Mar 2018: A treaty on a permanent maritime border in the Timor Sea has now been signed, setting out the maritime border at the midway point between the countries. Australia will receive at most 80% (70% if gas is processed in Australia) of the revenue from Greater Sunrise. Australia will also lose jurisdiction in oil fields currently shared.
2017
Oct 2017: Chevron (operator, 64.14%) started producing LNG at the Wheatstone Project. At full capacity, the 2-train facility will supply 8.9 mmtpa of LNG from a location 12 kms west of Onslow, processing gas from the Wheatstone and Iago fields. Partners are Kufpec (13.4%), Woodside (13%), Kyushu (1.46%) and JERA (8%). Chevron holds 80.2% in the offshore licenses.
Aug 2017: Woodside (operator, 16.67%) brought online its Persephone project off Western Australia in production license WA-1-L, 135 kms northwest of Karratha, in a water depth of 126m. Partners are BP, BHP, Chevron, Shell and Mitsubishi-Mitsui (all 16.67%). Producing 2.9bcm a year at peak, it has 2 subsea wells tied back to a production manifold and the existing North Rankin Complex .
Aug 2017: Woodside (operator) and Mitsui will cease production from the Enfield oil field in WA-28-L and remove the Nganhurra FPSO, producing since 2006. The partners are now developing the Greater Enfield project, which includes undeveloped reservoirs in the same area as Enfield, using the existing Ngujima-Yin FPSO at the Vincent field and 12 new wells. Production will start in 2019.
May 2017: The 2017 Offshore Exploration Acreage Release comprises 21 areas in 8 basins off Northern and Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Twenty areas are available for work program and one for cash bidding in water depths of 25 to 4,200 m.
Apr 2017: ConocoPhillips (operator, 37.5%) has drilled the Barossa-5 appraisal well in the NT/RL5 permit of the Timor Sea (Bonaparte Basin) and will drill Barossa-6 to test viability for the Darwin LNG plant. Final investment decision for the Barossa-Caldita project could be made in early 2019. Partners are Santos (25%) and SK E&S (37.5%).
Mar 2017: Chevron (operator, 47.3%) announced LNG production from the 3rd train at the Gorgon Project on Barrow Island. Partners are ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and JERA (0.417%). First production from the 3-train, 15.6 mmtpa project was in Mar 2016.
Mar 2017: Shell will drill 161 new gas wells at its QGC (coal seam) operations in the Surat Basin in southeast Queensland by the end of 2018 to help prevent a gas shortage. Onshore drilling has been banned or restricted in Victoria.
Feb 2016: Santos said partners in the Caldita-Barossa gas fields in the Bonaparte offshore basin, operated by ConocoPhillips, aim to make an FID by 2019. Caldita-Barossa would supply the Darwin LNG plant.
Jan 2016: LNG exports are expected to reach almost 60 mm tonnes in 2017, up by 63% year-on-year according to EnergyQuest. The AP and Gorgon LNG projects are ramping up and Wheatstone and Ichthys are coming onstream. The newest LNG hub on Curtis Island allowed Queensland LNG exports to nearly triple in 2016 whilst west coast exports were down slightly.
2016
Aug 2016: Origin Energy (operator, 100%) announced that the offshore Halladale and Speculant fields in the Otway Basin have come online boosting production at the Otway Gas Plant. Drilling of the fields was conducted from a land base east of Warrnambool accessreservoirs 5 kms off the coast.
Aug 2016: AWE (operator, 50%) and Origin (50%) announced that gas sales from Stage 1A of the Waitsia gas project in production licence L1/L2 in the onshore Perth Basin have commenced. Stage 1A includes new infrastructure to connect the Waitsia-1 and Senecio-3 gas wells to the upgraded Xyris Production Facility (XPF). Full field development is expected to be completed by 2020.
Aug 2016: The 2016 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release has made 28 new areas available for bidding across 5 basins of the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands and Western Australia. The acreage is available through work-program rounds and a cash bid auction.
