B07 Oil and Gas Extraction

Woodside may back Timor gas export plant

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 22 : 3-Oct-18

ConocoPhillips’ deal to sell its 30 per cent stake in the Sunrise gas field to the Timor-Leste government may prompt Woodside Petroleum to resume negotiations over development of the Timor Sea resource. There is speculation that Woodside may be more open to processing gas at a greenfields plant on Timor-Leste in the wake of ConocoPhillips’ move. Woodside has a 33 per cent stake in Sunrise and it is the operator of the project.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CONOCOPHILLIPS, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, OSAKA GAS COMPANY, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WOOD MACKENZIE, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Beach Energy shares soar on growth plans

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 22 : 28-Sep-18

Beach Energy currently produces 26-28 million barrels of oil equivalent each year, but it has outlined plans to increase this to 34-40 million boe by 2022-23. The company will also seek to lift its free cash flow to $2.3bn within five years. The Lattice Energy assets, which Beach bought from Origin Energy for $1.59bn in 2017, will be a major growth driver. Beach took on $US1.58bn worth of debt to finance the acquisition, but CEO Matt Kay expects the company to be almost debt-free by the end of 2019-20.

CORPORATES
BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, LATTICE ENERGY LIMITED, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, NEW ZEALAND OIL AND GAS LIMITED, OMV AG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO

Santos planning to double gas output by 2025 thanks to Quadrant buy

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 27-Sep-18

Oil and gas major Santos has forecast that its annual production could top 100 million barrels of oil equivalent by 2025. The proposed acquisition of Quadrant Energy and its Dorado oil find will be the main driver of growth in output. Santos has also told analysts that production in the Cooper Basin could rise by around 20 per cent by 2025, while MD Kevin Gallagher says the Narrabri coal seam gas project could further boost the company’s output if it receives government approval.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, QUADRANT ENERGY PTY LTD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, HARBOUR ENERGY LIMITED, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

China looks to Australian gas in trade war

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 19 & 27 : 26-Sep-18

Wang Shouwen, China’s vice-minister of commerce, has signalled that the nation could increase its LNG imports from Australia as a result of the trade war with the US. China retaliated to the Trump administration’s latest round of tariff hikes by imposing a tariff of 10 per cent on US LNG imports, and this could rise to 25 per cent. The tariff on US LNG will give Australian producers a price advantage, and could ensure that new LNG projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea proceed.

CORPORATES
CHINA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CHEVRON CORPORATION, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

BHP chair happy with portfolio

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 26 : 21-Sep-18

Analysts who attended BHP Billiton’s recent briefing in London say chairman Ken MacKenzie gave strong indications that the petroleum division is still regarded as a core asset. However, he signalled that further exploration success will be needed for BHP to remain in the sector. BHP’s petroleum division faces a decline in production in coming years as key gas and oil fields become depleted. MacKenzie also told analysts that BHP may be open to retaining its Nickel West assets due to growing demand for batteries.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, NICKEL WEST

Tariff war fuels LNG prospects

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 20-Sep-18

Saul ­Kavonic of Credit Suisse says China’s move to impose a tariff on LNG imports from the US will make Australian-sourced gas more price-competitive. China has announced plans to subject US LNG to a tariff of 10 per cent, which will rise to 25 per cent in 2019, in retaliation for the Trump administration’s plans for similar tariff hikes on $US200bn worth of Chinese goods. The growing US-China trade war could also increase the likelihood that proposed LNG projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea will proceed.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, S&P GLOBAL PLATTS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, PETROCHINA COMPANY LIMITED, IGM LIMITED, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS LIMITED – ASX LNG, WOOD MACKENZIE, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Watchdog to rule on CKI’s takeover of APA

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: Online : 13-Sep-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has approved CK Infrastructure’s $13 billion takeover of pipeline operator APA Group. The merger creates a massive pipeline company with significant infrastructure assets on both sides of the country. The Foreign Investment Review Board must now give its consent for the Hong Kong-based CKI’s bid at a time when there is a lot of political scrutiny over high gas prices. JP Morgan expects that the FIRB will approve the bid, while UBS anticipates a decision by 4 December, the date on which the transaction is due to take place.

CORPORATES
CHEUNG KONG INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, APA GROUP – ASX APA, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Liquid sunshine offers hope for new energy export industry

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 11-Sep-18

Cheung Kong Infrastructure, Woodside Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell are among the energy companies operating in Australia that are keen to grab a foothold in the hydrogen supply sector. The global hydrogen market is expected to be worth $US155 billion by 2022, while ACIL Allen has estimated that Australian hydrogen exports could be worth $1.7 billion per annum by 2030. As well as providing an export market for the renewables sector, developing a hydrogen supply industry in Australia would make the switch to lower carbon energy less expensive.

CORPORATES
CHEUNG KONG INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ACIL ALLEN CONSULTING PTY LTD, CSIRO, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY LIMITED

Sino Gas investors accept Lone Star bid

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 6-Sep-18

Sino Gas shareholders voted on 5 September to accept US private equity fund Lone Star’s $0.25 per share takeover bid for the company. The bid, which values Sino Gas at $530 million, was first tabled in May. Grant Thornton had deemed Lone Star’s offer "to be fair and reasonable", and it had the unanimous support of Sino Gas’s board. Sino Gas is the only Australian-based gas company with operations in China, having commenced production in the Shanxi province in late 2014.

CORPORATES
SINO GAS AND ENERGY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SEH, LONE STAR FUNDS, GRANT THORNTON AUSTRALIA, TEMASEK HOLDINGS (PTE) LTD, OPHIR ENERGY PLC

AGL warns of gas squeeze in Victoria

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: Online : 6-Sep-18

AGL Energy executive Richard Wrightson warned on 5 September that Victoria faces gas shortages in the 2020s, with Bass Strait reserves running out and coal-seam gas from Queensland becoming more expensive. He said he hoped potential shortages could be partly addressed by AGL’s proposed LNG import facility at Crib Point, which AGL hopes to make a final decision on in 2019. Commenting on Labor’s plans to cap gas prices, Wrightson says this could discourage investment.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED