1959 - 1999

1959
  • 1959 Petroleum subsidy scheme broadened to include seismic and other survey work.
  • 1959 Formation of Queensland Petroleum Exploration Association (QUPEX)
  • 1959 Formation of the Australian Petroleum Exploration Association (APEA).
  • 1959 Geophysical Services International shallow-water survey for Frome-Broken Hill in Otway Basin, Victoria, first offshore seismic programme in Australia.
  • 1959 Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil takes out first offshore exploration leases in Gippsland Basin, Victoria
  • 1959 Innamincka-1 the first well in the Cooper Basin, is drilled by Delhi/SANTOS.
  • 1959 WAPET’s Meda-1 well brings oil to surface for first time in Canning Basin, Western Australia. But field is noncommercial.
  • 1959 Frome-Broken hill tests significant gas flow in Port Campbell No.1 well, Victorian Otway Basin.

 

1960s

  • 1960 Institute Francaise du Petrole (IFP) contracted by Australian Government to survey the country’s oil potential.
  • 1960 Associated Group finds gas in Timbury Hills-2 near Roma, Queensland.
  • 1960 Gas blowout in Union oil group’s Cabawin-1, Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1960 Consultant Lewis Weeks recommends BHP explore Bass Strait.
  • 1961 First APEA conference held in Melbourne.
  • 1961 Cabawin-1 tests gas and light oil.
  • 1961 Union group’s Moonie-1 flows oil in Surat Basin Queensland.
  • 1962 Moonie declared Australia’s first commercial oil field after 18 months appraisal work.
  • 1963 Woodside awarded North West Shelf permits, Western Australia.
  • 1963 Delhi/SANTOS find Gidgealpa gas field in Cooper Basin South Australia.
  • 1963 Ooraminna-1 records hydrocarbon shows from Ordovician/Cambrian reservoirs in the Amadeus Basin of central Australia — the oldest such occurrence known in the world.
  • 1963 IFP report is generally lukewarm about Australia’s oil potential.
  • 1963 APEA Petroleum Club formed in Sydney — the forerunner of the Association’s technical division.
  • 1964 Esso farms into BHP Bass Strait acreage, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
  • 1964 Moonie field comes on stream as Australia’s first commercial oil project.
  • 1964 Union Oil group finds Alton oil field in Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1964 Phillips Petroleum group finds Gilmore gas field in central Queensland.
  • 1964 Exoil finds Mereenie oil/gas field in Amadeus Basin, central Australia via spectacular blowout.
  • 1964 WAPET finds oil at Barrow Island, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • Mid — 1960s First use of satellite position fixing and digital recording instruments in seismic surveys.
  • 1965 WAPET finds second, shallower reservoir in Barrow Island field.
  • 1965 Esso/BHP finds Barracouta gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1965 Magellan Petroleum finds Palm Valley field in Amadeus Basin, Central Australia.
  • 1966 WAPET finds Dongara gas field in Perth Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1966 Esso/BHP finds Marlin gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1966 Delhi/SANTOS finds Moomba gas field in Cooper Basin, South Australia.
  • 1966 Alliance Oil Development’s Caroline No.1 well in Otway Basin of South Australia finds commercial carbon dioxide field.
  • 1967 Naturalist Harry Butler appointed conservation consultant to WAPET in early industry move to protect the environment.
  • 1967 APEA Petroleum Club formalized into the APEA Professional Division (the forerunner of PESA) with a branch in each State.
  • 1967 Esso/BHP finds Halibut, Kingfish and Dolphin oil fields, Gipplsand Basin, Victoria.
  • 1967 Woodside finds Golden Beach gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1967 Woodside drills Ashmore Reef-1 — first well on North West Shelf Acreage.
  • 1968 Esso/BHP finds Perch oil, Tuna oil/gas, Snapper gas and Flounder oil fields, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1968 Woodside’s Legendre-1 well finds first hydrocarbons (oil) on North West Shelf.
