bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pipeline routing challenges for upstream PNG LNG project
Authors: Coyne Carmel , Hamilton Guy , Young Grant , Sale Grant
Published: August 2017

The Kikori Basin in Papua New Guinea is the host environment for the gas production and onland transport facilities for ExxonMobil’s PNG LNG. The remoteness of the basin, its vast expanses of intact primary tropical forest, ruggedness, varied and low density population, and the localised impacts of the existing oil and gas industry provided considerable environmental and social challenges to routing and siting of project facilities and infrastructure.
Meeting the project’s demanding permitting schedule, while retaining flexibility in design scope for contractor execution, necessitated that the routing process advance at two scales. One was a broad scale that settled a route for project environmental impact assessment using data at the scale of existing regional mapping supplemented by rapid assessment field surveys on the ground; and another a fine scale using pre-construction surveys to identify small-scale constraints to be avoided by tactical routing at a local scale of tens or hundreds of metres for environmental management planning.
Reducing potential impacts on the environment was a project priority and the routing process used was integral to this. The approach allowed the project to overcome ubiquitous high value environmental constraints under the scrutiny of project lenders focussed on satisfying industry’s international good practice environmental and social guidelines.
This paper will expand on the routing process, including the methods used and key players. The lessons will provide valuable awareness of issues and hurdles to be overcome for other companies intent on developing future oil and gas developments in Papua New Guinea and similar difficult geographies.
Successful strategies for native title and Aboriginal cultural heritage approvals—;an examination through the development of the Queensland CSG and LNG industry
Authors: Scott Gavin , Flynn Leonie
Published: August 2017

2009 saw an unprecedented level of engagement between oil and gas companies in Queensland and Aboriginal groups, primarily because of Queensland’s burgeoning CSG/LNG industry. Most proponents have had to deal with native title and Aboriginal cultural heritage arrangements with multiple parties simultaneously, often in the early stages of project developments where project certainty is low. Many native title parties have also had to deal with multiple projects at the same time. This has added an extra layer of complexity to what is already a difficult negotiation and regulatory landscape.Queensland and Commonwealth legislation impose a complex system of regulatory approvals governing the interaction of Aboriginal interests and oil and gas projects. Project proponents must comply with state petroleum legislation and Commonwealth native title legislation to ensure approvals are validly granted.
This paper will examine the complex legislative and regulatory hurdles that have been faced by project proponents in the Queensland CSG/LNG industry in managing native title and Aboriginal cultural heritage issues. The paper will critically analyse the generally accepted strategies being implemented to address native title and Aboriginal cultural heritage issues. This will include a specific focus on the legal requirements to obtain indigenous land use agreements, the fundamental issues required to be addressed to achieve the authorisation and registration of these agreements, and the alternative options if it is not possible to obtain these agreements. Finally, the paper will conclude with some commentary on the legal aspects of managing Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Successfully managing Aboriginal cultural heritage—LNG and other stories
Authors: Travers Paul
Published: August 2017

The various LNG projects in Queensland presented industry and traditional owners with a unique set of circumstances. On the one hand, LNG proponents were required to engage individually with traditional owner groups regarding cultural heritage. On the other hand, traditional owner groups were dealing with a variety of LNG proponents each seeking agreement about the same thing but in different ways.
The paper examines this issue, considers a number of the pitfalls, and asks whether there is a case for standardising the management of cultural heritage. The current review of the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 appears to support this approach.
This paper will also look at the various ways cultural heritage has been managed in Queensland, as well as in other states and territories, and assesses whether there really is a better way for proponents in the oil and gas industry to manage this issue.
Paul Travers was responsible for developing Queensland’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003. He also drafted the Aboriginal cultural heritage duty of care and cultural heritage management guidelines under the legislation. He has worked with LNG proponents and traditional owners in relation to LNG projects in Queensland. He brings an interesting and unique take on the essential elements of successful cultural heritage management.
The design and application of a polymer EOR trial on Barrow Island
Authors: Widjanarko Wisnu , Welton Paul , Leòn Echeverría Daniel , Hartanto Lina , Scott John , Fletcher Alistair , Costelloe Paul
Published: August 2017

The design and application of a chemical EOR pilot for a complex, low-permeability waterflood will be presented. Our focus has been on developing appropriate field application options, allowing flexibility of operation against a background of reservoir complexity and uncertainty.
Australia’s Barrow Island Windalia reservoir, the nation’s largest onshore waterflood, was developed in the late 1960s. Cumulative oil production to date is over 288 MMSTBO.
Planning a chemical EOR scheme needs to address the following reservoir and production characteristics:

highly heterogeneous, very fine grained, bioturbated argillaceous sandstone, high in glauconite;
high porosity (0.28) but low permeability (5 mD with 20 mD+ streaks);
production and injection necessarily stimulated by induced fractures
highly saline and hard brine; and,
large waterflood pattern volumes (10 MMbbl at 20 acre well spacing).

