News

The Brighter program is an initiative of APPEA, the voice of the oil and gas industry. Brighter is a new way of talking to Australians about the role natural gas plays in their everyday life and exists to draw out and champion the positive stories surrounding Australian natural gas.

To reach a broad cross-section of Australians, Brighter has sourced a range of stories that represent the industry, from the role it plays in STEM education to supporting small businesses and the everyday uses of gas in the home.

The Brighter team are excited to announced that their new online series, The Chef's Secret - Cooking with Gas, premiered online on Monday 14 January. They have brought on two well-known Australian chefs, Adrian Richardson and Georgia Barnes, to demonstrate how Australians can make the most of natural gas used for cooking - whether it be on a cooktop, BBQ or even camping stove.

This eight-part series is available to view on the Brighter website (www.bright-r.com.au<http://www.bright-r.com.au>) with new episodes available from 4pm on Mondays.

To spread the word or just learn more - find and follow Brighter through these channels:

Bright-r.com.au
Facebook.com/brighteraustralia
Twitter.com/brighterwithgas
Instagram.com/brighter_au

Attendees gain an appreciation of the geological, technical and economic aspects of the industry, features of the onshore and offshore environments, as well as the exploration, development and production phases. The seminars offer an invaluable opportunity to understand the key characteristics and global context of Australia’s oil and gas industry, and come to grips with its key concepts and terminology.

These seminars will be delivered nationally and facilitated by Curtin University’s Adjunct Professor Peter Moore and University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Steve Mackie.

Delegates will gain an understanding in:
       -  Background information and the global context of Australia’s oil and gas industry
       -  Geological, technical and economic aspects of the industry
       -  Features of the onshore and offshore environments
       -  The exploration, development and production phases of oil and gas
       -  Key concepts and terminology 

2019 Seminar series dates and locations

• Brisbane – Tuesday 26 February
• Perth – Thursday 21 March
• Darwin – Tuesday 26 March
• Brisbane – Monday 27 May (APPEA Conference 27-30 May)
• Canberra – Tuesday 13 August
• Melbourne – Tuesday 17 September
• Brisbane – Tuesday 8 October
• Perth – Thursday 10 October

Further details available here: https://www.appea.com.au/event/intro-to-oil-gas-industry-seminars/

APPEA Members rates available for ECNT members - contact the office.

Office of the Chief Mnister Media Release

The Northern Territory is set to be powered by 10 per cent renewable energy before the end of the year, thanks to a new, $43 million solar project announced by the Territory Labor Government today.

Australian renewables developer Tetris Energy will soon advance to construction on two 10MW solar farms at Batchelor and Manton Dam, which will generate enough energy to power 5000 homes when completed in the second half of 2019.

The project, in combination with the previously announced 25MW Katherine Solar Farm, will catapult the share of renewable energy use in the NT’s major centres from the current 3 per cent to 10 per cent.

The Territory Labor Government has set a target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

Up to 70 local jobs will be supported during the construction phase of the project, scheduled to last from March until September.

Jacana Energy and NT Solar Investments have entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the electricity and renewable energy certificates generated by the two farms.

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister, Michael Gunner.

“The Territory Labor Government’s number one priority is jobs for Territorians.

“We are delivering our election promise of 50 per cent renewables by 2030 and that will create local jobs, and cheaper, cleaner, more reliable power, which benefits all Territorians.” 

 “We have kept our promise to stabilise power prices after massive hikes under the CLP and by delivering cheaper and cleaner electricity, we will put downward pressure on electricity costs.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Renewables and Essential Services, Dale Wakefield.

“This private sector investment by Tetris Energy will take us to 10 per cent renewable energy by the end of the year, which is a huge step towards our renewable energy target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030.

“The Territory Labor Government knows the NT can be the solar capital of Australia. That’s why we have invested in a $59 million joint investment with ARENA for the Solar SETuP program providing 10MW of solar across 25 remote communities, $5 million into our Rooftop Solar in Schools program, $8.3 million in the 5MW Alice Springs Battery Energy Storage System and $4.5 million in our smart energy grants scheme.

