Industry News

Central Petroleum has been advised that the Northern Gas Pipeline will be closed until June 2024, interrupting delivery of gas to east coast customers.

As with previous outages, Central continues to supply gas to customers in the Northern Territory and is working with key stakeholders and customers in the NT to re-contract this gas to NT customers.

To read the full release, click here

Source: Central Petroleum

Diversifying and growing the Territory’s economy is a key focus of the Territory Labor Government.

Another sector the Territory Government is targeting to get Territorians trained and working in is the drone industry.

The drone industry has experienced significant growth over recent years with the global market, representing the revenue from drone sales, components and related services, estimated to be worth US$30 billion in 2022.

A mature drone industry has the potential to increase productivity and economic participation across all sectors and presents significant opportunities in regional and remote areas of the Territory.

The draft Northern Territory Drone Industry Strategy is open for consultation, and sets out a framework to drive the development of drone technologies to enhance traditional industries, deliver economic benefits and transform service delivery, including:

• Industry growth: work with industry to sustainably grow the NT drone industry.

• Education, training and workforce development: work with research and educational organisations to develop a skilled workforce required for the NT drone industry.

• Regulation and government settings: work with all levels of government to establish a regulatory environment that enables drone industry growth.

• Community and recreation: work with the public to increase awareness of and recreational use of drones. 

To find out more and to have your say on the Northern Territory Drone Industry Strategy visit https://haveyoursay.nt.gov.au/

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister and Minister for Industry and Trade, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory Labor Government will always seek out opportunities to expand our economic market, which creates working and training opportunities for Territorians.

“The Territory is well positioned to become a leader in the drone industry with our vast open landscapes, proximity to growth markets and strong research capabilities.

“With demand for drones set to rapidly increase due to technology becoming more advanced, accessible and cost effective, increased uptake of drones will enhance productivity across many the Territory’s key sectors including mining, agriculture and tourism. I encourage all Territorians to have their say on the draft NT Drone Industry Strategy and help shape the future of this exciting industry in the Territory."

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

UGL, a member of the CIMIC Group, has been awarded a contract with leading energy company Santos, which will generate up to 100 new jobs in the Northern Territory.

UGL will provide brownfields construction services for Santos’ Darwin LNG Life Extension project. 

Works for this contract will commence immediately with up to 100 jobs to be generated through the life of the project.

This new contract further strengthens UGL’s presence within the Northern Territory and follows our announcement in August 2023 of a contract with the Department of Defence to provide strategic advice, planning, supply management, operations, and maintenance for the Australian Defence Force’s fuel network, which also has a presence in the Northern Territory. 

UGL is committed to, and will focus on, Aboriginal engagement, local employment, local supplier capability, and providing value to the communities in which we work.

CIMIC Executive Chairman Juan Santamaria said: “UGL has a strong history of working with the world’s largest energy companies, as a leading provider of critical services to the energy sector, and we are pleased to support Santos on this project.”

UGL Managing Director Doug Moss said: “UGL is looking forward to supporting the broader community through providing opportunities for local employment and local businesses to support the project.” 

Source: UGL

Applications are now open for Round 17 of the Territory Labor Government’s Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program with up to $3 million in grants available to advance exploration.

This comes as mineral exploration expenditure in the Territory reached a record $74.4 million in the September quarter of 2023, up 30% from the previous year.

Part of the $9.5 million Resourcing the Territory program, these grants aim to address geoscientific knowledge gaps, advance exploration activity and support the discovery and development of resources in the Territory.

More than half of the $3 million funding pool will be directed towards projects targeting commodities on the NT’s critical minerals list, which has recently seen an addition of two new critical minerals.

Gallium and Graphite increase the number of critical minerals in the NT from 15 to 17, and with global demand rapidly growing for critical minerals this presents a huge economic opportunity.

Gallium is a sliver-white metal which has a multitude of uses including in integrated circuits, lasers and LEDs. This new critical mineral has recently been identified in newly discovered rare earth and graphite deposits in the NT and is an important addition to the portfolio of the NT’s resources.

Graphite is an Iron-black mineral which also has a multitude of uses, however is one of the few key critical minerals used to create batteries for EV’s and stationary energy storage systems, as such Graphite will be a building block for our transition to a net-zero future.

A huge driver of the economy, the total value of mineral production in the Northern Territory was $4.86 billion last year, with 4,400 people employed within the industry. 