Initial screening recommended that polymers be considered for sweep improvement and conformance control, although reservoir complexity presented a challenge.
In this paper, we summarise the subsurface studies, and subsequent petroleum engineering and facilities design, which lead to the successful pilot start-up in May 2009. In particular, we discuss the implications on design and operation of a pilot in a Class A nature reserve. Results from the proposed polymer pilot flood will allow assessment of further chemical EOR applications and potential field-wide scale-up.
A new safety arena—the safety challenges of new floating structure applications
Authors: Rawlings Matthew , Bower-White Graham
Published: August 2017

For a long time Australian waters have been known to contain huge stranded gas reserves, and many of these reserves are now planned to be unlocked by recent technological advances.
Recent development of technology and application has seen the emergence of new floating development applications ranging from large scale gas-condensate FPSOs, FLNG, semi-submersibles supporting mega sized gas-condensate topsides, through to dynamically positioned drill ships.
Traditional safety engineering approaches to FPSO design in the past 20 years that apply to oil developments often do not automatically apply to these new floating applications. Inherent safety risks fundamental to the new application and their associated practical solutions need to be understood and worked using a first principles approach. This may often result in the implementation of solutions involving counter intuitive philosophies and safety in design practices.
The safety challenges of new floating applications involve engineers, fabricators, operators and certifying agencies and apply across all phases of project implementation: assessment, selection, definition, execution and operation.
This paper maps out some of the key challenges and risks associated with the new floating structure applications. It also lays out the need for integrated, innovative thinking not only in the early project phases but also in the design processes, fabrication, testing and certification phases.
It also describes the requirement for industry participation in Australia as the ever-increasing pressure to fast track project implementation continues, and the Australian oil and gas industry begins to receive many first of a kind applications.
Making good weather-based decisions
Authors: Bergin Mike
Published: August 2017

Processes in good weather-based decision making:

Understand the threat.
While wind and rainfall threats are generally well understood, some other events—such as negative storm surge, long distance lightning strikes, or tsunami—are often not considered. Although these events are not as frequent, they can be devastating.
Be aware of resources.
An awareness of products, and making appropriate use of these products, contributes greatly to good decision making. The use of probabilities is growing in popularity; however, the uptake of these products has been limited because of the desire to make yes/no decisions.
Understand the products.
The meanings of products, and terms within the products, are not always well understood. This can be seen in cone of uncertainty TC forecasts and significant wave height forecasts where the potential risks are often underestimated. There is an evolving need to provide educational material and resources to decision makers.
Understand the spread of possibilities.
It can be easy to just look at a deterministic forecast—the most likely weather conditions—without considering alternative outcomes. The best strategy is to work with the weather service provider to determine the likelihood of the worst case scenario at any given time.
Use good sources of information.
Too often we hear that alternative opinions have been sourced from the internet. There can be very good reasons for having more than one service provider, but using unverified sources or raw model data can have calamitous results.
Have well understood response procedures.
When developing response plans, work with a skilled meteorologist to identify potential weaknesses. As an example, we see many strategies that rely on only observed TC characteristics rather than forecast characteristics.
Make sure false alarm and probability of detection ratios of response plans are known. This can alleviate concern among senior management if they accept that a number of false alarm responses are a normal part of safe operations.
Report the weather.
Reporting onsite weather in a standardised manner has a tremendous impact on the overall skill of forecasts. Forecasts are usually tuned to match the prevailing site idiosyncrasies, especially in remote or terrain-influenced locations. Additionally, weather usually moves from point A to point B, so if there is a culture of sharing information then the community in general benefits.
True 3D—wide azimuth seismic comes of age onshore as well as offshore
Authors: Williams Gareth , Midenet Stéphan , Weatherall Tony
Published: August 2017