“With the Katherine Solar Farm and these projects announced today, that’s over $150M in renewables investment by the Territory Labor Government.”

Quotes from Frank Boland, Director, Tetris Energy

“Tetris Energy welcomes the opportunity to enter into the Power Purchase Agreement to sell electricity to Jacana Energy from the Manton Dam and Batchelor Solar Farms. This will be an important enabler in moving towards construction at the end of the wet season.

“Jacana Energy customers located all over the Darwin-Katherine network will receive the benefits of clean renewable electricity. By using the latest in single axis tracking Solar PV technology, it will allow the plants to generate more power in the mornings and evenings.

“The Northern Territory has enormous opportunity for renewable energy and Tetris Energy is excited to be a part of the Territory Government’s initiatives to enable this private sector investment in new renewable energy projects. We expect there to be an opportunity of around 70 local jobs during the construction of these two projects and ongoing local roles for service and maintenance.

“Tetris Energy has collaborated with Infigen Energy to advance the development of the Manton Dam and Batchelor Solar Projects.”

Media Contact: Cameron Angus 0404 021 192

The Brighter program is a new way of talking to Australians about the role natural gas plays in their everyday life.

From gas-powered ships and the best public BBQs to the role industry plays in STEM education and supporting small businesses, the Brighter program exists to draw out and champion the positive stories surrounding Australian natural gas.

We’ll be telling these stories through stakeholders and local communities, through a vast array of digital channels, at local forums, through creative media and at live events. We’ll be reaching a broad cross-section of Australians, including those completely unfamiliar with the industry, in a way that’s meaningful to them. 

We’d love you to join us to spread the word or just learn more - find and follow Brighter through these channels:

Bright-r.com.au

Facebook.com/brighteraustralia

Twitter.com/brighterwithgas

Instagram.com/brighter_au

Natural gas. Naturally part of every day.

Health Services Traineeship 

ConocoPhillips and Charles Darwin University have developed a Health Services Traineeship for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cohort. This is a comprehensive, 20 week program that involves 12 weeks of classroom time at CDU, and eight weeks of practical on-the-job training. Participants will receive a wage for the duration of the program. Once all competencies have been achieved, participants will obtain a Certificate III in Individual Support, and ideally, will secure full time employment with the host employer. A Certificate III in Individual Support enables participants to work in aged and disability care, areas that are of high need in the NT. 

Entry requirements

There are no minimum admission requirements however applicants who wish to commence this course need to have the required skills and knowledge to undertake the qualification at this level e.g. completion of Year 10 or equivalent and a general command of spoken and written English to be able to meet industry standards for communication. 

Selection Criteria

The selected participants will meet the following criteria:

·          Willing to take on the 20 week training program and full-time work as part of the work placement component,

·          Evidence of managing responsibility in the workplace, home or community,

·          Can obtain Police clearance and OCHRE card

·          Completion of year 10 (desirable)

·          Ability and willingness to undertake shift work during work placement (if applicable)

·          Access to own transport, or willingness to arrange suitable transport, to and from work placement location 

There are 15 positions are available, and we strongly encourage applications from the Larrakia community.  Applications are now open and will close Friday 25 January 2019. An information session will be held at CDU on Wednesday 16 January 2019. The program will commence on Monday 18 February 2019.

More Information

Please contact Amelia Seipel at CDU if you have any questions on 8980 0600, email: amelia.seipel@gtnt.com.au  or Jess Ong, External Relations Advisor ConocoPhillips 8919 1808, email: Jessica.Ong@contractor.conocophillips.com

THE COMPANY acquiring the notorious Montara oil field in the Timor Sea off the coast of northern Australia from Thailand oiler PTTEP, has announced that maintenance, testing and completion works at the field have now been completed and operations are expected to resume following an enforced shutdown by Australia’s regulator in November.

Facilities are currently undergoing the final stages of pressure testing to ensure asset integrity and production safety and the company is awaiting regulatory approval to restart production from the well.  