  • 1968 Esso/BHP strike fixed price arrangement with Australian Government for Bass Strait crude production.
  • 1968 Joint Federal-State legislations for jurisdiction of continental shelf regions.
  • 1969 Esso/BHP finds Mackerel oil and Bream oil/gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1969 Aquitaine group’s Petrel-1 wildcat in Bonaparte Gulf finds gas with spectacular blowout.
  • 1969 Delhi group finds Toolachee gas field in Cooper Basin, South Australia.

 

1970s

  • 1970 AAR finds Rolleston gas field in Bowen Basin, Queensland.
  • 1970 Hartogen drilling confirms Kincora as commercial gas field in Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1970 Cooper Basin discoveries at Merrimelia (gas), Strzelecki (gas), Della (gas), and Tirrawarra (oil), all in South Australia.
  • Early 1970s Introduction of LANDSAT photo imagery and seismic stratigraphy to geological survey work.
  • 1971 Cooper Basin of South Australia discoveries Big Lake (gas), Moorari (oil), and Fly Lake (oil).
  • 1971 Woodside North West Shelf gas/condensate discoveries — Scott Reef, North Rankin and Goodwyn, Western Australia.
  • 1971 Aquitaine finds Tern gas field in Bonaparte Gulf, Western Australia.
  • 1972 Five more Cooper Basin gas discoveries at Brumby, Brolga, Epsilon, Burke and Dullingari.
  • 1972 Aquitaine finds Puffin oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory.
  • 1972 Essoo/BHP find Cobia field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1972 Woodside find Angel gas/condensate field, North West Shelf, Western Australia.
  • 1973 Petroleum Search Subsidy scheme terminated.
  • 1974 APEA Professional Division becomes an independent, but still affilitiated body and is renamed the Petroleum Exploration Association of Australia (PESA).
  • 1974 Barrier Reef Royal Commission report bans further drilling on Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.
  • 1974 Bridge Oil finds Silver Springs gas/condensate field, Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1974 Drillship Regional Endeavour launched in New South Wales.
  • 1975 Federal Government introduces world parity pricing for Australian crude oil.
  • 1976 Semisubmersible Ocean Endeavour launched in Western Australia.
  • 1976 Namur gas field in South Australia is first find in Eromanga Basin.
  • 1976 Semisubmesible Southern Cross launched in Queensland.
  • 1977 Gazettal of deep-water Exmouth Plateau permits off Western Australia.
  • 1977 APEA draws up pioneering Code of Environmental Practice.
  • 1978 Delhi/SANTOS group finds first commercial Eromanga oil at Strzelecki and Dullingari North fields, South Australia.
  • 1979 Successful Palm Valley and Mereenie field development negotiations represent significant advance in Aboriginal relations.

1980s
  • 1980 Western Australian Government and Amax Petroleum confront Aborigines in land rights claim at Noonkanbah Station in the Kimberleys over Fitzroy River No.1 well.
  • 1980 Perth Basin discoveries Mt Horner (oil) and Woodada (gas), Western Australia.
  • 1980 Esso/BHP finds Scarborough gas field, Exmouth Plateau, Western Australia.
  • 1981 Western Australian finds include Gorgon gas (offshore Carnarvon Basin), Blina oil (onshore Canning Basin) and Tubridgi gas (onshore Carnarvon Basin), plus Goodwyn No.6 well finds oil leg.
  • 1981 Delhi/SANTOS group finds Jackson oil field, Eromanga Basin, Queensland - Australia's largest onshore oil field.
  • 1981 BHPP group finds Riverslea oil field, Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1983 Western Australian offshore finds include North Herald, Chervil and Harriet/Lenita (oil) and Wilcox (gas/condensate).
  • 1983 Hartogen group finds Tintaburra oil field, Eromanga Basin, Queensland.
  • 1983 BHPP finds Jabiru oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory.
  • 1983 Esso/BHP finds Whiting oil field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1984 North Rankin A Platform commissioned at North West Shelf Venture.
  • 1984 BHPP finds Challis oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory.