Demand for these critical minerals is projected to rapidly grow with the increasing transition to renewable energy and battery storage, along with the crucial role of these minerals in areas such as medicine and defence.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Mining, Mark Monaghan:

“The Territory Labor Government will always back projects that get Territorians working.

“It is clear that the demand for critical minerals is driving this growth in exploration, and as it stand over 4400 Territorians work within the minerals industry.

“The Northern Territory is standing at the helm of a global critical minerals surge, and we have the opportunity to become a leading supplier for the world’s renewable energy transition. Of the world’s critical minerals, the Northern Territory now has mineral resources for 17 – up from 15, with high potential for a further 12.”

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The Territory Labor Government is investing in clean, affordable and reliable energy for Territorians.

A milestone has been reached for the Territory’s $45 million big battery – known as the Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS).

All 192 batteries, each weighing 3.5 tonnes, have been installed for the 35 MVA BESS, with Construction and pre-commissioning also complete. Territory Generation is continuing to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to begin rigorous testing before the BESS comes online later this year.

Today, the Territory Labor Government is also announcing a second large scale battery storage project.

To further support our grid, expressions of interest were opened for the DK BESS 2 project. Assessment of submissions is underway to understand industry capability, and successful applicants will be asked to put forward a proposal for the project.

The DK BESS 2 project will see large scale batteries distributed across locations on the Darwin-Katherine power system to boost capability and assure the security of our power grid.

The project will deliver fuel savings and enable more solar renewable energy penetration by providing essential frequency and voltage control services. Commissioning is targeted from 2026 onwards.

Together, these two BESS projects satisfy Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan requirements for the installation of up to 105 MW of high-specification batteries.

A major part of the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan, the first DK BESS is forecast to deliver cost savings of around $9.8 million per year, paying for itself in about five years from connection to the grid, and delivering annual carbon emission savings of 58,000 tonnes.

The Territory Labor Government is able to invest in our power grid because it is owned by Territorians.

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister Eva Lawler:

“The DK BESS and DK BESS 2 are an important part of our transition to a renewable energy future. We are able to invest in our power grid because we own our assets like Territory Generation, Jacana and Power and Water.

“By owning our assets we can keep power prices low. Only a Territory Labor Government will keep our assets in the hands of Territorians.

“Battery technology will play a significant role in our target of reaching 50% renewable energy consumption by 2030.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Renewables and Energy Kate Worden:

 “This project will secure our energy supply for Territorians and stabilise our grid as we move towards integrating more renewable energy into our power use.

“As we move towards a future where renewable energy will play a greater part in our power supply, the DK BESS and DK BESS 2 projects will facilitate a major port of this change.

“By owning Territory Generation and Power and Water, the Territory Labor Government can assure Territorians we will keep power prices down.”

Quotes from Territory Generation CEO, Gerhard Laubscher:

 “Territory Generation’s battery energy storage system projects will play a critical role in advancing renewables in Darwin-Katherine and other power systems across the Northern Territory.

“Adding more battery energy storage systems to Territory Generation’s portfolio will not only enable more renewables and efficient generation dispatch throughout the energy transition, but also fosters the evolution of technological innovations and further supports grid resilience.”

Quote from Hitachi Energy Australia Senior Vice President, Head of Grid Edge Solutions, Maxine Ghavi:

 “Hitachi Energy is focused on advancing a sustainable energy future for all. With our technology underpinning DK BESS 1, the project provided a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to a sustainable energy future to all Territorians.

“We would welcome the opportunity to continue support the Northern Territory’s energy transition should it arise.”

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The Petroleum Operations unit is committed to providing clear information on how the onshore petroleum industry in the Northern Territory is regulated during the wet season.

To keep Territorians informed, we have published a regulatory statement to provide clarity on what we expect and what we're doing. We expect compliance and will act when we don't see it.

In response to the Hydraulic Fracking Inquiry recommendations, several mandatory requirements were developed for managing wastewater on a petroleum well site. These requirements are outlined in the Code of Practice and in the Compliance Plan 2023 – 2024.

These include measures such as

• ensuring containment of wastewater in enclosed tanks before any significant rainfall event
• testing wastewater so we know the environmental impact and appropriate disposal methods
• it also includes limiting wastewater being transported on unsealed roads in the wet season.

These are just some of the mandatory requirements and there might also be additional controls in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). If these aren’t complied with, then penalties can apply.

The Environmental Regulation Branch has established criteria for various levels of impacts and culpabilities to inform our regulatory response, including

• the seriousness of the contravention
• the actual or potential for environmental impact
• the culpability of the interest holder.

