Monday, June 24, 2013

Aboriginal group to challenge shale gas agreement - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Aboriginal group to challenge shale gas agreement - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The chief executive officer of Aboriginal charitable trust KRED, Wayne Bergmann, talks to Andrew O'Connor about a plan to challenge the validity of a State Agreement with the proponents of a plan to extract shale gas from the Canning Basin.
Source: 7pm TV News WA | Duration: 5min 22sec

Can industry win the shale gas PR battle in the Kimberley? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Can industry win the shale gas PR battle in the Kimberley? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Traditional owners of land in the Kimberley which is earmarked to be exploited for its vast shale gas reserves are challenging a State Agreement between the Government and the main proponents.
Source: 7pm TV News WA | 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Buru new hope for NW Shelf - The West Australian

Buru new hope for NW Shelf - The West Australian
After several complaints by Traditional Owners, DEC officers testing Buru's Tailings


The WA Parliament passed a landmark agreement on Wednesday night, giving Buru and its Japanese backer Mitsubishi incentives to help speed shale gas development, including support with a potential pipeline that Buru sees as an extra money spinner from transporting third-party gas. It is estimated the Canning Basin holds about 229 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Mitsubishi is an equity partner in the Woodside-led NWS consortium, which is spending $7.5 billion to ensure the venture's five LNG trains near Karratha keep operating at full capacity beyond 2020 as older fields run dry.
While the State Agreement has been a fillip, Buru's shares have dropped sharply over the past year as the market awaits news of exploration success. Mr Wulff said weak global markets were having an impact but defended Buru's potential, and reiterated the company was separately on track for production from its Ungani oilfield this year.
His comments came as Premier Colin Barnett yesterday said the WA Government would press on with controversial plans to acquire land at James Price Point, north of Broome, for use for offshore Browse Basin and, eventually, Canning Basin gas processing.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Buru – Mitsubishi Corporation ('MC') 2013 drilling program




Buru Energy advises that drilling operations on the Yulleroo 4 well commenced at 12:00hrs on 19 January 2013 (AWST) using Ensign Rig#32. As at 06:00hrs on 21 January 2013 (AWST) the well was drilling ahead at 30 metres.
Yulleroo 4 is the first well in the Buru – Mitsubishi Corporation ('MC') 2013 drilling program. The Yulleroo 4 well is located in exploration permit EP 436. Buru and MC each have a 50%
interest in this well and in EP 436. The well is located some 80 kms to the east of Broome. The well location is some eight kilometres from the Great Northern Highway along the all weather Yulleroo access road. The well has a programmed total depth of 3,800 metres and is expected to take some 52 days to drill and suspend.

The Yulleroo wet gas accumulation was identified by the Yulleroo 1 well that was drilled in 1967 and tested gas at low rates from a very substantial gas column in a thick sequence of shales and sands in the Laurel Formation. The Yulleroo 2 well was drilled in 2008 by ARC Energy to appraise the Yulleroo 1 discovery, and recorded strong gas shows at the same stratigraphic level as Yulleroo 1. Buru conducted a successful reservoir stimulation operation at Yulleroo 2 in 2010, demonstrating that the reservoir was capable of flowing gas of good quality with significant hydrocarbon liquid content.

The Yulleroo 3 well was drilled by Buru and MC in 2012 and had strong gas shows over an interval of over 1,500 metres. This intersection added over a thousand metres of gas charged section above the previously interpreted top of the gas sands in Yulleroo 1, together with a number of additional sand packages. Significantly, a thin sand at around 3,200 metres is interpreted to have conventional reservoir properties. This sand has the potential to materially improve the flow rates from this well without requiring any reservoir stimulation. If this sand is developed over a larger area with similar reservoir properties it is expected to add significantly to the commercial potential of the field.

In a broader context, the gas wetness ratios and inferred pressure data in the Yulleroo 3 well are indicative of the Yulleroo accumulation being part of a basin centred gas system similar to that seen in the Valhalla area. The Yulleroo 4 well is therefore being deliberately drilled at the limits of structural closure of the Yulleroo structure, as interpreted from the 3D seismic data acquired over the field in 2011. The well will test the extent of the gas column in this part of the accumulation and is expected to confirm Buru’s interpretation that the Yulleroo field is part of a geographically
extensive basin centred gas accumulation extending beyond the mapped structural closure. If this is proved to be the case, the Yulleroo area has the potential to hold multi TCF’s of gas. The well will also help define the extent and potential recoverable volumes of gas from the conventional 3,200m sand identified in Yulleroo 3.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

indigenous groups to challenge canning basin state agreement - Google Search

indigenous groups to challenge canning basin state agreement - Google Search

  1. News for INDIGENOUS GROUPS TO CHALLENGE ...

    NEWS.com.au
    1. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill
      Ninemsn ‎- 2 hours ago
      The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the joint... Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's ...