Jun 2016: Woodside (operator, 60%) and Mitsui (40%) advised that the Greater Enfield Project in the Exmouth sub-basin off Western Australia has been approved. The Laverda Canyon and Norton over Laverda (WA-59-L) and Cimatti fields (WA-28-L) will be tied-back to the Ngujima-Yin FPSO on the Vincent field with 6 subsea production and 6 water injection wells. First oil is expected in 2019.
May 2016: Santos announced that GLNG train 2 has started producing on Curtis Island using gas from Queensland’s coal seams in the Surat and Bowen Basins, piped along a 420 km pipeline. First LNG production from train 1 occurred in September 2015. Santos is operator (30%) along with Petronas (27.5%), Total (27.5%) and KOGAS (15%).
Apr 2016: Quadrant Energy (operator, 55%) and Santos (45%) have discovered gas at the Davis-1 well in the WA-214-P permit, Carnarvon basin, 12 kms from the John Brookes platform. Quadrant Energy was established in 2015 following acquisition of Apache by Brookfield and Macquarie Capital.
Mar 2016: Woodside (operator, 30.6%) advised that the Browse Joint Venture has decided not to progress with development of the Torosa, Brecknock and Calliance gas fields at this time. However, it remains committed to commercial development and to FLNG as the preferred method.
Mar 2016: Chevron (operator, 47.3%) started producing LNG and condensate at the Gorgon Project on Barrow Island. Gorgon will initially be supplied from the Gorgon and deep water Jansz-Io fields within the Greater Gorgon area up to 220 kms off the NW coast of Western Australia. Partners are ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and Chubu Electric (0.417%).
Feb 2016: Chevron delayed LNG from its US$29 bn Wheatstone project because of late delivery of modules. First LNG is now expected to be midyear 2017. The Julimar project, which will supply gas to Wheatstone, remains on schedule. Wheatstone is a joint venture between Chevron (64.14%), Kufpec (13.4%), Woodside (13%), Kyushu (1.46%) and Tepco (8%).
Jan 2016: The L1/L2 joint venture has taken a final investment decision (FID) to develop Stage 1A of the Waitsia gas project, in the onshore Perth Basin. AWE, is operator (50%) along with Origin (50%). In Stage 1A the Waitsia-1 and Senecio-3 gas wells will be connected to the Xyris Production Facility (XPF) for domestic consumption.
2015
Dec 2015: Woodside, operator (16.67%) of the North West Shelf (NWS) Project, approved the US$2bn Greater Western Flank Phase 2 (GWF-2) to develop 45 bcm of gas from the Keast, Dockrell, Sculptor, Rankin, Lady Nora and Pemberton fields tied back to Goodwyn A. Start-up is planned for 2019. Partners are BHP (16.67%), BP (16.67%), Chevron (16.67%), Japan Australia MIMI (16.67%) and Shell (16.67%).
Sep 2015: Santos (operator, 30%) has started producing its first LNG on Curtis Island at the Gladstone LNG (GLNG) project (Train 1) using coal seam gas from the Surat and Bowen basins in Queensland. Train 2 will start-up at the end of 2015 with GLNG capacity reaching 7.8 mmtpa . Petronas (27.5%) and Kogas (15%) are partners.
May 2015: The 2015 Acreage Release comprises 29 areas across 8 basins in offshore Northern Territory, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.. Twenty three areas are available for work program bidding and 6 for cash bidding.
May 2015: Oil production has started from the Coniston oil field off Western Australia straddling blocks WA-35-L and WA-55-L in a water depth of 380m. Oil is sent 6kms north to the Van Gogh oil field FPSO. Coniston is operated by Apache (52.501%) with Inpex (47.499%).
Apr 2015: Chevron announced the Isosceles-1 exploration well discovered gas pay in the Triassic Mungaroo Sands in 968m of water. The well is located in the WA-392-P permit area in the Greater Gorgon Area. Chevron is operator with 50% along with Shell and Mobil, both with 25%.
Apr 2015: Santos announced that its Gladstone LNG (GLNG) project is 95% complete and is expected to produce first LNG at the end of 3Q this year within the US$18.5 bn budget.