The advantages of recording a well-sampled, wider range of azimuths on seismic surveys are being seen in different geological settings worldwide. The success of wide-azimuth surveys has been well documented for sub-salt illumination in the deep water plays of the Gulf of Mexico. Multi-azimuth surveys have similarly shown improved S/N beneath the Messinian unconformity offshore Egypt. More recently, the benefits of improved sampling (and hence attenuation) of noise by dense, wide-azimuth surveys have been demonstrated onshore Oman.
Although the successful marine results have highlighted the benefits of true 3D or wide-azimuth surveys, land surveys have often been recorded with a wide range of azimuths for many years. The step-change occurring onshore is the dramatic increase in the trace density on wide-azimuth surveys. We are learning that one of the reasons that conventional land seismic data have often been viewed as noisy is that coherent energy, particularly near surface events, is grossly under-sampled.
Modern land recording techniques such as overlapping vibrator sweeps, single vibrator (point source) recording, multiple vibrator fleets and high channel systems allow us to record data much more efficiently. In turn, these enabling technologies allow us to obtain much improved seismic data quality via greatly increased sampling density. Moreover, recording geometries on this new generation of land supercrews provide trace densities that are many times higher than on marine surveys. The next step for marine wide-azimuth surveys may require a similar step-change in recording density in order to address difficult geologies that cannot be imaged with current recording techniques.
Improved seismic inversion and reservoir description of the Ichthys gas-condensate field, Browse Basin, Western Australia
Authors: Fujimoto Masamichi , Yoshida Takeshi , Long Andrew
Published: August 2017

Seismic inversion has become a standard geophysical tool to enhance seismic resolution, predict the reservoir porosity distribution, and to discriminate between reservoir and non-reservoir pay zones. Conventional seismic data does not record the low frequencies necessary for inversion. To enable a complete bandwidth, low frequencies are modelled from well data and are typically interpolated throughout the volume using seismic velocities. This often causes the resultant porosity distribution calculated from the inverted P-impedance to be biased by the well data and the geometry of well locations.
Dual-sensor GeoStreamer technology was used to acquire a regional multi-client 2D survey by PGS in 2008, including some lines over the Ichthys gas-condensate field in the Browse Basin. Dual-sensor streamer processing recovers a wider frequency bandwidth than conventional seismic. Receiver ghost removal combined with deep streamer towing simultaneously boosts both the low and high frequencies. The improved bandwidth enables a higher quality of velocity analysis, which further improves resolution throughout the section.
Simultaneous inversion of the data validated the uplift of the low frequency data, and significantly reduced the bias towards well data for the low frequency model. The resultant P-impedance data demonstrated an excellent tie to well data. The dual-sensor technology promises to improve the description of the porosity distribution within our reservoir model.
MAZ depth-velocity modelling and imaging with azimuthal anisotropy
Authors: Birdus Sergey , Angerer Erika , Abassi Iftikhar
Published: August 2017

Processing of multi and wide-azimuth seismic data faces some new challenges, and one of them is depth-velocity modelling and imaging with azimuthal velocity anisotropy.
Analysis of multi-azimuth data very often reveals noticeable fluctuations in moveout between different acquisition directions.
They can be caused by several factors:

real azimuthal interval velocity anisotropy associated with quasi-vertical fractures or present day stress field within the sediments;
short-wavelength velocity heterogeneities in the overburden;
TTI (or VTI) anisotropy in the overburden; or,
random distortions due to noise, multiples, irregularities in the acquisition geometry, etcetera.
In order to build a velocity model for multi-azimuth pre-stack depth migration (MAZ PSDM) taking into account observed azimuthal anisotropy, we need to recognise, separate and estimate all the effects listed above during iterative depth-velocity modelling.
Analysis of seismic data from a full azimuth 3D seismic land survey revealed the presence of strong spatially variable azimuthal velocity anisotropy that had to be taken into consideration. Using real data examples we discuss major steps in depth processing workflow that took such anisotropy into account: residual moveout estimation in azimuth sectors; separation of different effects causing apparent azimuthal anisotropy (see A–D above); iterative depth-velocity modelling with azimuthal anisotropy; and, subsequent MAZ anisotropic PSDM.
The presented workflow solved problems with azimuthal anisotropy in our multi-azimuth dataset. Some of the lessons learned during this MAZ project are relevant to every standard narrow azimuth seismic survey recorded in complex geological settings.
Evaluation of an integrated hydrocarbon sensor array system for the detection of dissolved oil components in sea water and its potential application in seepage exploration
Authors: Qi Xiubin , Crooke Emma , Ross Andrew , Stalvies Charlotte , Bastow Trevor , Armand Stéphane , Volk Herbert
Published: August 2017

