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AusGeo News June 2012 Issue No. 106
Increasing role for gas in the Australian and global energy mix
Geoscience Australia has recently released the Australian Gas Resource Assessment 2012 which was prepared in conjunction with the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics. This report documents the growth of gas resources and infrastructure developments which underpin the increasing role for gas in the Australian and global energy mix.
Some examples of key elements of the report include the doubling of coal seam gas (CSG) reserves since 2010, information about CSG/liquid natural gas (LNG) projects under construction and the identification of tight and shale gas resources. It also provides information on major offshore conventional gas projects which have recently commenced construction, including Prelude in the Browse Basin, the world's first floating LNG project. The release of the report also coincides with the commencement of operations at Australia's third export LNG project, Pluto, in the Northern Carnarvon Basin.
The report builds on the Australian Energy Resource Assessment (AERA) which was published in March 2010 as a supporting document to the Energy White Paper process. The AERA (Geoscience Australia and Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2010) is the national prospectus for energy resources.
Since the release of AERA there have been significant changes in gas resources and within the gas market. The report provides an assessment of Australia's gas resources in 2012 and has been released to contribute to the final phase of the White Paper process.
For more information email ausgeomail@ga.gov.au
Related websites/articles
Australian Gas Resource Assessment 2012
Australian Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics
Australian Energy Resource Assessment (AERA)
New geophysical datasets released
Data from four onshore and offshore airborne magnetic/radiometric, and elevation surveys and three gravity surveys covering onshore Western Australia have been released since March 2012. These datasets can be interpreted to reveal the sub-surface geology of the survey areas and will be a valuable tool in assessing their mineral potential and improving the understanding of basin provinces.
Figure 1. Total magnetic intensity image from the Carnarvon Basin North airborne survey.
Table 1. Details of the airborne magnetic, radiometric and elevation surveys.
Survey |
Date |
1:250 000 map sheets |
Line spacing/terrain clearance/Orientation |
Line km |
Contractor |
Carnarvon Basin North WA |
July 2011–February 2012 |
Onslow (pt), |
400 m/ |
106 320 |
GPX Surveys Pty Ltd. |
South Officer 1 WA |
June 2010– February 2011 |
Westwood (pt) |
200 m/ |
180 000 |
Thomson Aviation Pty Ltd. |
South West 1 (Moora) WA |
June 2011–February 2012 |
Moora (pt), |
200 m/ |
138 874 |
Aeroquest Airborne Pty Ltd. |
Barrow-Dampier Offshore WA |
August 1993–January 1994 |
SE50-10 (pt), |
1000 m/ |
132 640 |
World Geoscience Corporation Ltd. |
Table 2. Details of the gravity surveys.
Survey |
Date |
1:250 000 map sheets |
Station spacing/ |
Stations |
Contractor |
Peak Hill–Collier WA |
August 2011–February 2012 |
Newman (pt), |
2.5 km/ |
9170 |
Daishsat Pty Ltd |
Eucla SW, Central, East WA |
November 2011–April 2012 |
Balladonia (pt), |
2.5 km/ |
14 703 |
Atlas Geophysics |
Kimberley Road Traverses WA |
August 2011– |
Montague Sound (pt), |
400 m station spacing along 2700 km of gazetted roads |
6750 |
Daishsat Pty Ltd |
For more information email ausgeomail@ga.gov.au