  • 1985 WAPET finds Saladin oil field, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1985 Resource Rent Tax introduced to offshore ‘greenfield’ areas.
  • 1985-86 Queensland Surat Basin finds include Fairymount, Louise and Taylor oil fields.
  • 1986 Esso/BHP/Shell group finds Kipper gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1986 World price of oil crashes to below $US10 per barrel.
  • 1986 Bass Strait oil production begins its decline.
  • 1988 Free market introduced for Australian crude oil marketing.
  • 1989 North West Sheld Venture makes first LNG shipment, beginning Australia's gas exporting industry.
  • 1989 Woodside finds Wanaea oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia.
  • 1989 Chevron Niugini group finds Agogo oil/gas field in Papua New Guinea.
  • 1989 Government calls submissions for complete review of oil taxation.
  • 1989 Australia and Indonesia sign Timor Gap Treaty to allow exploration in newly created joint development zone in Timor Sea.
  • 1989 BHP brings Challis oil field on stream in Timor Sea.
  • 1989 Wapet brings Saladin oil field on stream in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia
  • 1989 Wapet finds Cowle oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1989 Esso/BHPP find Blackback oil field in Bass Strait

1990s
  • 1990 Woodside finds Cossack oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia.
  • 1990 SANTOS group finds oil at Talbot in Timor Sea.
  • 1990 BHP Petroleum finds Griffin oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia.
  • 1990 Federal Government extends Resource Rent Tax regime to all Bass Strait oil and gas production with effect from July. It also extends RRT deductibility to all offshore areas within the regime.
  • 1990 SANTOS group finds oil at Malgoona, Cooper/Eromanga Basin, South Australia.
  • 1990 Denison Trough gas fields come onstream to Brisbane.
  • 1990 Santos finds Bowen and Rheims oil fields in southwest Queensland, Callabonna oil field and Moolalla and Caraka gas fields in South Australia.
  • 1990 Sumitomo begins feasibility study into Darwin LNG plant.
  • 1990 Hadson finds Sinbad gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1990 Queensland State-owned gas pipeline from Surat to Gladstone comes onstream.
  • 1990 Oil Company of Australia buys Hartogen Energy's Surat Basin oil and gas interests.
  • 1990 Woodside finds Yodel gas/condensate field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1990 Federal Government puts Moomba-Sydney gas line up for sale with AGL having first right of refusal.
  • 1990 BHPP finds oil in Tahbilk prospect in Timor Sea.
  • 1990 Australian Government extends its territorial sea from 3 nautical miles to 12 nautical miles offshore.
  • 1991 Ampolex finds Wandoo oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1991 Establishment of Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre in Geelong, Victoria for oil spill response and training.
  • 1991 First exploration permits awarded in new Zone of Cooperation (Timor Gap) between Australia and Indonesia.
  • 1991 Portugal mounts International Court of Justice action against Australia over validity of Timor Gap Treaty.
  • 1991 Federal Government announces intention to deregulate interstate gas trade.
  • 1992 Santos secures contract to supply 300 petajoules of gas from southwest Queensland fields to South Australia over 10 years beginning January 1994.
  • 1992 Harriet field gas comes on stream into Western Australian domestic grid.
  • 1992 Esso/BHPP's Kingfish field in Bass Strait produces its one billionth barrel of oil.
  • 1992 BHP's Skua oil field comes on stream in Timor Sea.
  • 1992 Sagasco's Beharra Springs gas plant in Perth Basin comes onstream.
  • 1992 Esso/BHP discover oil at Moonfish prospect in Bass Strait.
  • 1992 Federal Government changes name of Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) to Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) and creates the separate Bureau of Resource Sciences (BRS) from former BMR's minerals assessment section and former Bureau of Rural Resources (BRR).
  • 1992 Woodside group brings third LNG train on stream for the North West Shelf gas project on Burrup Peninsula, WA.
  • 1992 Stirling Resources finds gas in Point Torment prospect in Canning Basin onshore WA.