Marine surveys for the detection of naturally seeping hydrocarbons require a wide range of complementary remote sensing and geochemical techniques in order to achieve reliable data interpretation and prediction. Compared with current geochemical techniques such as sniffers and sea bed head space gas analysis, oil-in-water hydrocarbon sensors can provide real-time chemical information. The use of these sensors, in combination with current methods, offers a potentially important aid in achieving an integrated approach.
In this study, CSIRO Petroleum has constructed a hydrocarbon sensors array that is composed of three groups of sensors that target volatile mono-aromatic hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons at low concentration and oil films, respectively. This configuration allows us to have a comprehensive map of hydrocarbon distribution in water samples in real time.
The variety of response times, sensitivities and operating conditions of the sensing devices has been considered, in order to design a flow tank and develop suitable monitoring and control software for the array. Chemometric tools such as principle component analysis (PCA) are used for data analysis and prediction model creation.Results will be presented from the evaluation measurements carried out in three stages. These include: laboratory evaluation of the sensor array to the dissolved oil components of a series of crude oil samples in synthetic sea water; sensor responses to natural sea water samples; and, initial field studies during surveys in Australian sea waters. To our knowledge, there have been no previously recorded instances of using such a hydrocarbon sensor array for oil and gas exploration.
The role of deep seismic reflection data in understanding the architecture and petroleum potential of Australia's onshore sedimentary basins
Authors: Carr Lidena , Korsch Russell , Jones Leonie , Holzschuh Josef
Published: August 2017

The onshore energy security program, funded by the Australian Government and conducted by Geoscience Australia, has acquired deep seismic reflection data across several frontier sedimentary basins to stimulate petroleum exploration in onshore Australia.
Detailed interpretation of deep seismic reflection profiles from four onshore basins, focussing on overall basin geometry and internal sequence stratigraphy, will be presented here, with the aim of assessing the petroleum potential of the basins.
At the southern end of the exposed part of the Mt Isa Province, northwest Queensland, a deep seismic line (06GA–M6) crosses the Burke River structural zone of the Georgina Basin. The basin here is >50 km wide, with a half graben geometry, and bounded in the west by a rift border fault. Given the overall architecture, this basin will be of interest for petroleum exploration.
The Millungera Basin in northwest Queensland is completely covered by the thin Eromanga Basin and was unknown prior to being detected on two seismic lines (06GA–M4 and 06GA–M5) acquired in 2006. Following this, seismic line 07GA–IG1 imaged a 65 km wide section of the basin. The geometry of internal stratigraphic sequences and a post-depositional thrust margin indicate that the original succession was much thicker than preserved today and may have potential for a petroleum system.
The Yathong Trough, in the southeast part of the Darling Basin in NSW, has been imaged in seismic line 08GA–RS2 and interpreted in detail using sequence stratigraphic principles, with several sequences being mapped. Previous studies indicate that the upper part of this basin consists of Devonian sedimentary rocks, with potential source rocks at depth.
In eastern South Australia, seismic line 08GA–A1 crossed the Cambrian Arrowie Basin, which is underlain by a Neoproterozoic succession of the Adelaide Rift System. Stratigraphic sequences have been mapped and can be tied to recent drilling for mineral and geothermal exploration. Shallow drill holes from past petroleum exploration have aided the assessment of the petroleum potential of the Cambrian Hawker Group, which contains bitumen in the core, indicating the presence of source rocks in the basin system.
Marine mapping survey reveals broad-scale seabed environments of remote offshore basins in Western Australia
Authors: Whiteway Tanya , Heap Andrew , Anderson Tara , Przeslawski Rachel
Published: August 2017

Between October 2008 and January 2009, Geoscience Australia conducted a marine mapping survey to document the seabed environments and subsurface geology of the Zeewyck, Houtman, Exmouth sub-basins and the deep-water Wallaby (Cuvier) Plateau, Western Australia. The seabed mapping survey, the second and largest mapping survey of the Federal Government’s Offshore Energy Security Program, documented seabed environments and biota from multibeam sonar and sub-bottom profiler data, towed video footage and physical samples. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates that for all of the sub-basins the seabed is comprised of carbonate mud that supports relatively sparse infaunal populations. Rocky substrates, principally in the numerous submarine canyons, supported sparse communities of sessile organisms.
Interestingly, some of these hard-grounds were associated with volcanic (basaltic) peaks on the upper slope that attain 200 metres above the surrounding seabed. Data collected from the survey are being analysed in conjunction with existing environmental data to establish a series of environmental summaries that describe the key seabed habitats and biota for the offshore basins. The environmental summaries are being made available to support future acreage release in the sub-basins. The marine mapping survey was run in combination with a regional 2D seismic survey of the same offshore basins, also completed as part of the Offshore Energy Security Program.
Application of lean manufacturing principles to coal seam gas production
Authors: Mueller Cristian
Published: August 2017

Themes covered:

why lean;
how lean manufacturing aligns with our business;
the areas of focus for lean production;
early results; and,
the expected rollout going forward.

