ENERGY INDUSTRIES – AUSTRALIA

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

AGL defies Coalition over Liddell closure

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Sep-18

AGL Energy’s interim CEO Brett Redman has reaffirmed its commitment to exiting coal-fired power generation and its proposed closure of the Liddell power station in 2022. However, Redman has told the company’s AGM that AGL will seek to work with the federal government to reduce electricity prices. Relations between AGL and the government became strained under former CEO Andy Vesey over the closure of Liddell, prompting Energy Minister Angus Taylor to warn of potential intervention if electricity retailers do not take action to reduce prices.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, ENVIRONMENT VICTORIA

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

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

PM’s threat riles energy industry

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Sep-18

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned energy companies on 3 September that he may impose a royal commission on them if they do not react favourably to measures aimed at reducing electricity prices. Australian Energy Council CEO Sarah McNamara said she does not believe a royal commission into the sector is needed, given the number of inquiries that it has been subject to, including the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s recent major review. Morrison said he was putting the big power companies "on notice".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

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

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