  • 1992 Santos acquires upstream oil and gas interests of AGL.
  • 1992 Mabo land rights claim upheld in Australian High Court.
  • 1993 Western Mining Corporation finds East Spar gas field in Carnarvon Basin off WA.
  • 1993 Hadson Energy discovers Stag oil field in Carnarvon Basin off WA.
  • 1993 Wandoo oil field comes on stream off WA.
  • 1993 BHP finds Minerva gas field in Otway Basin offshore western Victoria and West Muiron gas field in Carnarvon Basin off WA.
  • 1993 Independent Scientific Review of reports Australia's offshore petroleum industry is environmentally sound.
  • 1993 Boral wins takeover battle for Sagasco Holdings.
  • 1994 BHP brings Griffin oil field on stream off WA.
  • 1994 Petroz finds Elang oil field in Timor Gap.
  • 1994 APEA moves its secretariat from Sydney to Canberra.
  • 1994 Western Mining Corporation wins Federal Court decision over WMC's challenge to compulsory acquisition without compensation of its 1970s Timor Gap area oil exploration permit
  • 1994 Installation of Woodside group's Goodwyn A production platform finally completed 12 months behind schedule after mechanical problems with foundation piles.
  • 1994 Woodside finds Laminaria oil field in Timor Sea.
  • 1994 MIM finds Cocos gas field in Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland.
  • 1995 Wapet finds Chrysaor gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1995 BHPP finds Kakatua oil field in Timor Gap.
  • 1995 Woodside signs new price agreement with Japanese LNG buyers in a five-year deal backdated to April 1994.
  • 1995 Woodside brings Goodwyn gas/condensate field on stream as part of North West Shelf gas project.
  • 1995 Phillips Petroleum finds Bayu gas/condensate field in Timor Gap.
  • 1995 BHPP finds Elang West field in Timor Gap.
  • 1995 Woodside finds Perseus gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1995 OCA finds Thylungra gas/condensate field in Cooper/Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland.
  • 1995 APEA opens secretariat branch office in Perth.
  • 1995 International Court in The Hague upholds validity of Australia's Timor Gap Treaty with Indonesia by ruling against a challenge from Portugal.
  • 1995 IOL finds Inland oil field in Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland.
  • 1995 BHPP finds Undan gas/condensate field in Timor Gap indicating it is on the same structure as Phillips Petroleum's Bayu adjacent field.
  • 1995 Ampolex finds Wonnich oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.
  • 1995 Boral buys Doral's interest in Tubridgi gas field in WA.
  • 1995 Apache Energy finds Wonnich gas field in Carnarvon Basin off WA.
  • 1995 APEA changes name to Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA)
  • 1995 Woodside unveils plant for $5 billion expansion of North West Shelf facilities on Burrup Peninsula, WA to double LNG production.
  • 1995 Santos secures contract to supply southwest Queensland gas to Brisbane buyers.
  • 1995 Esso/BHPP find oil leg under Turrum gas field in Bass Strait.
  • 1995 Woodside sells 500th cargo of LNG to Japan and brings its new LPG production facilities on the Burrup Peninsula on stream.
  • 1995 Woodside brings Wanaea/Cossack fields on stream off Western Australia.
  • 1995 Woodside finds Corallina oil field in Timor Sea.
  • 1996 Australia's first coal seam gas projects come onstream.
  • 1996 BHPP finds oil in Jahal prospect in Timor Sea.
  • 1996 Woodside gives green light for development of the Laminaria/Corallina oil fields in Timor Sea.
  • 1996 Goldfields pipeline from Carnarvon Basin fields to Kalgoorlie/Kambalda via the Pilbara comes on stream.
  • 1996 ICI's Moomba-Sydney ethane pipeline comes on stream.
  • 1996 The concrete base for Ampolex's Wandoo platform is floated out from Bunbury fabrication site and up to the field location.
  • 1996 Apache Energy gives green light for development of Stag oil field off Western Australia.
