The report suggests that the growth was primarily due to increased exports of LNG from the North West Shelf in Western Australia.
Production of gas for Australian domestic customers was a record 1028 PJ, up by 1.9 per cent, driven by higher production in Western Australia. Coal seam gas production reached 178 PJ, up 31.4 per cent, and now supplies 27.3 per cent of east coast gas production.
EnergyQuest Chief Executive Officer Graeme Bethune said “Australian LNG exports grew strongly in 2009 even though demand in Asia, Australia’s major market, was down by 7 per cent.”
In 2009, LNG buyers signed agreements for 18.8 million tonnes of LNG per annum to be delivered from new projects being built or planned in Australia. This is almost as much as Australia’s total current LNG production capacity.
Article continues below…Oil production reportedly dropped to its lowest level in 40 years, which the report attributes to the maturation of Australia’s major producing oil fields, as well as disruptions due to maintenance and weather.
