An overview of the new Geological and Bioregional Assessments Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Swirepik ◽  
Andrew Stacey ◽  
Rod Dann
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Cooper Basin

As part of the AU$86.3 million ‘Towards a New Energy Future’ package, the Australian Government has committed AU$30.4 million to undertake the Geological and Bioregional Assessments Program. This program aims to encourage sustainable gas development through a series independent scientific studies into the potential environmental impacts of shale and tight gas exploration and production. These studies, conducted by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and managed by the Department of the Environment and Energy, will focus on three basins (regions) that are prospective, but underexplored for shale and tight gas. The program seeks to encourage exploration to bring new gas resources to the East Coast Gas Market within the next 5–10 years, increase the understanding of the potential environmental impacts posed by gas developments and increase the efficiency of assessment, monitoring and ongoing regulation, including improved data capture and reporting. The Cooper Basin and the Isa Superbasin have been selected for investigation with a third basin expected to be announced by mid-2018. The program will be delivered in three stages over 4 years and will investigate areas prospective for shale and tight gas within these regions. This independent, transparent, science-based approach aims to assist in building community understanding of, and confidence in, the capacity for safe and environmentally sustainable unconventional gas developments.

Geological and Bioregional Assessments: assessing the prospectivity for tight, shale and deep-coal resources in the Cooper Basin, Beetaloo Subbasin and Isa Superbasin

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 477
Author(s):  
Lisa S. Hall ◽  
Meredith L. Orr ◽  
Megan E. Lech ◽  
Steven Lewis ◽  
Adam H. E. Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Geological and Bioregional Assessment Program is a series of independent scientific studies undertaken by Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology, and managed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The program consists of three stages across three regions with potential to deliver gas to the East Coast Gas Market. Stage 1 was a rapid regional prioritisation conducted by Geoscience Australia, to identify those sedimentary basins with the greatest potential to deliver shale and/or tight gas to the East Coast Gas Market within the next 5–10 years. This prioritisation process assessed 27 onshore eastern and northern Australian basins with shale and/or tight gas potential. Further screening reduced this to a shortlist of nine basins where exploration was underway. The shortlisted basins were ranked on a number of criteria. The Cooper Basin, the Beetaloo Subbasin and the Isa Superbasin were selected for more detailed assessment. Stage 2 of the program involved establishing a baseline understanding of the identified regions. Geoscience Australia produced regional geological evaluations and conceptualisations that informed the assessment of shale and/or tight gas prospectivity, ground- and surface-water impacts and hydraulic fracturing models. Geoscience Australia’s relative prospectivity assessments provide an indication of where viable petroleum plays are most likely to be present. These data indicate areal and stratigraphic constraints that support the program’s further work in Stage 3, on understanding likely development scenarios, impact assessments and causal pathways.

Unconventional gas prospectivity of the Cooper Basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Tony Hill ◽  
Liuqi Wang ◽  
Dianne Edwards ◽  
Tehani Kuske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Rocks ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Intracratonic Basin ◽  
Exploration Activity ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Cooper Basin is an Upper Carboniferous–Middle Triassic intracratonic basin in northeast SA and southwest Queensland. The basin is Australia's premier onshore hydrocarbon-producing province and is nationally significant due to its provision of domestic gas for the east coast gas market. Exploration activity in the region has recently expanded with numerous explorers pursuing newly identified unconventional hydrocarbon plays. While conventional gas and oil prospects can usually be identified by 3D seismic, the definition and extent of the undiscovered unconventional gas resources in the basin remain poorly understood. This extended abstract reviews the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Cooper Basin with a focus on unconventional gas resources. Regional basin architecture, characterised through source rock distribution and quality, demonstrates the abundance of viable source rocks across the basin. Petroleum system modelling, incorporating new compositional kinetics, source quality and total organic carbon (TOC) map, highlight the variability in burial, thermal and hydrocarbon generation histories between depocentres. The study documents the extent of a number of unconventional gas play types, including the extensive basin-centred and tight gas accumulations in the Gidgealpa Group, deep-dry coal gas associated with the Patchawarra and Toolachee formations, as well as the less extensive shale gas plays in the Murteree and Roseneath shales.

scholarly journals Gas markets – a bridge too far?