  • 1996 BHP brings its coal seam gas project at Moura coal mine in Queensland on stream.
  • 1996 Santos signs contract to supply up to 375 petajoules of southwest Queensland gas to MIM Holdings to power Mt Isa.
  • 1996 Western Mining (WMC) decides to sell out of the oil and gas business.
  • 1996 Esso/BHPP's Bream B and West Tuna field concrete gravity base platforms installed in Bass Strait after tow from Port Kembla construction site.
  • 1996 BHPP finds Buffalo oil field in Timor Sea.
  • 1996 International Petroleum Corporation and Chevron Asiatic groups join forces to plan a major gas pipeline link between PNG and Queensland.
  • 1996 BHPP gives green light to Elang/Kakatua oil field development in Timor Gap.
  • 1996 Esso/BHPP reach agreement resolving petroleum resource rent tax dispute over Bass Strait gas production.
  • 1996 East Spar gas field comes onstream in Western Australia.
  • 1996 Conoco brings its Bowen Basin coal seam gas project onstream with deliveries via pipeline to Gas Corporation of Queensland.
  • 1196 Shell finds Cornea oil field in Browse Basin off WA.
  • 1996 BHPP finds Kakatua North oil field in Timor Gap.
  • 1996 Wapet finds Dionysus gas field near Gorgon in Carnarvon Basin off WA.
  • 1997 Mobil finds Athena gas field and Woollybutt oil field in offshore Carnarvon Basin, WA.
  • 1997 Woodside finds oil at Jaubert-1 on North West Shelf; renames it Legendre-3, realising it is an extension of the Legendre oil field.
  • 1997 Woodside’s Keast-1 wildcat finds gas/condensate in offshore Carnarvon Basin, WA.
  • 1997 BHP extends Kakatua oil field in Timor Gap with discovery in Kakatua North-1 wildcat.
  • 1997 WAPET finds Dionysus gas field in offshore Carnarvon Basin.
  • 1997 Esso/BHP’s Turrum oil field comes on stream via Marlin platform in offshore Gippsland Basin, Victoria.
  • 1997 Western Mining Corporation (WMC) completes withdrawal from all its petroleum interests.
  • 1997 Shell finds oil at Cornea-1 in Browse Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1997 Federal Government releases 10-point plan in response to 1996 High Court Wik Native Title decision.
  • 1997 CMS Energy acquires West Australian Natural Gas pipeline from Dongara to Perth.
  • 1997 Gas Transmission Corp of Victoria buys Iona gas field in onshore Otway Basin to establish a peak saving gas storage reservoir.
  • 1997 North West Shelf Project participants extend domestic gas sales with a $1 billion contract to supply AlintaGas with 80 terajoules/day for 15 years from 2005.
  • 1997 Establishment of the cross-industry forum Australian Competitive Energy (ACE).
  • 1997 Arc Energy buys Dongara gas field from CMS Energy Gas Transmission.
  • 1997 Apache group’s Agincourt oil field comes on stream in offshore Carnarvon Basin.
  • 1998 Santos gas discoveries in Cooper/Eromanga Basins of Queensland include Curri and Hera.
  • 1998 Santos gas discoveries in Cooper/Eromanga Basin of South Australia include Grenache, Cardam, Aranta, Vatore, Shiraz, Scrubby Creek, Ficus, Verona, Moonanga, Merlot, Mica, Terrace, Moolion North, Cabernet and Welcome Lake East.
  • 1998 Oil Company of Australia buys Conoco’s Queensland coal med methane operations.
  • 1998 Fairview/Durham coal seam gas fields begin commercial production in Queensland.
  • 1998 Boral Energy (now Origin Energy) finds gas/condensate in Redman-1 wildcat onshore Otway Basin, South Australia.
  • 1998 Epic Energy buys Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline for $2.4 billion.
  • 1998 BHPP exits downstream petroleum industry with sale of its refinery in Hawaii and sells its interests in Timor Sea oilfields Jabiru, Challis and Skua.
