Gas Today

November 2007

Welcome

I am delighted to welcome you to Gas Today.

Gas Today launched at Gas Speak

Gas Today was officially launched at Gas Speak Dinner in September, paving the way for a new era of communication within the gas industry.

Major gas deals signed

The LNG export business continues to boom following two major deals for the sale of North West Shelf gas into Asia.

WA gas crisis?

Western Australia’s domestic gas supplies have become the topic of an ongoing debate amidst calls for a reassessment of WA’s gas reservation policy and pricing arrangements.

Natural gas - cleaner, here and ready now

With the spotlight on Australia’s future energy production and consumption and a focus on reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, gas industry bodies have called for Australians to look to natural gas as an immediate, economically viable and cleaner energy source.

18 per cent gas in Qld by 2020

As part of Queensland’s ClimateSmart 2050 climate change strategy, the state aims to increase the percentage of its gas-fired energy generation from the current 13 percent to 18 per cent by 2020.

Gas - a specialised stream at Energy 21C

Australia’s abundance of natural gas reserves will see this resource become increasingly important as an energy source for industrial and domestic consumers.

Longford gas plant a step closer

Esso’s proposed gas conditioning plant at Longford, in Victoria’s offshore Bass Strait, has moved a step closer to becoming a reality after Victorian Government decided that an Environment Effects Statement (EES) will not be required to assess the effects of the plant.

Strong growth in gas production

Australian gas production grew strongly in the 12 months to 30 June 2007, reversing the previous year’s trend which saw flat national production.

Tasmanian Gas Reticulation

Tasmania, as the last Australian state to be connected to natural gas, has in recent years been developing its natural gas distribution network, with Powerco Tasmania holding a Development Agreement with the State government to construct a pipeline network in the state.

New LNG plant to fuel heavy-duty vehicles

The Wesfarmers Energy $138 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) project will significantly expand the availability of this fuel in Western Australia.

TRUenergy moving onwards and upwards with Tallawarra

Further progress is being made on TRUenergy Tallawarra, Australia’s most efficient combined cycle gas-fired power station, with consultation being undertaken and an application for a capacity upgrade pending.

GridX Power - pioneering gas - fired generation

GridX Power uses natural gas to create power from local generators situated on-site where the energy is used. By capturing the by-product of electricity generation, heating and cooling can be supplied with energy efficiency approaching 75 per cent.

Natural gas: Keep the Home Fires Burning

Ollie Clark AM and Noel Child

The recent APEC meetings in Sydney provided the stage for a number of important political and economic announcements. From a gas and energy industry perspective, Prime Minister Howard’s 6 September confirmation of a further $A35 billion tranche of LNG exports to the Peoples Republic of China was very much to the forefront.

Tapping in to Australia’s tight gas

Australia has an abundant supply of gas, the problem is that a lot of it is trapped in low permeability reservoirs and extracting it can be more costly than is economically viable. However, as gas from conventional reservoirs is used up, Australian exploration companies are looking for more efficient ways to unlock the region’s tight gas.

Otway project pumping at last

The Woodside-operated Otway Gas plant near Port Campbell, Victoria has started to export gas.

Coal seam gas

Commercial production of coal seam gas (CSG) in Australia is only a decade old, but it has experienced immense growth in recent times, with new companies making their mark on the industry and with CSG production reaching new heights.

Austech launches monitoring solutions for gases

Austech Instruments, a niche market designer and manufacturer of gas detection equipment and systems are at the forefront of providing innovative solutions to monitor gas concentration with the introduction of the “Austech Methane Analyser” and the “SF6 Leak Detector”.

Making use of water from CSG operations

As a primary by-product of coal seam gas development, and a vital resource in many parts of Australia, the potential of water derived from CSG operations is being investigated by several groups and companies.

Blue Energy swoops in on Queensland CSG market

Following its name change from Energy Investments in May this year – a move which the company said reflected its renewed focus on a growing suite of CSG and oil and gas assets – and with the addition of a new management team, Blue Energy has quickly become a major CSG player in Queensland.

Armflame - working hard across the gas industry

Armflame Pty Ltd, run by Tim and Karen Straatmans and incorporated in January 1990, is a company with a broad-ranging skill base that can manage the entire package in getting gas from the well to the end user.

Bass Strait - delivering gas for 40 years

Bass Strait’s Gippsland Basin gas field has delivered clean and cheap energy to Victoria for over 40 years. Today, with the demand for gas growing and with petroleum driving the state’s wealth, gas exploration and production in the area looks set to continue for years to come.

