ENERGY INDUSTRIES – AUSTRALIA

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

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

Santos in $400m bid to lift gas supply

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 1-Jun-18

Santos has confirmed that it will proceed with the Arcadia gas project in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, which will boost coal-seam gas supplies to the Gladstone LNG plant by 75 terajoules a day. Santos drilled 13 gas wells in a pilot project at Arcadia, and the full project will comprise 137 wells and associated infrastructure. About 300 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, while Santos MD Kevin Gallagher says Arcadia should help put downward pressure on east coast gas prices.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, PETRONAS GAS BHD, TOTAL SA, KOREA GAS CORPORATION, QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES

Woodside vows to defend SNE oil site

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 31-May-18

The legal dispute over a stake in the SNE oilfield in Senegal was a key issue on the agenda at FAR Limited’s 2018 AGM. Chairman Nic Limb told shareholders that the company will have the right to buy a 35 per cent stake in the oilfield at the same price that Woodside Petroleum paid for it if an arbitration court rules in FAR’s favour. He has also not ruled out seeking a partner to buy the stake if Woodside’s deal with ConocoPhillips is overturned. A Woodside spokeswoman has described the arbitration as "frivolous" and without merit.

CORPORATES
FAR LIMITED – ASX FAR, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CONOCOPHILLIPS, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF ARBITRATION

Santos and ENN in an awkward spot after Harbour bid rejected

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Original article by Simon Evans, Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-May-18

Oil and gas producer Santos announced on 22 May that it had rejected a $A14.4 billion takeover bid from private equity firm Harbour Energy. Chinese gas firm ENN, which is a major shareholder in Santos, did not take part in the board’s decision to reject Harbour’s bid, as it had backed the Harbour offer. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher says he does not expect there to be any tension on its board as a result of the decision to reject the offer, while Macquarie Capital has described the decision as a "bold move".

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, HARBOUR ENERGY LIMITED, ENN ECOLOGICAL HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, HONY CAPITAL, ENERGYQUEST PTY LTD