All sites where a regulated activity is actively being undertaken have been inspected, in some instances with other Northern Territory Government agencies. At the start of the 2023 ‐ 2024 wet season, the Petroleum Operations unit undertook wet season preparedness inspections of 100% of onshore petroleum well sites in the Beetaloo Sub‐basin that have wastewater from drilling and/or hydraulic fracturing present.

Any compliance and enforcement action that regulators take to ensure compliance is published at the end of the financial year. Reports on wastewater management and data provided in accordance with the regulations is made public through the Petroleum Onshore Information NT portal.

Regulating wastewater from petroleum operation sites during the wet season is our focus, and something we know Territorians care about. We take environmental regulation seriously.

This article was initially published in the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security monthly newsletter "Finding the Balance".

Source: Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security newsroom

Top End Energy Limited (Top End or the Company) (ASX:TEE) is pleased to advise of the execution of a binding term sheet to acquire granted acreage in the Northern Territory (NT) from wholly owned subsidiaries of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (Hancock). The acquired acreage is considered highly prospective for natural Hydrogen and Helium, plus conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Acquisition of granted NT Exploration Permits (EP) 144, 153 and 154 (the Permits) from Minerals Australia Pty Ltd and Jacaranda Minerals Limited, wholly owned subsidiaries of Hancock (together, the Vendors).

• Multiple plays identified:
• • All key play elements for natural Hydrogen and Helium identified; geological similarities with Top End’s EP 257 and close to historical concentrations of natural Hydrogen and Helium including 6.91% Hydrogen in the Wyworrie-1 well immediately adjacent to EP153.
  • Beetaloo Basin margin / flank play – liquids-rich unconventional hydrocarbon potential identified on EP 153 and EP 154.
  • Frontier South Nicholson Basin play opening targets identified – conventional natural gas, natural Hydrogen and Helium prospectivity on EP144.

• Clear operational and technical synergies with Top End’s current Beetaloo/McArthur Basin portfolio.

• No upfront consideration and limited near-term expenditure commitments.

• Four-fold increase in Top End’s granted licence tenure with flexibility to accelerate high-value activities.

• Top End is developing a detailed forward work program and plans to update the market on this following transaction completion.

• Simultaneously, the Company has raised $2.1 million in an oversubscribed placement to fund forward work program and corporate working capital.

To view the full ASX announcement, click here. 

Source: Top End Energy

The Board of Tivan Limited (ASX: TVN) (“Tivan” or the “Company”) is pleased to advise that the Company is advancing planning for its proposed vanadium electrolyte (“VE”) manufacturing facility (“VE Facility”) at the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct (“MASDP”) in Darwin, with commencement of a testwork program targeting production of high-purity vanadium electrolyte in collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Industries (“SEI”), a Japanese headquartered global manufacturer of electronics. SEI is a leading manufacturer of large-scale, long-life vanadium redox flow batteries (“VRFB”).  

Tivan announced in October 2023 its plans to deliver a VE Facility at MASDP, using vanadium from the Speewah Vanadium Project as the proposed feedstock, to facilitate deployment of VRFB in northern Australia. VE is used to store energy in VRFB. In support, Tivan signed a Letter of Intent with Larrakia Energy for the supply of up to 30 MW of renewable energy from a proposed 300 MW solar farm to be located on Larrakia Country (see ASX announcement of 31 October 2023).  

Tivan and SEI have been working in collaboration since mid-2023. Executive Chairman, Mr Grant Wilson, has visited SEI in Osaka to introduce the Speewah Vanadium Project and to further due diligence on VE and VRFB technology. In support of the testwork program, SEI has provided Tivan with its VE specification on a commercial-in-confidence basis. Tivan has designed the resulting testwork program, shown in Figure 1 below.

The Company has established a working group to oversee planning and execution of the program, which includes Emeritus Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos from the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of New South Wales, a member of Tivan’s Technical Advisory Group and also the inventor of VRFB.  

The objective of the testwork program is to produce VE, using vanadium produced from Speewah samples, which meets the specifications provided by SEI. The program is planned to be completed within a nine month timeframe, supported by work being progressed with Hatch as part of the pre-feasibility study (“PFS”) for the Speewah Vanadium Project (see ASX announcement of 22 February 2024). The scope of the PFS also includes development of a concept design for the VE Facility.  

VRFBs are widely viewed as a preferred technology for long duration energy storage.

Advantages include:

• Longevity: extended lifespan of greater than 20 years, with minimal performance degradation.