Apr 2015: The Pyxis-1 exploration well in licence WA-34-L within Western Australia’s Dampier Sub-Basin has discovered gas. The well has future tie-back potential to Woodside’s (operator, 90%) nearby Pluto infrastructure. Partners are Kansai Electric Power and Tokyo Gas (both 5%).
Mar 2015: Origin, operator (42.5%) of the BassGas Joint Venture, has spudded Yolla-5 which, along with Yolla-6, will be drilled as part of Stage 2 of the BassGas Mid Life Enhancement (MLE) project. Partners are AWE (35%), Prize (11.25%) and Toyota Tsusho (11.25%).
Feb 2015: Drillsearch (50%) announced that its Wet Gas joint venture with Beach (operator, 50%) drilled the Ralgnal-1 exploration well in PRL 130 (formerly PEL 106) and discovered gas and condensate. In Drillsearch’s (40%) Wet Gas joint venture with Santos (operator, 60%) the Nulla North-1 well in PRL 133 (formerly PEL 632) has identified multiple wet gas shows.
Jan 2015: Shell and PetroChina have shelved the $US20 bn Arrow LNG project whilst Browse FLNG has been re-phased. The first phase of the Arrow project involved a liquefaction facility on Curtis Island able to produce 8mm tpa of LNG from coal bed methane in 2 trains.
2014
Nov 2014: Beach provided an update on the NTNG program in ATP 855 and PRLs 33-49. Eighteen wells have been drilled in the Stage 1 exploration phase of which 14 have been fractured and 11 flow tested with encouraging gas flow rates from the Daralingie Formation.
Sep 2014: AWE (operator, 50%) and Origin (50%) report the Waitsia (Senecio Deep) field, drilled by Senecio 3 in the North Perth Basin in Block L1, may be the largest conventional onshore gas discovery in Western Australia since the Dongara gas field in the 1960s. Gas bearing intervals in coals and shales could provide additional unconventional potential.
Aug 2014: Santos announced a gas/condensate discovery at the Lasseter-1 well in permit WA-274-P in the Browse Basin. The water depth is 404m. Santos is operator with 30% along with Chevron (50%) and Inpex (20 %).
Aug 2014: Apache, which will take over operatorship, and Carnarvon Petroleum along with JX Nippon and Finder have announced a significant oil discovery by the Phoenix South-1 well in WA-435-P on the North West Shelf, northeast of Dampier. The discovery has identified a new oil sub-basin. Apache will drill the Roc prospect in neighbouring WA-437-P in 2015.
Jul 2014: Karoon Gas (40%) has announced a gas discovery at the ConocoPhillips-operated (60%) Pharos-1 well in WA-398-P. Pharos-1 is the sixth and final well in the Browse Basin Phase 2 exploration drilling campaign by the Transocean Legend semisub. It is located 9 kms north east of Proteus-1 which established excellent reservoir quality and condensate bearing gas in the Montara formation.
Jul 2014: Woodside has discovered gas in the Toro-1 well in permit WA-430-P in the Exmouth Sub-Basin close to its existing Ragnar-1A discovery. Woodside is the operator with 70% equity with Mitsui (30%).
Jun 2014: GDF SUEZ (60%, operator) and Santos (40%) have announced that the Bonaparte LNG project will consider other potential development options in addition to a floating LNG concept to develop the Petrel, Tern and Frigate gas fields, 250 kms offshore west of Darwin. These options will include a pipeline connection to Darwin.
Apr 2014: The Government has announced the 2014 Offshore Acreage Release, comprising 30 areas across 4 basins of Northern Territory and Western Australia. The release comprises 4 mature areas for cash bidding and 26 areas for work program bidding in the Northern Carnarvon, Browse and Bonaparte Basins. There is also a work program area available in the Eyre sub-basin of the Bight Basin.
Mar 2014: The Chevron-operated Gorgon LNG project off Western Australia is 78% complete, with 20 of 21 Train 1 modules delivered and offshore pipelay completed. All 18 well completions are in progress before first LNG in mid-2015. The Chevron-operated Wheatstone LNG project is 30% complete and development drilling is underway with first production targeted for 2016.