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 520
Author(s):  
Graeme Bethune ◽  
Rick Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Energy Market ◽  
Supply Contracts ◽  
Sourcing Strategies ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Gas Markets ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Gas Supply

The energy market is becoming more globalised and renewables are changing the supply and demand balance. Gas has been suggested as the bridging fuel to the new energy world – but is it a bridge too far? This presentation examines the global gas context and its impact on the Australian east coast gas markets, trends in energy supply options and sign posts for new directions. When the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) train started on Curtis Island, the gas producers had access to more than just the domestic market. The new overseas markets are also interconnected, so the Henry Hub, Brent oil and Chinese gas demand all have an influence on Australia’s east coast gas market. Potential LNG import terminals and net back pricing are changing the domestic gas market. The energy market is moving to renewables. This is not just an anomaly that will correct itself, but is based on lower renewable costs and distribution challenges. Moving relatively small amounts of energy long distances is a major challenge for Australia. Infrastructure, market hubs and sourcing strategies need to compensate for these challenges, and investment is needed to keep pace with the changes. Capital is a global commodity seeking the optimum return for the risk, but unconventionals, such as coal seam gas, are capital hungry. Government policies and support can be the key determinant for not only new investment but sustaining investment to meet existing gas supply contracts. Smart gas buyers will need to be agile and use deeper portfolio approaches for gas supply.

Geological and bioregional assessments – enabling future tight, shale and deep coal gas development – Cooper Basin case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 946
Author(s):  
David Robinson ◽  
Merrie-Ellen Gunning ◽  
Tim Evans ◽  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Baskaran Sundaram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Environmental Significance ◽  
Coal Gas ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Petroleum Resources ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Australian Government’s Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) Program is a series of independent scientific studies conducted by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and managed by the Department of the Environment and Energy. These studies focus on the Cooper, Isa and Beetaloo GBA regions, all of which include basins which are prospective, but under-explored, for shale, tight and/or deep coal gas. The GBA Program seeks to expedite development in order to bring new gas resources to the east coast gas market within the next 5–10 years through increased understanding of the potential environmental impacts posed by gas development and increasing the efficiency of assessment, monitoring and ongoing regulation, including improved data capture and reporting. This multi-agency program addresses the potential environmental impacts of gas development through geological and environmental baseline assessments and identification of major information gaps (Stage 2), followed by an analysis of the potential impacts on assets, including groundwater, surface water, environmental and cultural assets as well as Commonwealth and State matters of environmental significance (Stage 3). This paper will discuss how integrated conceptual models of the geology and hydrogeology of selected unconventional petroleum resources can be utilised by industry, regulators and other stakeholders. By establishing a baseline assessment for the Cooper Basin, which includes an integrated shale, tight and deep coal prospectivity and groundwater study, future development scenarios can be envisaged and the potential impact on groundwater and other resources contemplated. Similar baseline assessments and conceptual models are being developed for the Isa and Beetaloo GBA regions.

scholarly journals Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marthe Austgulen ◽  
Silje Skuland ◽  
Alexander Schjøll ◽  
Frode Alfnes
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
Group Interviews

Food production is associated with various environmental impacts and the production of meat is highlighted as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. A transition toward plant-based and low-meat diets has thus been emphasised as an important contribution to reducing climate change. By combining results from a consumer survey, focus group interviews and an in-store field experiment, this article investigates whether Norwegian consumers are ready to make food choices based on what is environmentally sustainable. We ask how consumers perceive the environmental impacts of food consumption, whether they are willing and able to change their food consumption in a more climate-friendly direction, and what influences their perceptions and positions. The results show that there is uncertainty among consumers regarding what constitutes climate- or environmentally friendly food choices and that few consumers are motivated to change their food consumption patterns for climate- or environmental reasons. Consumers’ support to initiatives, such as eating less meat and increasing the prices of meat, are partly determined by the consumers’ existing value orientation and their existing consumption practices. Finally, we find that although providing information about the climate benefits of eating less meat has an effect on vegetable purchases, this does not seem to mobilise consumer action any more than the provision of information about the health benefits of eating less meat does. The article concludes that environmental policies aiming to transfer part of the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to food consumers is being challenged by the fact that most consumers are still not ready to make food choices based on what is best for the climate or environment.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Produced in Western Washington: The Role of Logistics and Wood Species Mix

