July 2004
  • Gas from the North West Shelf JV’s fields begins flowing into the 4th LNG train at Burrup Peninsula gas facilities for first time.
  • Eastern Star Gas’ Coonarah gas field in Gunnadah Basin of New South Wales comes on stream to supply Wilga Park power station near Narrabri.
  • Yolla-4 development well intersects new petroleum reservoir in Yolla gas/condensate field in Bass Basin offshore Tasmania.
  • Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) signs the Australian Energy Market Agreement making a firm commitment from all governments – federal, state and territory – to streamline and improve quality of regulation in national energy market.
  • Scalybut-1 stepout well confirms presence of hydrocarbons in west flank of Woollybutt oil field in Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia.
  • Ravensworth-2 appraisal extends 2003 Ravensworth oil discovery in Carnarvon Basin 28km offshore Exmouth in Western Australia.
  • Queensland Gas Company has final certification of 378 bcf (389 petajoules) proved, probable and possible gas reserves at its Berwyndale South coal bed methane field in Surat Basin of Queensland.
  • Drillsearch Energy acquires OMV Australia’s interests and operatorship of the Turtle and Barnett undeveloped oil fields in the Bonaparte Gulf for $1million plus 5% overriding royalty to OMV in event of future production.
  • ACCC approves Caltex/Woolworths petrol retail alliance in Australia.
  • Queensland Energy Resources announces plans to wind down Stage 1 pilot plant of the Stuart oil shale project in Queensland and focus on design of Stage 2 commercial scale plant.
  • Origin Energy purchases Santos’ onshore Victorian Otway Basin interests for $25.75 million, including Mylor, Fenton Creek, Tregony, Seamer, McIntee, Lavers, Croft and Naylor gas fields and Heytesbury gas processing plant.
  • Perth-based explorer Elixir Petroleum lists on ASX.
  • Great Artesian Basin Oil flows gas/condensate from its Paranta field in Cooper Basin of South Australia.
  • Apache Energy begins development drilling of Bambra oil and gas field in Carnarvon Basin of Western Australia.
  • Sydney Gas Company begins 70-well development drilling program as part of Stage 2 of Camden coal bed methane gas project 50km south west of Sydney in New South Wales.
  • Australian Pipeline Trust acquires CMS Energy Corporation’s interests in Parmelia and Goldfields gas pipelines in Western Australia for $206 million.
  • Arrow Energy’s Tipton West coal bed methane field in Queensland is certified with 1086 petajoules of gas in proven, probable and possible reserves categories.
  • Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Company signs sales and purchase agreement to extend its purchases of North West Shelf gas: 0.5 million tones of LNG per year between 2009 and 2014 and 0.925 million tones LNG per year between 2015 and 2023.
  • North West Shelf JV celebrates 15 years of LNG production at Burrup Peninsula processing facilities.
  • New geothermal (hot rocks) explorer, Adelaide-based Petratherm, lists on ASX.
  • Oil Search signs agreement with Syntroleum Corporation of US to carry out a feasibility study for a barge-mounted gas-to-liquids facility in the Gulf of Papua based on PNG gas reserves.
  • Australia signs maritime boundary agreement with New Zealand in Tasman Sea and adjacent areas of the south west Pacific and Southern Oceans.