About APPEA | APPEA

APPEA – The Voice of Australia’s Oil and Gas Industry

Since 1959, the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association Ltd (APPEA) has been the peak national body representing the collective interests of the upstream oil and gas exploration and production industry.   The Association has more than 75 full member companies that explore for and produce Australia’s oil and gas resources.

These companies currently account for an estimated 98 per cent of the nation’s petroleum production.  In addition, APPEA also represents more than 150 associate member companies that provide a wide range of goods and services to industry.

APPEA actively assists its members by working with the Australian, state and territory governments to ensure that the regulatory and commercial framework promotes investment and maximises the return to the Australian community from the identification and development of the nation’s oil and gas resources.

APPEA aims to secure the right conditions so that member companies can operate in a safe, sustainable, and profitable manner.   Importantly, the Association also seeks to increase community and government understanding of the upstream petroleum industry by publishing information about its activities and economic importance to the nation.

The Association also conducts a number of forums for exchanging ideas and contributing to the development of the industry’s policy positions.

Level 10, 60 Marcus Clarke Street
Canberra ACT 2600

Belinda Robinson: Chief Executive
Mark McCallum: Deputy Chief Executive - Policy & External Relations
Noel Mullen: Deputy Chief Executive - Commercial & Corporate
Michael Bradley: Director - Communications
Damian Dwyer: Director - Energy Markets & Climate Change
Moira Lawler: Manager - Events Administration
Jennifer Lee: Finance Officer
Nicole Minifie: Executive Assistant - Office Coordinator
Ranga Parimala: Director - Exploration & Access
Tracey Pinto: Part-time Accountant
Steve Rotherham: Journalist/Communications Coordinator
Cath Sutton: Company Secretary - Director - Support Services Coordination
Casey Topp: Senior Officer: Administration & Events
Clare Valence: Senior Policy Adviser - Greenhouse - Energy Policy & Environment

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Level 9, 10 Market Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000

APPEA's prestigious Gold Medal awards recognise the leadership and contributions of individuals to development of Australia's oil and gas industry.

APPEA has also instituted two scholarships to encourage students to pursue academic excellence in the field of oil and gas and related disciplines.

The awards are normally presented at the annual APPEA Conference that takes place between March and May of each year.

Submissions and nominations are welcome based on specific criteria provided for each individual award.

For information on APPEA's safety and environmental awards please see the Policy & Industry section of this website.

The Reg Sprigg Medal, formerly the APEA Gold Medal, is awarded by the APPEA Board in recognition of an individual's outstanding service in promoting the objectives of the Australian oil and gas exploration and production industry.

The medal was introduced in 1989 and renamed the Reg Sprigg Medal in 1995 to commemorate the outstanding service that Dr Reginald Sprigg AO (1919-1994) provided to the petroleum industry through his own work and as the Founding Chairman of APPEA.

Candidates may be considered eligible for their outstanding service towards promoting the objectives of the industry through highly valued contributions in and to the Australian oil and gas industry or notable and sustained leadership pertaining to the Association. Nominations for the award are required to be seconded by a Director of the APPEA Board.

Previous winners of the Reg Sprigg Medal

• 2010 Eve Howell
• 2009 Reg Nelson
• 2008 Eric Streitberg
• 2007 No award made
• 2006 Barry Jones
• 2005 Agu Kantsler
• 2004 No award made
• 2003 John G Fuller
• 2002 Rick Wilkinson
• 2001 Nicholas Heath
• 2000 Dr Peter Power
• 1999 John Hinkins
• 1998 David McDonald
• 1997 Dennis Benbow
• 1996 Charles Allen
• 1995 John McArdle
• 1994 Keith Orchison
• 1993 Rees Withers
• 1992 John Boynthon
• 1991 Richard Dumbrell
• 1990 Peter Tapper
• 1989 Allan Prince

Each year the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association invites nominations for the award of the Lewis G. Weeks Gold Medal which commemorates the contribution to the Australian petroleum industry of Dr Lewis Weeks, who epitomised the purpose of the medal by his pioneering work in Bass Strait.

To become eligible for consideration for the award, a candidate must have made an outstanding contribution to the art, science and practice of petroleum exploration which in turn has materially encouraged or stimulated the climate for exploring for and producing oil and gas in Australia by either:

• The successful application of exploration techniques.
• The development of improved exploration methods.
• Substantial contributions through teaching or administration.