Feb 2014: Warrego has signed a farmout with Dyas and Mazarine for the West Erregulla tight gas field in EP 469 of the Perth Basin. West Erregulla has been assessed to contain 5 bcm of gas in place with a large upside. Warrego will have 20% with Dyas (30%) and Mazarine Energy (50%) A 3D seismic survey in 2014 will be followed by appraisal drilling in 2015 and, if successful, first gas in 2016.
Feb 2014: Apache expects to start production at the Balnaves oil field in the northern Carnavon Basin off northwest Australia in April using the FPSO Armada Claire, after converting it from a very large crude carrier. Balnaves has a field life of about 5 years with production expected to peak at 30,000 bbls per day. Apache is operator with 65%, along with Kufpec (35%).
2013
Dec 2013: BG has produced first gas from its Surat Basin coal seam gas fields into the Queensland Curtis LNG liquefaction terminal. It can now begin commissioning work on its 2 LNG production trains. It is the world's first coal seam gas to LNG project. Commercial LNG production is due in the second half of 2014. The total budget is US$20.4 bn.
Dec 2013: Shell reports that the hull for its Prelude FLNG facility has been floated out of dry dock at Geoje, South Korea. The FLNG project is scheduled to begin production in 2017 off Western Australia, extracting gas equivalent to 3.6 mm tonnes of LNG per year. Shell is operator with INPEX (17.5%), KOGAS (10%) and OPIC (5%).
Nov 2013: Australia has approved the Scarborough development via the world’s largest FLNG facility. The Scarborough field in the Carnarvon basin 220 kms northwest of Exmouth in 900m of water is a 50:50 joint venture between ExxonMobil and BHP. The FLNG plant will process 6-7 mm tons each year LNG in five processing trains. Start-up is expected by 2021.
Oct 2013: Exxon announced startup of the Kipper Tuna Turrum project in the Bass Strait. Gas production commenced from the Tuna field via 2 pipelines and oil from the Turrum field through a new Marlin B platform. Kipper will come on line in 2016. Exxon is operator of Turrum and Tuna with 50% along with BHP (50%). Exxon has 32.5% of Kipper with BHP (32.5%) and Santos (35%).
Oct 2013: Operator Woodside has started up the North Rankin Redevelopment Project, exporting gas to the Karratha Gas Plant. The project involved installation of a second platform, North Rankin B, to access 142 bcm of low pressure gas from the North Rankin and Perseus fields, along with refurbishment of the North Rankin A platform. Participants are Woodside, BHP, BP, Chevron, Japan Australia LNG and Shell, all with 16.67%.
Sep 2013: BHP (71.43%) along with Apache (28.57%) has opened the US$1.5 bn Macedon field domestic gas project in Onslow, Western Australia. First gas commenced in August 2013 from offshore production lease WA-42-L in the Exmouth Sub-Basin. The operation will supply 20% of the State’s gas supply from 4 wells and an onshore treatment plant at Ashburton.
Aug 2013: Woodside has recommended floatioulng liquefied natural gas (FLNG) to commercialise 3 Browse basin gas fields, Brecknock, Calliance and Torosa. The partners, including, Shell, BP, Japan Australia LNG and PetroChina, decided in April not to proceed with onshore development at James Price Point. The project may hold 450 bcm of gas and 436 mm bbls of condensate.
Jul 2013: Origin has announced the commencement of production from Otway Gas Project's Geographe field in VIC/L23 in the Bass Strait. The project consists of two offshore gas and condensate fields, Geographe and Thylacine, and an onshore processing facility. Geographe is located in Victorian coastal waters 55 kms south of Port Campbell and 15 kms north of the Thylacine platform. Origin is operator with 67.23%, with Benaris International (27.77%) and Toyota Tsusho (5.0%).
Jun 2013: PTTEP has announced that oil production has begun from the Montara field in the Timor Sea into the Montara Venture FPSO via the H2 well. Production from Montara is projected to ramp up to 21,000 bbls per day initially with the first off take from the FPSO expected in August.
Jun 2013: Australia has granted 13 new offshore permits as part of round one of the 2012 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release. The award of these permits will see an estimated US$172.2 mm in new investment in waters off Western Australia and Tasmania over the next 3 years.