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Chen ◽  
Francesca Pierobon ◽  
Indroneil Ganguly
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Wood Species ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Cross Laminated Timber ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Western Washington ◽  
Manufacturing Facilities

The use of cross-laminated timber (CLT), as an environmentally sustainable building material, has generated significant interest among the wood products industry, architects and policy makers in Washington State. However, the environmental impacts of CLT panels can vary significantly depending on material logistics and wood species mix. This study developed a regionally specific cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of CLT produced in western Washington. Specifically, this study focused on transportation logistics, mill location, and relevant wood species mixes to provide a comparative analysis for CLT produced in the region. For this study, five sawmills (potential lamstock suppliers) in western Washington were selected along with two hypothetical CLT mills. The results show that the location of lumber suppliers, in reference to the CLT manufacturing facilities, and the wood species mix are important factors in determining the total environmental impacts of the CLT production. Additionally, changing wood species used for lumber from a heavier species such as Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) to a lighter species such as Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) could generate significant reduction in the global warming potential (GWP) of CLT. Given the size and location of the CLT manufacturing facilities, the mills can achieve up to 14% reduction in the overall GWP of the CLT panels by sourcing the lumber locally and using lighter wood species.

Meeting demand in a new era of east coast gas supply

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 686
Author(s):  
Will Pulsford
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
New Era ◽  
Demand Growth ◽  
Historical View ◽  
Operational Life ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
The Government ◽  
Gas Fields ◽  
Project Life ◽  
Gas Supply

Historically LNG projects have been established to monetise large gas finds in remote areas with little existing gas demand. The development of gas supply to the LNG project generally stimulated demand growth in the domestic gas market. As the supplying fields depleted, the LNG projects faced competition with domestic producers for declining gas supplies, but this was late in the project life when LNG plant capital had already been recovered. Recently, LNG export projects have been established within existing mature gas markets, most notably in Australia and North America. These plants now face competition with domestic gas consumers for access to feed gas from the beginning of their operational life when strong revenue has the greatest impact on the return earned on capital invested, with the greatest stress felt in Australia. This paper considers the underlying causes of domestic price rises experienced in Australia following the start-up of LNG export supplied from gas fields linked to the domestic market and the response by both plant developers/operators and the government. This historical view is used to inform forecasts of how the east coast gas market will react to the interplay between domestic and LNG plant demand, declining Bass Strait production, maturing CSG operations, LNG imports and completion of the Northern Gas Pipeline. In particular the ability of gas supply and pipeline capacity to meet the strongly seasonal domestic demand in Victoria and to a lesser extent NSW will be examined, together with the linkage to counter-cyclical seasonal demand for LNG from the Queensland LNG export plants in the key north Asian markets.

Earning community trust to operate – Northern Gas Pipeline

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 609
Author(s):  
Jonathan Spink
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Compressor Station ◽  
Land Access ◽  
Gas Processing ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Support Services ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Base Load

The Northern Gas Pipeline (NGP), is a 622-km gas pipeline in outback Australia that will connect gas reserves in the Northern Territory to the east coast gas market. With the current east coast gas crisis and continuing pressure to reduce coal-fired base load power, this project creates a new market to deliver additional gas to the east coast. The project includes the construction of the pipeline and two compressor station facilities at the start and end of the line: the Phillip Creek Compressor Station, which includes gas processing infrastructure, and the Mount Isa Compressor Station. The AU$800 million project began in November 2015 and first gas is scheduled to flow in late 2018. The bid to contract the pipeline included a range of local and Indigenous commitments that would maximise local participation in the project, ensuring that the social licence to achieve land access and government approvals was realised while keeping to a very aggressive timetable. Jemena worked closely with local businesses, communities and Traditional Owners to provide training and development opportunities, employment and other social support services. This approach has meant that the project is on track to deliver this nationally significant gas pipeline under budget, ahead of the contractual schedule requirement, while meeting or exceeding all local obligations and commitments.

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