    1. Aboriginal Shale Gas Canning Basin Challenge - WA Today

      www.watoday.com.au › WA News

      2 hours ago – The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the joint... Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's ...

    2. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill | Breaking National News ...

      www.heraldsun.com.au/news/.../story-fnii5thm-1226666889343

      4 hours ago – Kinder group boss stole $220k: court ... The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the joint venture to obtain ... Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's shale gas potential when ...

    3. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill | Business News | Business ...

      www.perthnow.com.au/business/.../story-fnhocr4x-1226666889343

      4 hours ago – The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the joint... Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's ...

    4. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill - The Daily Telegraph

      www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...in.../story-fnii5tho-1226666889343

      4 hours ago – The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the joint... Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's ...

    5. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill | The Courier-Mail

      www.couriermail.com.au/news/.../story-fnii5thq-1226666889343

      3 hours ago – Moreton Bay Regional council has removed homeless people's belonings at Redcliffe ... The 25-year State Agreement, as such bills are named, requires the ...Premier Colin Barnett was quick to talk up the Canning Basin's ...

    6. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill (AAP) - HOTheadlines ...

      www.hotheadlines.com.au › News › Yahoo!7

      1 hour ago – Native title challenge to Canning gas bill. INDIGENOUS groups are worried a State Agreement for the development of Canning Basin shale gas ...

    7. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill - HOTheadlines ...

      www.hotheadlines.com.au › News › News.com.au

      1 hour ago – INDIGENOUS groups are worried a State Agreement for the development of Canning Basin shale gas will erode their rights as native title ...

    8. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill (AAP) | RSSNEWS.co ...

      www.rssnews.co/news/native-title-challenge-to-canning-gas-bill-aap

      Indigenous groups are worried a State Agreement for the development of Canning Basin shale gas will erode their rights as native title claimants....

    9. Native title challenge to Canning gas bill - Business - Top News Today

      business.topnewstoday.org › Business

      1 hour ago – INDIGENOUS groups are worried a State Agreement for the development of Canning Basin shale gas will erode their rights as native title cl.

    Barnett under pressure to abandon processing gas onshore - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

    Barnett under pressure to abandon processing gas onshore - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
    Mr Barnett has told Parliament the Federal Resources Minister Gary Gray wants him to stop the negotiations, and has written to him saying he should abandon any hope of processing the gas onshore.
    "The Federal Government, your government, your minister from Western Australia, is urging the state to roll over and just grant all the entitlements to that gas with no conditions now," he said.
    "That is what your federal party is urging, just roll over, let them do floating LNG, no conditions, and just get on with it.
    "Well, the West Australian Government will not do that."

    Tuesday, June 18, 2013

    A Fracking Mess: Natural Gas is Not the Fuel of the Future | Roosevelt Institute

    A Fracking Mess: Natural Gas is Not the Fuel of the Future | Roosevelt Institute


    Between questionable science, health hazards, and exorbitant costs, there’s no fracking way that drilling for natural gas will solve our long-term energy issues.
    Natural gas is being touted as a fuel of the future, a way to bridge the gap between a dirty energy and clean energy economy. But according to numerous articles and a report from David Hughes at the Post-Carbon Institute, what we may have is another bridge to nowhere (page numbers in this post refer to Hughes’ study). Fracking, the rapidly expanding technique for pulling natural gas out of the ground, may be worse for global warming than coal, ultimately very expensive, and not productive enough to make much of a difference in natural gas supply anyway.
    Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a 60-year old technique that has recently been applied to the huge deposits of what is called shale, a form of rock that can contain large amounts of natural gas or oil. Now natural gas companies are drilling thousands of these wells, fracturing the shale, and pumping millions of gallons of water laced with hundreds of chemicals to release the natural gas (pages 22-24).
    While burning natural gas emits about half the greenhouse gases of coal, transporting, processing, and delivering that gas significantly reduces its advantages. And methane — natural gas — is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide for about 20 years. According to a recent study and other research, shale gas actually leads to more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional drilling.

    Sunday, June 16, 2013

    WA groundwater at risk by gas fracking

    WA groundwater at risk by gas fracking

    A LACK of legislation which would force mining companies to carry out stress surveys before fracking in WA is putting groundwater resources at risk, according to a leading petroleum researcher. 
    Gas_plant
    “Constituents of fracking fluids are often considered ‘trade secrets’ and not revealed. Even regulators are left in the dark,” —Dr Lloyd-Smith. Image: iStock
    Fracking or hydrofracking, is a controversial mining technique which involves blasting water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to increase the extraction rates and recovery of trapped pockets of gas (or oil).
    The process has been banned or suspended in France and parts of the US, UK, Canada and South Africa after it was linked to falling water tables, groundwater pollution and local seismic events.
    Prof Evans said the problems with fracking in the US and Queensland occurred because companies did not properly evaluate stress fields in those areas.
    “They assumed that the overburden stress was greater than the horizontal stress,” Prof Evans said.
    “What’s happened in that case is when the horizontal stress gets to a certain level it can cause the fractures to go vertically or horizontally depending on the stress direction.
    “If the facture goes [vertical] you will then have contaminants entering into groundwater.