Repairs, maintenance and testing have been underway since the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority  slammed operator PTTEP with a stop order and forced the platform shut down at the Montara Venture FPSO after the regulator discovered a "number of operational issues".  

The FPSO oil train has been successfully leak tested and the gas train is now being tested so that both can start together and allow for immediate gas-lift and gas-reinjection to optimise production operations as rapidly as possible.  

"I'm pleased that the shutdown of Montara assets has been safely concluded, which now completes all overdue inspection and maintenance items which we identified during the initial weeks after closing the transaction with PTTEP," Jadestone CEO Paul Blakeley said.  

"During the shutdown, Montara personnel logged more than 9,000 hours of work, all executed without a single safety incident." 

Source: Energy News Bulletin

Read more here.

THE piecemeal sale of RCR Tomlinson continues with its energy business being sold to The Environmental Group Limited via administrators McGrath Nicol, announced today.

It will be funded from EGL's existing debt facilities and will complete within the first half of the month, with no purchase price given at the request of McGrath Nicol until the end of this month.  

EGL says the business has "a strong track record of profitability" and the buy is earnings per share accretive "on a full year basis" excluding one off costs such as integration.   

It "will provide EGL with a recurring revenue stream to balance the project based on revenue of EGL's Baltec and TAPC division," the company said this morning.  

EGL purchased Baltec IES last year, announcing a memorandum of understanding in August and acquisition completion in December.  

The main point of this new buy is to progress the company's plans for what it calls a "bio / waste to energy platform" given it will be acquiring tech that allows a combination of gasses and waste energy sources  to be used to produce electrical power or steam.  

 It will also help EGL establish a footprint in all states "and build an environmental business to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, enhance waste-to-energy and lift water quality".  

EGL has said it will absorb the current staff. 

Source: Energy News Bulletin

Read more here.

Shell today announced that the wells have been opened at its Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility located 475km north-north east of Broome in Western Australia.

Prelude now enters start-up, ramp-up, which is the initial phase of production where gas and condensate is produced and is moved through the facility. Once this has concluded the facility will be stabilised for reliable production of LPG and LNG.

The focus continues to be on providing a controlled environment to ensure Prelude will operate reliably and safely now, and in the future.

Read more here.

Today I have advised Ken Vowles that he has been dismissed from the Cabinet for breaking Cabinet confidentiality.

The Caucus has also dismissed Ken Vowles, Jeff Collins and Scott McConnell from the Caucus.

Ken Vowles, Jeff Collins and Scott McConnell were dismissed for breaking the Caucus values and standards signed up to at the beginning of our term.

When the Territory Labor Government was elected in 2016 we promised to put Territorians first by delivering jobs, putting kids at the centre of government and restoring trust.

Unity of purpose is vital to Government achieving these aims.

Territorians expect and deserve Government to be solely focussed on their concerns and making their lives better.

The Government has made these decisions because now more than ever the Territory cannot afford distractions from the challenging tasks at hand – to deliver jobs, to repair the budget, to deliver for Territorians in the bush and to create a brighter future for all Territorians.

Media Contact:

Maria Billias 0401 119 746

CHANGES to the Northern Territory’s petroleum regulatory regime, based on recommendations from the latest, wide-ranging scientific inquiry into fraccing come into effect today.

The regulations come into force as resources minister Ken Vowles makes his way to Adelaide in South Australia for the latest Council of Australian Government energy council meeting.  

The NT government claims the recommendations will ensure the consideration of cumulative impacts of fraccing; will require the publication of all notices and reports of environmental incidents, including reports about reportable incidents; provide transparency around proposed environmental management plans prior to  ministerial consideration and adopt Western Australian-style disclosure of all fraccing chemical use, plus flowback and produced water composition. 

"Among other things, the changes to regulations mean that, for the first time, Territorians have the opportunity to comment on environment management plans for the drilling of petroleum wells and hydraulic fracturing before they are considered by government," Vowles said today.  

The inquiry, led by Justice Rachael Pepper, was finalised in July and contained 135 recommendations, suggesting the direct environmental impacts of fraccing could be managed.

Source: Energy News Bulletin

Read more here.