  • 1998 Federal Government’s Energy Research and Development Corporation disbanded.
  • 1998 Woodside/Shell confirms Evans Shoal as large gas field in eastern Timor Sea and extends Sunset field west into the Timor Gap.
  • 1998 Federal Government proclaims 1.7 million hectare Great Australian Bight multiple use marine park.
  • 1998 AGL’s Ballera to Mt Isa gas pipeline comes onstream.
  • 1998 Woodside and Shell form alliance for their upstream operations.
  • 1998 Apache Energy finds Gipsy, Rose and Lee gas/condensate fields in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1998 Explosion and fire at Esso/BHP’s Longford gas plant claims two lives and disrupts gas supplies and oil production.
  • 1998 Santos finds oil in Mutineer-1B well in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1998 The $50 million interconnect gas pipeline linking NSW and Victorian gas grids comes on stream.
  • 1998 Boral Energy (now Origin Energy) confirms Yolla gas field as significant discovery in Tasmanian Bass Basin and finds oil at Jacaranda Ridge-1 in onshore Otway Basin, South Australia.
  • 1998 Mobil Oil Australia and Shell Australia sign Memorandum of Understanding to merge their refining assets. (The scheme is disbanded in early1999 following the global merger of Exxon and Mobil late in 1998).
  • 1998 Cultus Petroleum’s Tenacious West-1 confirms Tenacious oil field in Timor Sea.
  • 1998 Mobil finds John Brooks gas/condensate field in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1998 Apache Energy group’s Stag oil field comes on stream in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1998 Woodside finds Vincent oil field in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1998 Federal Parliament passes Native Title Amendments Bill.
  • 1998 BHP’s Elang-Kakatua oil field comes on stream in Timor Gap.
  • 1998 Green light for development of BHP’s Buffalo oil field in Timor Sea.
  • 1998 Caltex and BP propose a merger of their four Australian refining interests. (Negotiations on the deal were discontinued early in 1999).
  • 1998 Federal Government releases National Greenhouse Strategy.
  • 1998 Federal Government makes changes to Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) to address uncertainties in taxation of integrated gas-to-liquids projects such as LNG.
  • 1999 Santos finds Touriga, Raven, Meranjie East gas fields in South Australian sector of Cooper/Eromanga basins and Windigo, Winninia North and Juno North gas fields in Queensland portion of Cooper/Eromanga.
  • 1999 BHP’s Blackback oil field in offshore Gippsland Basin comes on stream.
  • 1999 Apache Energy finds onshore Sage oil field and offshore gas at North Gypsy-1 in Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1999 Australia LNG (ALNG) formed to market Australian gas to potential non-Japanese customers in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • 1999 BHP sells out of Elang-Kakatua and Bayu-Undan oil and gas fields in Timor Gap.
  • 1999 Construction completed on Stuart oil shale pilot plant near Gladstone, Queensland.
  • 1999 WAPET finds Geryon and Orthrus gas/condensate fields in offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1999 Woodside finds oil and gas at Batavus and oil at Enfield offshore Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.
  • 1999 Mosaic Oil purchases 12 producing fields, plant, pipeline and infrastructure in Silver Springs region of Surat Basin, Queensland.
  • 1999 Oil Company of Australia (Boral, now Origin) signs 20-year agreement to supply coal seam gas to BP’s Bulwer Island oil refinery in Brisbane.
  • 1999 Beginning of re-gazettal of South Australian Cooper/Eromanga Basin acreage relinquished by Santos which it had held since 1954.
  • 1999 Woodside begins commercial development of Legendre oil field in offshore Carnarvon Basin.
  • 1999 Federal Government allows Shell group to waive permit commitments on disappointing Cornea oil field in Browse Basin, WA on proviso of equivalent spending in other unlicensed acreage.
  • 1999 Woodside’s Laminaria/Corallina oil fields come on stream in Timor Sea.
  • 1999 Federal Government launches National Oceans Policy.
  • 1999 Green light given for Bayu-Undan field liquids phase development.