Santos to divert gas

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 28 : 8-Sep-17

Santos has pre-empted the Federal Government’s decision on triggering the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism by agreeing to redirect 30 petajoules of gas from the Gladstone LNG export project to the domestic market in 2018 and 2019. The LNG buyer that has agreed to accept reduced exports is believed to be either Petronas or Korea Gas Company, which are partners in the GLNG project. Santos also recently struck a deal to supply gas to the Pelican Point power station in South Australia. Wood Mackenzie estimates that the latest deal will ensure that the gas shortfall on the east coast will be minimal in 2018.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, PETRONAS GAS BHD, KOREA GAS CORPORATION, WOOD MACKENZIE, TOTAL SA, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, QUEENSLAND CURTIS LNG PTY LTD, ENGIE SA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Shell chief expects gas export clampdown

Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 7-Sep-17

Shell Australia chair Zoe Yujnovich says the Federal Government is likely to implement its Australian Domestic Gas Supply Mechanism in 2018. She forecasts that the Australian Energy Market Operator will announce a structural shortfall of gas in the next few weeks, although she adds that the ADGSM is unlikely to have much impact on Shell’s LNG exports. Yujnovich adds that there are indications of downward pressure on gas prices.

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Santos to cap Gladstone gas exports

Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 22 : 25-Aug-17

Oil and gas producer Santos has posted a 2017 interim net loss of $US506m ($A642m), following a $US1.1bn loss for the previous corresponding period. However, it has booked an underlying profit of $US156m, compared with a $A5m loss previously. Revenue rose from $US1.21bn to $US1.5bn. MD ‘Kevin Gallagher says Santos is poised to announce additional domestic gas supply contracts, while it intends to limit the Gladstone LNG project’s annual export volumes to six million tonnes until the mid-2020s.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO

Woodside has offshore platform lithium-ion battery breakthrough

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 22-Aug-17

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum will reduce its energy costs and carbon emissions by installing a lithium-ion battery storage system on one of the North West Shelf’s offshore platforms. CEO Peter Coleman says Woodside considered renewable energy options before opting to replace one of the gas turbine generators on the Goodwyn offshore platform with battery storage. The battery system is expected to reduce the platform’s carbon emissions by around five per cent, and Woodside may roll out the technology at other NWS platforms if it proves to be successful.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, ABB GROUP

Shake-up looming for North West Shelf

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

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

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

Origin posts bumper sales of petroleum

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

Canavan crisis is bad for Adani

Original article by Matthew Stevens
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 27-Jul-17

Matt Canavan’s decision to step aside as Resources Minister over dual citizenship concerns could have implications for Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine. Canavan is a keen advocate of both coal and the Carmichael project, and he is highly likely to have approved a federal loan to Adani via the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. A final investment decision on the first stage of the Carmichael project is conditional on NAIF funding for the rail line component of the project. The question of whether the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism will be triggered in 2018 is also uncertain after Canavan stood aside.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Canavan turns up heat on LNG exporters

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