This paper examines the application and alignment of lean manufacturing principles to CSG production at Arrow Energy. Arrow Energy is a vertically integrated energy provider with a focus on exploration and production of CSG. Implementation of lean manufacturing is a critical success factor for Arrow to deliver on its aggressive expansion targets.
The lean manufacturing philosophy is not a new concept. Pioneered by Toyota, lean manufacturing has proven (if well implemented) to be able to deliver improvements in delivery, cost, quality and safety. In a commodity business all costs must be scrutinised and the focus on lean drives value for internal and external customers and allows practitioners to identify and remove waste from the system.
While CSG production does not look like a traditional manufacturing business, the lean approach to continuous improvement does in fact apply. High volumes of repetitive work in areas such as well drilling, well completion and surface infrastructure deployment support the case for applying the philosophies of lean manufacturing. Long distances between work cells and variability of work conditions, not normally associated with traditional manufacturing, do present challenges; however, these challenges impact any type of improvement effort and the lean production principles can be readily adapted to these conditions.
Early applications of lean philosophy have been applied to surface infrastructure deployment with a measured reduction in lead time of approximately 70%. Additional engineering and process redesign work is underway, which will provide additional improvement.
The expectation is that over time Arrow will deliver a strong lean culture throughout the organisation, which will have a significant impact on the bottom line results.
Application of nuclear magnetic resonance measurements in the evaluation of two coal seam gas wells in the Pedirka Basin
Authors: Manescu Adrian , Bayford Stewart
Published: August 2017

In 2008, Central Petroleum was involved in an extended exploration campaign in the Pedirka Basin. The main targets were conventional oil and coal seam gas (CSG). A comprehensive logging program including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements was acquired, with the scope of evaluating both targets in two wells.
NMR tools measure the magnetisation of hydrogen protons present in the flushed-zone of the formation pore space. By calibrating this measurement in a water tank, NMR tools provide formation porosity independent of lithology, while classical methods for deriving porosity (density, neutron, etc.) are lithology dependent. While in conventional plays (clastics, carbonates) porosity is needed for evaluating the reservoir storage capacity, in coal beds porosity is needed for evaluating the surface areas of the pores. As methane in coal is bound to the coal surface, total pore surface affects the coal bed methane producing capacity.
NMR measurements also provide information about porosity/grain size distribution, permeability and hydrocarbon saturation in conventional formations. This information can be very useful for evaluating coal seam gas, provided the conventional models can be converted and applied in coal beds.
Evaluation of coal seam gas prospects using nuclear magnetic resonance is an industry first. This presentation highlights the benefits and difficulties of nuclear magnetic resonance evaluation of CSG prospects in these two wells.
Promoting increased diversity in the oil and gas industry workforce
Authors: Sanders Don , Maguire Jim
Published: August 2017

Changes in employment practices in the Australian upstream oil and gas industry are undoubtedly creating a more diverse workplace. Further anticipated skill shortages have caused a shift from dependency on traditional skilled labour supply sources to an increase in under-represented groups, including women and Indigenous Australians.
This presentation is focussed on the current situation in relation to recruitment, training and employment within the industry. It outlines the imperatives that are driving the move to consider pro-actively engaging under-represented groups in the oil and gas workforce of the future.
The presentation includes:

a review of the regional demographics that make a compelling business case for a move towards a more diversified workforce in the industry;
coverage of two recent case studies involving companies that have made the decision to move away from conventional recruiting and employment practices;
the business benefits that have accrued to these companies as a result of this re-configured workforce development planning model;
a focus on the specific strategies employed to engage applicants from the under-represented groups to ensure a successful orientation, induction, recruitment and retention into the industry; and,
an outline of the importance of implementing a formal, highly structured and monitored mentoring arrangement to complement this innovative approach.
2011 offshore petroleum exploration acreage release
Authors: Constable Tania
Published: August 2017

Australia has abundant natural gas reserves and is presently the world's fourth largest exporter of LNG. New projects and strengthening demand, led by rising energy consumption in China and India, is expected to increase Australia’s ranking to second by 2015. The discovery of new petroleum reserves also has the potential to reduce Australian energy import dependence and increase supply certainty.With sustainable development and energy security in mind, the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism is leading the development of the Government’s resources policy to facilitate investment in Australia’s upstream petroleum industry.The 2011 Australian Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release offers the global petroleum exploration industry a variety of investment opportunities. Release areas are located across nine basins, vary in size and level of existing geological knowledge, are located in a range of water depths, and are supported by pre-competitive and open-file geological and geophysical data.The Acreage Release is underpinned by a stable economic environment and well established regulatory framework, which seeks to balance environmental, social and economic considerations during the development of Australia’s natural resources.The detailed Acreage Release information package is available at online at www.petroleum-acreage.gov.au or by visiting the Commonwealth Government’s booth at the APPEA conference.
Four-well comparison in Papua New Guinea: high-risk, high-angle wells demonstrate extended wellbore stability and faster drilling time with inhibitive high-performance water-based fluid
Authors: Florence Angus , Dow Mike , Shieh George , Babu JV
Published: August 2017

