ENERGY INDUSTRIES – AUSTRALIA

Shake-up looming for North West Shelf

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 19 : 17-Aug-17

Woodside Petroleum has posted a 2017 interim net profit of $US507m, which is 49 per cent higher than previously. Shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $US0.49 per share, an increase of 44 per cent. Meanwhile, CEO Peter Coleman has indicated that Woodside would be interested in increasing its stake in the North West Shelf project if some of its partners opt to sell down their interest in it as the LNG plant begins shifting its focus to toll-treating gas from third parties.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Santos deflated by $880m in impairments

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 19 : 16-Aug-17

Santos has advised that its 2017 half-year accounts will include after-tax impairment charges totalling $US690m ($A880m). This includes a $US870m write-down in the value of its 30 per cent stake in the Gladstone LNG project, which was prompted by a downgrade in the group’s oil price assumptions for the next five years. The write-downs will be offset by a $US330m after-tax write-back associated with its Cooper Basin assets. Deutsche Bank expects Santos to post an underlying interim net profit of $US121.6m.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, AWE LIMITED – ASX AWE, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, ENGIE SA

Santos to supply gas for Pelican Point generator

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Aug-17

Wood Mackenzie says the Gladstone LNG project’s latest gas supply deal will make it less likely that the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism will be enforced in 2018. The Santos-led project will supply 15 petajoules of gas to Engie’s Pelican Point power station in South Australia over two years. Santos is poised to announce details of additional domestic gas supply contracts. The two rival LNG export projects in Queensland have also secured domestic gas supply deals in recent months.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, WOOD MACKENZIE, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, QUEENSLAND CURTIS LNG PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, QUEENSLAND GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ENGIE SA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, KOREA GAS CORPORATION, PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD, TOTAL SA

Exxon’s Dory could ease east coast gas shortage

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 8-Aug-17

Saul Kavonic of Wood Mackenzie says the Dory gas discovery in Bass Strait could potentially relieve pressure on east coast gas supplies in the long-term. However, he adds that this assumes that the contingent resource estimate of 2.2 trillion cubic feet is proven by further exploration work. Kavonic also notes that no major production at Dory would be likely until at least 2023. ExxonMobil acquired the Dory gas field from Liberty Petroleum earlier in 2017.

CORPORATES
EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, LIBERTY PETROLEUM, WOOD MACKENZIE, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, APACHE CORPORATION

ExxonMobil lands a whopper in Bass Strait with huge gas reserves

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 7-Aug-17

A deal for ExxonMobil to acquire the Dory gas field in Bass Strait could provide greater certainty of future energy supply to Australia’s east coast. US-based Liberty Petroleum recently sold the undeveloped gas field to ExxonMobil for an undisclosed price, which is believed to include a royalty agreement. Drilling work undertake by Liberty to date suggests that Dory could potentially yield up to 2.2 trillion cubic feet of gas. It is believed that ExxonMobil’s Bass Strait joint venture partner BHP Billiton has an option to acquire an interest in Dory.

CORPORATES
EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, LIBERTY PETROLEUM, APACHE ENERGY LIMITED, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, 3D OIL LIMITED – ASX TDOCA

Origin posts bumper sales of petroleum

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

Origin Energy has advised that its petroleum production rose by 40 per cent to 232 petajoules in 2016-17, while revenue from its petroleum operations increased by 105 per cent to $A2.2bn. The result was boosted by sales of $A1.46bn from its 37.5 per cent stake in the Australia Pacific LNG project, while sales of conventional oil and gas grew by 26 per cent to $A746.9m. Origin has also reported production of 89.2 petajoules for the June quarter, which is 30 per cent higher than previously.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, LATTICE ENERGY, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, QUESTUS ENERGY, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

Chevron on the cusp of starting up Wheatstone

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 31-Jul-17

Chevron has advised that the first production train at the Wheatstone LNG project in Western Australia is in the final stages of commissioning, and production is expected to begin in August 2017. Chevron’s Jay Johnson adds that the second production train is slated to become operational about 6-8 months later. He also says some efficiency improvements are likely when the second train begins production, as was Chevron’s experience at the Gorgon LNG project.

CORPORATES
CHEVRON CORPORATION, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, APACHE CORPORATION

Canavan turns up heat on LNG exporters

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 25-Jul-17

The Federal Government will decide by November 2017 whether to impose LNG export controls in 2018 via its Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism. Resources Minister Matt Canavan has sought advice from regulatory agencies regarding the outlook for gas supply and demand. He has expressed disappointment with gas producers’ proposals to date for resolving the gas crisis on the east coast. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher has urged greater co-operation between the gas industry and governments to encourage investment in new projects.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ENERGYQUEST PTY LTD

Woodside chief flags $6bn LNG overhaul

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 21 : 21-Jul-17

Woodside Petroleum’s production in the June 2017 was 3.3 per cent lower than the March quarter, at 20.7 million barrels of oil equivalent. Sales revenue was 3.1 per cent lower at $US867m. The downturn has been attributed to scheduled maintenance work at the Pluto LNG project and an unplanned outage at the Karratha LNG plant. Meanwhile, Woodside has proposed investing an additional $US5bn ($A6bn) in the Karratha plant to keep it operational for another two decades and use it to process third-party gas.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BP PLC, CHEVRON CORPORATION, MITSUI AND COMPANY LIMITED, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION

Origin awaits Beetaloo gas bonanza go-ahead

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 20-Jul-17

Origin Energy’s chief geologist David Close says the company could potentially resume a shale gas drilling program in the Beetaloo Basin in 2019 if the Northern Territory relaxes its ban on hydraulic fracturing. It has been estimated that the Beetaloo Basin region accounts for about 70 per cent of the NT’s shale gas reserves. Saul Kavonic of Wood Mackenzie says production of commercial volumes of shale gas in the Beetaloo Basin is unlikely before 2025 even if the ban on fracking is scrapped.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, WOOD MACKENZIE, SASOL LIMITED, FALCON OIL AND GAS LIMITED