    There is no legislation saying that companies have to do these stress field analyses,” Prof Evans says. “That is the problem.”

    Fracking, is dangerous, destructive, and harmful to human health


    All around the country people are finding that hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is dangerous, destructive, and harmful to human health. Contaminated water and harmful air pollution are just a few of the all-too-real side effects associated with unconventional oil and unconventional gas development.

    Pregnant women, mothers, and their babies are at particular risk from toxic chemical exposures that can lead to infertility, miscarriage, impaired learning and intellectual development, birth defects, respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer.

    Friday, June 14, 2013

    Nothing is safe


    The DMP is looking at giving out petroleum leases on the Peninsula –
     



    This could lead to fracking for shale gas in the future with all its attendant problems.

    Sheffield claims heavy mineral sands discovery at Dampier

    Sheffield claims heavy mineral sands discovery at Dampier


    THE DRILL SERGEANT: Mineral sands exploration play Sheffield Resources (ASX:SFX) has claimed a new discovery has been identified by drilling at the company’s Dampier heavy mineral sand (HMS) project near Derby in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Labelled the Thunderbird discovery it was the first target to be drilled by Sheffield within the Dampier HMS project area.

    Thursday, June 13, 2013

    Media Watch: Playing to your audience (03/06/2013)

    Media Watch: Playing to your audience (03/06/2013)


    Playing to your audience

    They’re a famously bolshie lot, Fairfax’s reporters. As we noted three weeks ago, former business reporter Paddy Manning lost his job forhaving a spray in Crikey against his own bosses...especially at the Australian Financial Review...


    The AFR’s business journalism is built on a fundamental contract between company and reporter: high-level access in exchange for soft coverage.

    — Crikey, 8th April, 2013

    Kimberley corals

    Kimberley corals
    Kimberley corals on the shoreline of Australia appear to have adapted to survive in higher temperatures and more extreme and turbid conditions than previously thought.
    Kimberley coral,tropical coral,Broome port
    The coloring in this green coral actually comes from an algae living in a symbiotic relationship with the coral polyps. The algae is called zooxanthellae and while creating spectacularly beautiful colored patterns, also provides nutrient to the host coral through a process of photosynthesis and the absorption of excess CO2 from the ocean waters.

    Australia: Buru Energy reaches agreement for operations to recommence at Ungani

    Australia: Buru Energy reaches agreement for operations to recommence at Ungani

    Buru Energy has announced that following extensive consultation and negotiations between Buru and representatives of the Nyikina Mangala and Karajarri Traditional Owners, Buru and the Nyikina Mangala and Karajarri Traditional Owner
    s have reached an agreement which provides a process by which Buru and the relevant Traditional Owners may engage, in relation to Buru’s activities in the Canning Basin, and in relation to the recommencement of Buru’s exploration program, on certain terms.

    As a result of this Agreement, field activity in the Ungani area is planned to recommence shortly. The seismic crew will be remobilised to complete the 240 sq km Ungani 3D seismic survey as soon as it has completed its current job which is expected to occur in mid July. Following the Ungani 3D acquisition program, a 670 km 2D seismic program is planned along trend from Ungani (subject to receipt of required approvals), to delineate additional drilling targets analogous to the Ungani Oilfield. These prospects will be evaluated during the extensive drilling campaign scheduled to commence later this year.

    News: Australian Stock, Share & Commodity Markets News - Tradingroom.com.au

    News: Australian Stock, Share & Commodity Markets News - Tradingroom.com.au

    Premier Colin Barnett has been increasingly bullish about shale gas after Woodside Petroleum shelved a plan to process Browse Basin gas onshore at James Price Point.
    But critics point to a lack of infrastructure in the Canning Basin, remoteness and potentially high costs to remove and market the gas.
    While major oil and gas players are looking at the potential of the Canning Basin, commercial production would take at least five to 10 years once successful exploration results had been achieved.
    "You wouldn't have (multinationals) Conoco Phillips, you wouldn't have Hess, you wouldn't have Mitsubishi in there if they didn't think there was real potential," Mr Sellers said.
    Australian Oil and gas player Santos began exploiting shale gas in the Cooper Basin in South Australia late last year, almost a decade after starting its unconventional gas program.
    So far in the Canning Basin there is only one drilling rig capable of drilling to the required depths for shale and tight gas.