Jun 2013: Santos has announced a gas and condensate discovery at the Bassett West exploration well in WA-408-P in the Browse Basin. The water depth is 368m. Santos holds 30% of WA-408-P with Total (50% and operator) and Murphy (20%). Drilling of the next well in the program, Dufresne-1, is due to begin after Bassett West-1 has been plugged and abandoned.
May 2013: Santos has announced that oil production has commenced from the Fletcher Finucane project in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia. The development consists of a 3 well subsea tie-back to the Mutineer Exeter FPSO. Fletcher Finucane is projected to have an average production rate of 15,000 bbls per day for the first 12 months of production from reserves estimated at 14 mm bbls. Santos holds 44% in the project and is operator with Kufpec and JX Nippon.
Apr 2013: Beach has started production from the Hanson oilfield in PEL 91, on the western flank of the South Australian Cooper basin. The field was producing about 700 bbls of oil per day from the McKinlay formation. Beach, the operator with 40% discovered Hanson in 2011. Drillsearch holds the remaining 60%.
Apr 2013: Chevron has announced that the Elfin-1 exploration well in the WA-268-P permit in 1,088 m of water encountered 40m of net gas pay in the upper Mungaroo sands. It is Chevron's 21st discovery offshore western Australia since mid-2009. Chevron is operator with 50%, along with Shell (25%) and Mobil (25%).
Apr 2013: ExxonMobil plans to develop the Scarborough gas field, discovered in 1979 off Western Australia, using the world's biggest FLNG plant with first production in 2021 from 12 subsea wells. The plant would produce 6.5 mm tonnes of LNG a year from a resource estimated at 280 bcm. In 2011 Shell committed to FLNG from its Prelude field in the Browse Basin. This vessel will begin producing 3.6 mm tonnes each year from 2017 at a cost of up to US$3.5 bn for each mm tonne of capacity.
Feb 2013: Chevron has announced its 20th discovery off Western Australia since 2009. The Kentish Knock South discovery well in the WA-365-P permit, within the Exmouth Plateau area of the Carnarvon Basin, encountered 75m of net gas pay in the upper Mungaroo Sands. The well was drilled in 1,168m of water. Chevron is the operator with 50%. Shell holds the remainder.
Jan 2013: The North Rankin B platform on Australia’s North West Shelf under the North Rankin redevelopment project, operated by Woodside, is nearing completion. It will access 142 bcm of undeveloped gas reserves. Phase 1 engineering, procurement, and fabrication for the Greater Western Flank project also continues with drilling completed. Phase 1 and subsequent phases will access about 85 bcm of gas and 100 mm bbl sof condensate from 2016.
2012
Oct 2012: Santos announced it has commenced gas production from its Moomba-191 shale well in the Cooper Basin. This is Australia’s first commercial shale well and is only 350 metres from the existing pipeline network and 8 kms from Moomba's gas processing plant. Further drilling is planned including a vertical well appraisal program and a first horizontal well planned in early 2013. Santos has 66.6% of the South Australian Cooper Basin Joint Venture with Beach (20.21%) and Origin (13.19%).
Sep 2012: Chevron has announced the Satyr-2 gas discovery in the WA-374-P permit area 120kms northwest of Barrow Island. The discovery well in the Greater Gorgon Area of the Carnarvon Basin found 39m of net gas pay and was drilled in 1,088m of water. It is Chevron's fifteenth discovery in Australia since 2009. The successes help underpin expansion opportunities at LNG projects off Western Australia. Chevron is the operator with 50% while Shell and ExxonMobil each hold 25%.
Jul 2012: Partners of the Australia Pacific liquefied natural gas (APLNG) CBM project in Gladstone, Queensland approved a 2nd train for the US$23.7 bn project taking capacity to 9 mm tpa. Sinopec increased its holding to 25%. Origin and ConocoPhillips reduced to 37.5% each. The 1st 4.5 mm tpa train was sanctioned in 2011, with exports scheduled for 2015. Exports from the 2nd train are expected in 2016. Kensai Electric will purchase 1 mm tpa to add to the 7.6 mm Sinopec has agreed.
Australasia
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