Past Winners of the Lewis G Weeks Medal

• 2010 Peter and Robyn Purcell
• 2009 No award made
• 2008 No award made
• 2007 Dr Marita Bradshaw
• 2006 No award made
• 2005 Dr Trevor Powell
• 2004 Dr Peter J Cook
• 2003 Dr Robin Helby
• 2002 Bob Laws
• 2001 Charles Allen
• 2000 Professor Bob Alexander
• 1999 Dr S. Bevan Devine
• 1998 Dr William Stuart
• 1997 Mr Hugh Crocker
• 1996 Professor S. Warren Carey
• 1995 Dr Phillip Playford
• 1994 Mr Roy Hopkins
• 1993 Dr Peter Power
• 1992 Mr John Zehnder
• 1991 No award made
• 1990 No award made
• 1989 No award made
• 1988 Mr Ken Richards
• 1987 Mr Maurice Alan Condon
• 1986 Mr David James McGarry, AM
• 1985 Mr Geoff Donaldson, AO
• 1984 Professor Eric Rudd, AC
• 1983 Mr Doug Traves, OBE
• 1982 Dr Reginald Sprigg, AO

The award is presented annually to honours, Masters or PhD students from an Australian university for the award of a one-off grant to a maximum value of $3000.

The purpose of the fund is to help students aspiring to, or considering, a career in the petroleum exploration and production industry in any discipline directly related to the industry. This could include, but is not restricted to, exploration, safety, engineering, environment, economic or legal areas.

Tony Noon worked at APPEA from 1994 - 1998. His principal responsibilities were to the Health Safety & Production and Exploration Committees. His work on these Committees was outstanding and his contribution to APPEA and the industry during his time at the Canberra office was exceptional. Sadly, Tony Noon passed away in September 1998 following a long battle with leukaemia. Subsequently, the APPEA Board approved the establishment of the Tony Noon Memorial Fund.

The fund has been established in memory of Tony Noon who made an outstanding contribution to the petroleum industry through his work with the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy and later as a member of the APPEA staff.

Funds cannot be used for any purpose other than as set out in the successful application.

APPEA reserves the right not to award the funds if it deems the applicants are not of a suitable calibre.

Criteria for the award

Applications must be attending the university in the year of application and must be an Australian resident or citizen.
Applications must provide details of the funds sought the purpose to which they will be applied, and a statement setting out how the applicant and their career will benefit.
Applications may seek support for, but necessarily not be limited to:

• travel within or outside Australia
• attend an appropriate conference to present a appear or poster describing their original work in a petroleum-related discipline
• work with relevant companies or academic institutions.

Past Winners of the Tony Noon Memorial Fund

• 2007 Hamed Soroush, Curtin University
• 2006 Charles Gao, Curtin University
• 2005 Elena Mazourenko, Flinders University
• 2004 Patrick Tyrrell, University of New South Wales
• 2003 Scott Dyksterhuis, University of Sydney
• 2002 Victor Nguyen, University of New South Wales
• 2001 Jason McKenna, Curtin University
• 2000 Claire Wilhelm, University of Western Australia

The KA Richards Scholarship was established in 1989 to encourage professional development to the benefit of the industry. The scholarship is tenable for one year for Masters study or for three years full time for a doctoral degree, or for an appropriate length of part-time study, but is non-renewable or extendable.

The Scholarship is available to Australian residents for study in Australia. The Award is for a maximum of $10,000 per year. Funds are available to use for:

• living
• travel
• materials
• laboratory or computer services
• fees

One can hold the scholarship in conjunction with another. The recipient of the award may be invited to deliver a paper at the annual APPEA Conference.

This scholarship was presented to Mr Paul Hoffman, University of Western Australia at the 2009 APPEA Annual General Meeting held in Perth on 14 October 2009.

This scholarship is not available until 2012, details and criteria will be made available then.

The JN Pierce Award for excellence in journalism is named in honour of John Pierce - affectionately known as "JN Pierce". John was a leading Australian resources writer who worked for a variety of national papers.

The J N Pierce award recognises excellence in journalism with respect to the upstream petroleum industry. It is open to all forms of media - print, television, radio and on-line. The selection criteria include excellence of writing style, accuracy of research, ethics, newsworthiness, flair and creativity, and public benefit.

Previous winners of the APPEA JN Pierce Award

• 2009 Colin Hay - Oil and Gas Australia
• 2008 Chris Mitchell - The Australian
• 2007 Greg Hoy - ABC, 7.30 Report
• 2006 Ian Howarth - The Australian Financial Review
• 2005 Nigel Wilson - The Australian
• 2004 Mark Davis - The Australian Financial Review

Submissions for this award are accepted throughout the year.