• Cycle: capability for greater than 20,000 cycles.

• Discharge: capability for full discharge without shortening battery life.

• Duration: long duration optimised up to 24 hours of energy storage and power output.

• Cost-competitive: lower maintenance and long life provides for lower levelised cost of energy storage.

• Safety: use of aqueous electrolyte removes susceptibility of thermal runaway events.

• Recyclability: VE can be reused and recycled indefinitely.

To view the full ASX announcement, click here

Source: Tivan Limited 

A company working to replace diesel consumption with remote energy systems across Northern Australia is the latest recipient of the Northern Territory’s Local Jobs Fund (NTLJF).

Generators and Off Grid Energy Pty Ltd (GenOffGrid), which was founded in 2017, has developed a deployable solar power station concept that reduces diesel fuel burn in off-grid applications by up to 94 per cent.

The systems have been designed and tested successfully, and are already installed in several remote locations across the Northern Territory and Western Australia – including Dry River Station, Melaleuca Station, Ormiston Gorge Rangers Station and Berkeley River Lodge, on the remote North Kimberley coastline.

GenOffGrid has received a $3 million Business Concessional Loan through the LJF, which will support the relocation of the company’s headquarters from Western Australia to East Arm in Darwin and expand, and install more microgrids across remote and Northern Australia.

GenOffGrid are moving to the Territory due to our import and export facilities that reduce trucking costs, giving them a competitive advantage, while also being close to South-East Asia.

The project is expected to create 20 jobs over the next two years, with an estimated $122 million contributing to GSP by 2029.

Since its inception in 2019, the Local Jobs Fund has approved more than $61 million in funding to 15 successful business applicants, which is expected to create more than 880 jobs over the next five years and forecast to contribute over $1 billion to the Territory’s economy.

GenOffGrid established a presence at East Arm in 2021, and with the help of the LJF loan, will officially use this location as their headquarters from February 2024.

Quotes attributable Chief Minister Eva Lawler:

“The Northern Territory is becoming the renewables capital of Australia.

“GenOffGrid are moving their headquarters to Darwin because of our trading and export opportunities.

“Territory Labor will keep doing the hard work as we push towards our target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050 – while also keeping power prices down for Territorians.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Renewables and Energy Kate Worden:

“The Northern Territory is transitioning to a future where renewable energy will play a greater role in our energy consumption.

“We are working towards our target of net zero emissions by 2050 and this Local Jobs Fund loan will play a significant role in achieving this.

“GenOffGrid will help us deliver more renewable energy solutions for Territorians.”

Quotes attributable to GenOffGrid Director, John Davidson:

“We build remote solar power stations in the Northern Territory and Northern Western Australia and we are very pleased to be supported by the NTLJF to assist us in strengthening our investment and fast-tracking our go-to market strategy from our East Arm facility.

“Darwin is a strategic location for us as we will have access to import and export facilities that will reduce our trucking cost substantially for inbound goods and give us a regional competitive advantage for the neighbouring island countries.”

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The Energy Club NT is pleased to hear of this mornings’ announcement from Tamboran Resources of the successful completion of the flow test for Tamboran operated and JV-owned (Tamboran 38.75%, Daly Waters Energy 38.75%, Falcon O&G 22.5%), Shenandoah South 1H (SS-1H) well in EP 117. The results of the flow test mark a significant milestone in the exploration and development of energy resources within the Northern Territory.

The Shenandoah South 1H well, located in EP 117, has undergone a thorough and rigorous testing process, demonstrating promising outcomes for the region's energy landscape. The flow test results reveal valuable insights into the well's production capabilities, contributing to the broader understanding of the potential energy resources within the Northern Territory.

“The Energy Club NT congratulates Tamboran Resources and its joint venture partners on an excellent test result at their Shenandoah South well” said Stephanie Berlin, Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Club NT.

“We look forward to the renewed confidence that this result will bring to the Beetaloo Basin and the ambitions of all the proponents, governments and infrastructure partners who are working hard to bring this basin to its full potential. The Northern Territory in particular, and Australia as a whole, stands to benefit from this potentially massive low cost, low CO2 resource at a time when very little new gas is being bought to market”.

“Energy Club NT will continue to work to update its members on this exciting development and the economic opportunities it could present to Territorians”.

The Energy Club NT acknowledges Tamboran Resources' commitment to responsible and sustainable energy development practices. These results underscore the importance of ongoing collaboration between industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and local communities to ensure that energy projects align with environmental, social, and economic considerations. 

To view the full media release, click here.