A four-well project located onshore Papua New Guinea provided an opportunity to compare the performance of two inhibitive drilling fluids in the problematic 12¼” interval. Wells A and B were drilled using a conventional KCl/glycol fluid. Wells C and D used a high-performance water-based fluid (HPWBF) containing a shale inhibitor that also provides lubricity. All four wells were drilled with the same rig. The base brine for both fluids was KCl.
All hole sections were directionally drilled from vertical to near horizontal by section TD through a claystone interval. Tectonic wellbore breakout was present in all four wells, and the position of the breakout in the wellbore varied from well to well. Well A was regarded as the easiest well to drill due to the breakout being on the sides on the inclined well bore (horizontal), and Well D was regarded as being the most difficult well to drill due to the breakout being located directly on the top and bottom of the wellbore (vertical).
Performance comparisons were made using on bottom rates of penetration, tripping times, casing running times, and overall hole section costs. These data have been normalised to remove non hole related NPT events.
The KCl/glycol system provided sufficient wellbore stability in Wells A and B with horizontal breakouts and with non-optimal breakouts with very limited openhole exposure. For higher risk wells C and D with non-optimal breakout positions however, the HPWBF offered improved reliability and ensured there was no performance decline. Outstanding performance occurred in Well D where the HPWBF maintained good wellbore stability over a 56-day exposure.
Although the KCl/glycol fluid had a lower cost/bbl, improved overall cost savings were achieved by using the HPWBF in the high-risk wells.
This paper addresses all operations performed while drilling and casing the 12¼” interval. Possible causes for performance differences are evaluated, taking into account that mud systems represent only one variable. As other variables were introduced progressively, it was possible to back these out to determine mud system effectiveness.
2010 environmental update
Authors: Sharp-Paul Alastair , Hare Alexandra , Turnbull Alice , Halliday Tara
Published: August 2017

Focusing on Australian projects, this paper provides a summary of the key environmental challenges and developments that arose in 2010 and the industry’s response. The paper considers: developments in legislation and the regulatory environment relating to environmental approvals and management; major project approvals and their environmental requirements and implications; key environmental incidents; and reviews new environmental research and management initiatives that were introduced by the industry. A number of states have introduced changes to the way legislation and regulations are interpreted through changes to guidelines and administrative procedures. There has been a general increase in the standard and level of information that regulators expect proponents to provide and while generally these expectations are documented in guidelines and other documents, in some instances there has been a perceived ‘moving of the goal posts’ without clear guidance on what is expected and how the information will be considered once provided. There has been a number of major projects either commencing or gaining environmental approval in 2010. This includes major projects: in Western Australia, on the North West Shelf and in the Timor Sea/Browse Basin; onshore in Queensland in the coal-seam gas fields and continued exploration and development both onshore and offshore around Australia. One of the most significant approvals in 2010 was the Prelude LNG Project–the first approval in Australia of floating LNG technology. Major environmental incidents in 2009 (Montara in Australia and Macondo in the USA) continued to have repercussions in 2010 with the draft government response to the Report of the Montara Commission of Inquiry released in November. These incidents have put the oil and gas industry under the spotlight and this paper looks at some of the statistics on the frequency and severity of environmental incidents, albeit at a high level. Finally, the industry has continued to implement a number of environmentally related initiatives both in response to government policy and suggestion and independently through groups such as the APPEA environment committee.
Do personality traits affect decision-making ability: can MBTI type predict biases?
Authors: Welsh Matthew B. , Alhakim Abdulaziz , Ball Finlay , Dunstan Joseph , Begg Steve
Published: August 2017

From decades of psychological research, the observation that people’s decisions are often biased by particular decision-making flaws has led to discussions of what can be done to de-bias decisions. A key area of research is the study of individual differences in decision-making ability–that is, whether certain people are less susceptible to particular biases. Much of this research, however, has focused on the impact of intelligence on decision-making ability. This, however, is of limited use in industries such as oil and gas where, due to hiring criteria that commonly include at least a bachelor’s degree, a restricted range of intelligence is observed. Given this, it may be more fruitful to consider other sources of potential differences in decision-making ability such as personality traits.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (Myers et al, 1998) is a personality test based on Jung’s 1921 theory of psychological types (see, e.g., Jung, 1971). People are sorted into one of 16 categories based on their responses to the personality test. Although the test is widely used to identify leadership styles and preferences and therefore influence recruitment decisions (including within the petroleum industry), the impact of Myers-Briggs personality type on decision making itself and, in particular, on decisionmaking biases, has not been thoroughly investigated.
A large number of specific, cognitive biases have been identified by psychologists and in this study we have chosen to investigate two of particular interest in the oil and gas industry: overconfidence and risk attitude/framing. It has been shown (Welsh and Begg, 2008; Welsh et al, 2007) that these biases can have disastrous consequences on the value of projects in the petroleum industry. If it is possible, therefore, to use an easily administered and well-known test (MBTI) to quantify and predict an individual’s susceptibility to bias, we can improve decisions in the industry by ensuring that the right people are employed to make decisions where bias may prove to be a problem.
To test this, we distributed a survey–which included the complete Myers-Briggs test and questions to identify biases in the respondent’s responses–to engineering students at the University of Adelaide, petroleum industry employees and a small number of employees from other industries. Individual MBTI distinctions (e.g., extroverts versus introverts) were studied for bias tendencies. We discuss the observed relationships between Myers-Briggs type and decision biases and their relevance to decision making in the petroleum industry. We conclude that while there do seem to be some effects of personality on susceptibility to decision-making biases, these are not necessarily what one might expect given the descriptions attached to specific MBTI types. They are also relatively weak effects and, as such, the use of the Myers-Briggs as a tool for assessing decision-making ability is not supported by our results.
Cenozoic post-breakup compressional deformation and exhumation of the southern Australian margin
Authors: Holford Simon , Hillis Richard , Duddy Ian , Green Paul , Stoker Martyn , Tuitt Adrian , Backé Guillaume , Tassone David , MacDonald Justin
Published: August 2017

We present results from a margin-wide analysis of the history of post-breakup Cenozoic compressional deformation and related exhumation along the passive southern margin of Australia, based on a regional synthesis of seismic, stratigraphic and thermochronological data. The Cenozoic sedimentary record of the southern margin contains regional unconformities of intra-Lutetian and late Miocene–Pliocene age, which coincide with reconfigurations of the boundaries of the Indo-Australian Plate. Seismic data show that post-breakup compressional deformation and sedimentary basin inversion—characterised by reactivation of syn-rift faults and folding of post-rift sediments—is pervasive from the Gulf St Vincent to Gippsland basins, and occurred almost continually since the early- to mid-Eocene. Inversion structures are absent from the Bight Basin, which we interpret to be the result of both the unsuitable orientation of faults for reactivation with respect to post-breakup stress fields, and the colder, stronger lithosphere that underlies that part of the margin. Compressional deformation along the southeastern margin has mainly been accommodated by reactivation of syn-rift faults, resulting in folds with varying ages and amplitudes in the post-rift Cenozoic succession. Many hydrocarbon fields in the Otway and Gippsland basins are located in these folds, the largest of which are often associated with substantial localised exhumation. Our results emphasise the importance of constraining the timing of Cenozoic compression and exhumation in defining hydrocarbon prospectivity of the southern margin.
Tax issues impacting acquisitions in the Australian oil and gas industry
Authors: Dixon Chad
Published: August 2017

Understanding the tax implications and structuring options of a transaction is critical when assessing and comparing new opportunities. When undertaking any transaction involving Australian oil and gas assets, the applicable taxation regime should be carefully explored and understood. From an Australian perspective, taxes such as corporate income tax, petroleum resource rent tax, capital gains tax, and goods and services tax have significant potential to influence the investment decision. This presentation will focus on the tax implications applicable to the acquisition and disposal of Australian oil and gas assets, providing valuable insights for both Australian companies and inbound investors.
Will the deep sea benefit from the addition of artificial habitat through the rigs-to-reef program?
Authors: Booth David , Macreadie Peter , Fowler Ashley
Published: August 2017

As we approach a global peak in the number of offshore oil rigs requiring de-commissioning, there is growing pressure for a rigs-to-reefs program in the deep sea whereby obsolete rigs are converted into artificial reefs. From a scientific perspective, the key question is: will the deep sea benefit from the addition of artificial reefs? Rigs have the potential to provide spawning aggregation sites, improve ecological connectivity, and facilitate conservation/rehabilitation of deep sea benthos (e.g. cold-water corals) by restricting fishing trawl access. Recent research on shallower-water rigs provides preliminary evidence that rigs can also help rebuild declining fish stocks. Direct negative impacts (e.g. physical damage in drop zone) appear minor; however, further work is needed to determine:

the likelihood of undesired changes in food webs;
the risk of spreading invasives; and,
possible release of contaminants as rigs corrode.

Overall, a rigs-to-reefs program may be a valid option for deep sea benthic conservation.
Shell's integrated quantitative interpretation workflow
Authors: Glass Frank , Gelinsky Stephan , Espejo Irene , Santana Teresa , Yardley Gareth
Published: August 2017

Shell Development Australia is a major asset holder in the Browse Basin and the Carnarvon Basin in the North West Shelf of Australia. In 2007, Shell Development Australia embarked on an integrated quantitative seismic interpretation project related to the Triassic Mungaroo Formation in the Carnarvon Basin. The main objective was to constrain the uncertainties in using seismic data as a predictor for rock and fluid properties of fields and prospects in the basin.
This project followed a workflow that has been proven in other basins around the world, whereby the vertical and lateral variability of rock properties of both reservoir and non-reservoir lithologies are captured in general trends. The calculated trends are based on well log extractions of end member lithologies and the input of petrographic information and forward modelling. In combination with a regionally consistent 3D burial model for the estimation of remaining porosity, these established rock trends then allow for a prediction of various acoustic responses of reservoir and pore fill properties.
The comparisons between the pre-drill predicted rock properties and the properties encountered after drilling at different reservoir levels have lead to a general confidence that the reservoir properties can be derived from seismic data where well data are not abundant. This increased confidence will play a major part in Shell’s attitude towards appraisal activities and decisions on various development options.
Access arrangements for resources projects: anticipating the issues
Authors: Price Andrew
Published: August 2017

Increased international and domestic demand for onshore Australian resources is creating a range of issues around the competing demands for access to land for the purposes of agriculture, residential use, and resources development. Furthermore, global demand for gas has significantly increased during the past decade.
This has resulted in the development of Australia’s role as a soon-to-be major international supplier of LNG. On the other side of the energy equation, our growing population will begin to demand more stationary energy than our present capacity—now based predominantly on coal-fired generation—will be able to provide. In this way, a significant increase in gas-fired electricity generation is imminent for most states.
These factors—together with vast improvements in exploration and production technologies, such as fraccing—have resulted, and will continue to result in increased investment in the development of onshore coal seam gas (CSG). CSG was once considered nothing more than a waste product of coal mining.
To date, the development of onshore CSG has encountered numerous obstacles related to land access. It has been subject to complex indigenous and native title claims, the landscape of which has changed and is continuing to evolve.
More frequently, however, it has been met with significant resistance from the public, by way of media campaigns, lobbying, and litigation—particularly from farmers (and other interest holders in farm land) concerned by the significant impacts development may have on the quality of their agricultural areas.
This is partly due to the deficiencies of regulatory regimes in accounting for the complexities associated with the relatively new concept of CSG development, as well in providing appropriate mechanisms to balance the interests of landholders and proponents.
In this regard, new land access laws have been effected in Queensland that account for these issues.
Industry needs to understand the present regulatory landscape, as well as which techniques are working with landholders and which are not. This understanding needs to be gained with the view of formulating strategies to efficiently and equitably deal with landholders, and to avoid unnecessary, unhelpful disputes.
Developing a positive life cycle for young Indigenous men
Authors: Neesham Gerard
Published: August 2017

The Clontarf Foundation believes that inadequate education and failure to experience achievement when young, coupled with a position of under-privilege, creates and drives a cycle of disadvantage that can lead to alienation, anger and then to more serious consequences. Disadvantage will transfer and increase from generation to generation as long as the causes are allowed to persist.
As a prelude to tackling these and other issues, participants in the foundation’s programs are first provided with an opportunity to succeed. This is an opportunity to raise their self esteem and re-engage these young Aboriginal males in the school environment. We use the existing passion that Aboriginal boys have for football to attract them to attend a Clontarf Academy. Members are not selected on football ability; though obviously most of them have some aptitude for the game. But this is not a sporting program; it is a sophisticated behavioural change program.
To remain in the academy, members must consistently endeavour to attend school regularly, apply themselves to the study of appropriate courses and embrace the academy’s requirements for behaviour and self-discipline. The approach has proven to be very successful, not only in attracting young men to school and retaining them, but also in having them embrace more disciplined, purposeful and healthy lives.
The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, self esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and by doing so, equip them to participate more meaningfully in society.
Clontarf academies are formed in association with selected schools and colleges. As well as coordinating the football program, academy staff mentor and counsel students in a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues, while the school caters for their specific educational needs.
Clontarf’s Chief Executive Officer Gerard Neesham will discuss: the methodology of the foundation’s programs, which aim to develop positive life cycles for these young men; the outcomes being achieved; and, many of the obvious questions, such as: why football? and what about the girls?