Out of sight, out of mind?

By Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive, Australian Pipeline Industry Association

They say it with their mouths, but not with their policies! Politicians from both sides of the fence make positive comments about natural gas, when asked, but when it comes to making policies for the future – policies that will see Australia reduce its carbon emissions – natural gas seems to be far from the politicians’ minds.

Owen Inquiry puts spotlight on natural gas

Danielle Kellahan, Policy Adviser, Australian Pipeline Industry Association

The release of the Owen Inquiry on base-load power generation in New South Wales has put the spotlight firmly back on the use of natural gas as an alternative fuel for energy generation.

A National Gas Supply Industry Passport

Peter Buck, SP AusNet, Manager Strategic Technical Projects and member of the Energy Networks Association Gas Committee.

The development of a Gas Supply Industry (GSI) passport by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) incorporating the training records of GSI employees, provides a nationally consistent framework to facilitate the portability of skilled staff across Australia’s State and Territory boundaries.

The Gas Industry Alliance. It’s all about growing the pie and making a difference

A vast amount of attention and funding has been given to alternative forms of energy with the goal of reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Gas has clearly been identified as the transition fuel for achieving that immediate outcome today. So what is the industry doing about it?

Gas Distribution Standard

Supplied by Mark Beech, Alinta, Energy Networks Association representative on AG-008 Gas Distribution.

In the past, standards on gas distribution networks have been developed in a somewhat piecemeal manner, due mainly to the various areas being developed in isolation and on a range of short and long term time frames.

ENA: National Gas Law

The gas distribution industry has a regulated asset value of over $10 billion. Gas is distributed to around 4 million customer connections through over 75,000 km of gas distribution pipelines. Gas networks not only provide energy to individual households, they also enhance the efficiency, reliability and competitiveness of Australian business and industry, by providing ready access to gas at cost effective prices.

GAMAA is Issues Driven

Fifty years ago, a group of gas cooker manufacturers got together in Adelaide to plan one large Christmas Party for their customers. The idea was to form an Industry event rather than each manufacturer having to conduct a party. They even called their new joint approach the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association of Australia. That was a major move at the time but one of much smaller portions to what GAMAA has to face today.

Putting our trust in the future of the industry

The Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT) was established in 1999 to contribute to the advancement of study, education and research in the gas industry. Gas Today met with AGIT Director Andrew Creek to talk about the Trust and the role it plays in the development of the Australian gas industry.

Victoria number one for retail energy competition

The World Retail Energy Market Rankings for 2006, just released by First Data Utilities and project partner VaasaETT, indicate that Victoria has overtaken the United Kingdom as the most active market for customer switching in retail energy in the world.

Retailers welcome AEMC Victorian competition findings

A draft report on the effectiveness of competition in Victoria’s retail energy market released by the Australian Energy Markets Commission (AEMC) has been welcomed by the peak industry body, the Energy Retailers Association of Australia (ERAA).

Latest developments in retail regulation

In the August edition of Gas Today, we reported on regulation in the gas retail industry. Since then, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has issued a report, reviewing the effectiveness of competition of gas retailing in Victoria, and finding that regulation of the industry is unnecessary.

LPG delivers big savings for diesel trucks

An Australian-developed LPG Autogas system is helping operators of heavy diesel-powered trucks reduce fuel bills by 20 per cent, its inventors have said.

LNG: from little things big things grow

Small-scale liquefied natural gas is set to be a major growth area for the LNG industry, with new projects announced, billions of dollars in funding secured and our burgeoning coal seam gas sector set to provide a major boost.

BBS working to build Wagga’s new power station

Bilfinger Berger Services (BBS) is working with Newgen Power to build a 600 MW gas-fired power station in Uranquinty, 15 km south of Wagga Wagga.

Diversified Construction - embracing new technology

Diversified Construction Corporation Pty Ltd is a Queensland based pipeline construction company that was started 7 years ago and has grown to produce revenue of over $100 million for the last financial year. The company has produced this excellent growth through close attention to its operating systems and a focus on providing a safe working environment for its employees.

Young industry members gather for Gas Speak 2007

Each year the Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT) convenes the annual Gas Speak Colloquium. Gas Speak provides an opportunity for younger members of the gas industry to develop their communication skills and industry awareness as well as providing networking opportunities.

WA gas crisis?

Western Australia’s domestic gas supplies have become the topic of an ongoing debate amidst calls for a reassessment of WA’s gas reservation policy and pricing arrangements.

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Gas Today

November 2007

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