B07 Oil and Gas Extraction

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

Warning over gas glut: Oil Search

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 23 : 22-Aug-18

Oil Search has posted a 2018 interim net profit of $US79.2m ($107.7m), which is 39 per cent lower than previously. Production fell by 31 per cent to 10.24 million barrels of oil equivalent after its Papua New Guinea operations were disrupted by an earthquake in February. Oil Search expects full-year output of 24 million to 26 million boe. Meanwhile, CEO Peter Botten has questioned whether all four of the proposed LNG import terminals in the eastern states would be economically viable.

CORPORATES
OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION

BHP sells US onshore oil and gas assets for heavy loss

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Original article by Stephen Letts
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 27-Jul-18

BHP Billiton has advised that it has sold its US onshore oil and gas assets for a total of $US10.8 billion ($14.6 billion). BP is to acquire BHP’s Eagleford, Haynesville and Permian fields, while Merit Energy will buy the remainder of BHP’s Fayetteville assets. BHP has invested $50 billion in its US onshore oil and gas assets since 2011. BHP CEO Andrew MacKenzie said the sale would help to reduce its debt, with the net proceeds to be returned to its shareholders.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP BP PLC MERIT ENERGY

Imports the only cure for gas headache

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 25-Jul-18

Mark Samter of MST Marquee says industrial gas users on Australia’s east coast should support plans to build LNG import terminals, as gas prices will keep rising. Samter has downplayed a recent report from the Australian Energy Market Operator which suggested that the gas crisis on the east coast is likely to ease due to higher production in coming years. He argues that gas prices are unlikely to fall without the proposed import terminals.

CORPORATES
MST MARQUEE, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Browse fields deal looms for Woodside

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 20-Jul-18

The partners in the North West Shelf venture have agreed to allow the LNG plant at Karratha to process third-party gas. This will include gas from Woodside Petroleum’s Browse LNG project. The North West Shelf’s gas reserves are expected to be exhausted some time after 2021, and the deal for third-party gas processing will extend the life of the Karratha plant. Meanwhile, Woodside has advised that it produced 22.1 million barrels of oil equivalent in the June quarter, while its sales totalled $US1.08bn.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CHEVRON CORPORATION, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Carnarvon soars 50pc after big oil discovery

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 19-Jul-18

Carnarvon Petroleum has advised that its Dorado-1 well off the coast of Western Australia has struck oil over a depth of 96.1 metres, including a net pay thickness of 79.6 metres. MD Adrian Cook has described the oil find as "transformational" for the oil and gas explorer, which holds a 20 per cent stake in the Dorado-1 well. Shares in Carnarvon closed 57.1 per cent higher at $0.275 on 18 July.

CORPORATES
CARNARVON PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX CVN, QUADRANT ENERGY PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, BROOKFIELD ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES

Warning on rush to build LNG terminals

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 17-Jul-18

Four LNG import terminals are currently mooted for Australia; two in Victoria, and one each in New South Wales and South Australia. However, Nicholas Browne from Wood Mackenzie says Australia does not need that many terminals, based on its current market forecasts. Of the four terminals currently flagged, Browne says AGL’s proposed terminal at Crib Point in Victoria is most likely to be developed first.

CORPORATES
WOOD MACKENZIE, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, EXXONMOBIL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION

Twiggy, Santos battle over gas developments

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 10-Jul-18

Macquarie has suggested that Santos could find it hard to secure New South Wales government approval for its Narrabri coal-seam gas project if Australian Industrial Energy builds an LNG import terminal. AIE CEO James Baulderstone claims that the facility would be able to supply gas to NSW much faster and at much lower cost. However, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher argues that gas from Narrabri would be much cheaper. The AIE consortium’s members include iron ore magnate Andrew Forrest.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL ENERGY, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT