bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global oil and gas salary guide 2013
Authors: Faraguna John , Freer Duncan
Published: November 2018

With an increase in salaries, benefits and conditions, 2012 was good to many in the oil and gas sector. The same cannot be said for other industries and it would not be stretching the truth to say more wealth has been created in this industry than in any other during the past 12 months. With nearly every country around the world striving to secure its own energy future–either through exploration, increased production, or developing infrastructure–demand for the oil and gas professional, in all its guises, was most definitely rising.
With this in mind, specialist recruiter Hays Oil & Gas has once again collaborated with world-leading oil and gas job board Oil and Gas Job Search to create the global guide to remuneration and employment in the industry. The 2012 Hays Oil & Gas Salary Guide was enormously well received, with a readership of more than 250,000 worldwide, in print and digital form. This year, more than 25,000 have taken the survey and the results will once again reflect the many events, trends and developments that shape the oil and gas industry's dynamic employment landscape.
In its fourth year, the guide serves as a reference for recruitment and employment trends in the global oil and gas industry and is invaluable to decision makers seeking to embark on recruitment from overseas locations.
This extended abstract references Australian statistics, showing evidence of these throughout the survey results, and their implications to Australian employers.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN BASS — STRAIT THE LOW- COST CHALLENGE
Authors: Edwardes A.K. Khurana R.J.
Published: November 2018

Esso Australia, with its co- venturer BHP Petroleum, is planning to bring five new fields into production in 1989. These fields are relatively small, with total reserves of approximately 50 million barrels (7950 ML). Development concepts new to Bass Strait have been identified to make them economically attractive.The significant change made to the fiscal environment of Bass Strait in June 1987, when the Government provided an exemption from excise for the first 30 million barrels (4770 ML) of oil production for certain offshore projects, has played a key role in the economic viability of these developments.The Whiting field will be developed with a mini- platform, the Seahorse and Tarwhine fields with satellite sub- sea wells, and the Perch and Dolphin project will use mono- towers.New organisational and technical approaches have been used to select cost- effective development options for these fields. These approaches include increased inte­gration between exploration and production activities, reductions in capital expenditure through applying novel concepts and researching big ticket items such as facilities installation, and minimising of operating costs by remote operation of facilities.With the developments planned for 1989, and with ongoing research, the outlook can be described as opti­mistic provided tax regimes continue to encourage development of small fields both in Bass Strait and elsewhere offshore in Australia.
OFFSHORE FACILITIES REMOVAL — A MAJOR ISSUE NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE
Authors: Hyden A.M.
Published: November 2018

The costs associated with removal of offshore production facilities can have a serious impact on project economics, especially for the shorter- life marginal fields. The requirements for removal of offshore facilities are set out in the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act and the guidelines prepared by the International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations agency. Esso Australia Limited has completed a major study of the removal of Bass Strait platforms and has evaluated the costs of platform removal by various methods. Environmental considerations, the needs and safety of other users of the sea, and cost need to be considered when examining options for removal of offshore platforms. The Australian Government needs to act soon to resolve the issues of residual liability and tax deductibility and so enable the oil industry to select the optimum removal methods and reliably predict future costs for removal.
AUSTRALIAN NATURAL GAS PRICES — WELLHEAD TO CONSUMER
Authors: McCaul B.P.
Published: November 2018

Natural gas prices to producers in all states of Australia, except Victoria, have moved closer together during the 1980s as the industry has matured. Where significant differences exist in city gate prices, they are caused by wide- ranging transmission tariffs related directly to the initial cost and the length and the volume carried in the respective pipelines.Gas utilities in some states had a great influence on the natural gas pricing structure to consumers during the 1970s, when alternative fuel oil prices rose dramatically and long- term, low- price gas purchase contracts were in place. State governments have moved during the 1980s, however, to replace the utilities as the greatest influence in the pricing chain from wellhead to consumer.With the notable exception of Victoria, producers in most states in recent years have gained a fairer, higher proportion of the end- consumer price. Gas markets to a major degree are now committed Australia wide.Confidentiality and complex pricing philosophies make it sometimes difficult to see clearly the wellhead to consumer pricing structure. However, available information can be analysed and compared to deduce the national scenario with fair accuracy. The wide range of prices to consumers reflects the fact that major industrial customers underpin the development economics of high- cost long- distance transmission lines.The abundance of gas in Australia, both onshore and offshore, makes new uses essential to optimise the industry's potential.
FINANCING OFFSHORE PROJECTS
Authors: Howell David , Henschke Mark
Published: November 2018

Project financing is entering a new phase with the forthcoming petroleum developments in difficult areas such as Papua New Guinea.Added to the usual project financing risks, such as oil price, reserves and completion considerations, are new risks associated with the country. These are collectively termed 'political risk', and encompass expropriation, wars and currency controls.Four ways of mitigating political risk are individual banks increasing country limits, developer self- insurance, political risk insurance and the use of export credit finance. None of the above is a single solution, but all can be used in solving the problems associated with political risk.
INJURY- FREE WORK ENVIRONMENT: MYTH OR REALITY?
Authors: Corbould H.M. , Nolan M.J.
Published: November 2018

Sound management practices, and employee awareness and commitment, are the keys to eliminating workplace injury. In Esso Australia's production operations, the goal is NO INJURIES for both company and contractor employees. Achieving this goal entails significant commitment to putting safety first, and elimination of conflicting messages about the production versus safety priorities.Throughout the last decade, Esso Australia has increasingly sought to heighten the safety awareness of all people working within and supporting its production operations. The emphasis has gradually moved from hardware safety to focusing on attitudes within the workforce — at the same time, however, ensuring that facilities meet industry standards.Results in 1988 show a marked drop in injury days lost for the total company and contractor employee group in production operations.A safe work environment is good business. Putting safety first need not cost money; indeed a safer workplace can be more efficient. Achieving a safe environment involves clear communication of goals and values, employee participation, delegation of authority, increasing accountability, effective incident investigation and follow- up, appropriate discipline, and recognition of positive contributions. Of paramount importance is a clear direction from top management that safety is the top priority.
HYDROCARBON GASES IN SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTS, OTWAY AND GIPPSLAND BASINS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PETROLEUM EXPLORATION
Authors: O'Brien G.W. , Heggie D.T.
Published: November 2018

During April- May 1988, the BMR research vessel Rig Seismic carried out a 21- day geochemical and sedimento- logical research program in the Otway (17 days) and Gippsland (4 days) Basins. The concentrations and molecular compositions of light hydrocarbon gases (C1- C4) were measured in sediments at 203 locations on the continental shelf and upper continental slope: the presence of thermogenic hydrocarbons was inferred from the molecular compositions of the gas mixtures. Thermogenic hydrocarbons were identified in near- surface sediments at 32 locations in the Otway Basin; 6 of these locations were on the Crayfish Platform, 7 were on the Mussel Platform and 17 were in the Voluta Trough. Thermogenic hydrocarbons were identified at 10 locations in the Gippsland Basin. Data from the Otway Basin indicated that total C1- C4 gas concentrations were higher in the Voluta Trough than on the basin margins, probably because intense faulting in the trough facilitates gas migration from deeply buried source rocks and/or reservoirs to the seafloor. However, anomalies were detected where the Tertiary sequence was thick and relatively unfaulted. The wet gas contents of the anomalies were highest on the basin margins, lower in the Voluta Trough and co- varied with the depth of burial of the basal Early Cretaceous sedimentary sequence. These data, when integrated with geohistory, thermal maturation modelling and well data, suggest that the areas with the best potential for liquid hydrocarbon entrapment and preservation are the Crayfish Platform and the inshore part of the Mussel Platform. In contrast, the Late Cretaceous Sherbrook Group and much of the Voluta Trough appear to be gas prone.Thermogenic anomalies in the Gippsland Basin were concentrated within and along the margins of the Central Deep where mature Latrobe Group source rocks are present. The wet gas content of these anomalies was variable, which is consistent with the spatial heterogeneity of hydrocarbon accumulations in the Gippsland Basin.
JABIRU FIELD — HORST, SUB- HORST OR INVERTED GRABEN?
Authors: Nelson A.W.
Published: November 2018

With control from only the Jabiru 1A discovery well and a grid of seismic lines 3 km apart, original oil- in- place at Jabiru was estimated by the operator as 620 MMBBL (100 MkL). With a 3- D seismic grid and three more wells, the original oil- in- place estimate was reduced to 45 MMBBL (7 MkL). Subsequent drilling of three more wells has enabled this estimate to be increased to about 110 MMBBL (17 MkL). Production from the field is currently at a rate of about 43 000 BOPD (6800 kL/d), from the discovery well and the latter three wells. Seismic data across the Jabiru structure is poor and lacks character at the reservoir level, with the result that interpretation is partly dependent on the interpreter's preferred structural model. Initially, interpretation of a broad horst, up to 3 km across, seemed appropriate. Now most of the oil in the structure is thought to be in a narrow sub- structure, about 500 m wide, believed by some to be a sub- horst. The existence of a sub- horst is difficult to justify structurally, and a third possibility, in which the sub- horst was a terrace of a now- inverted graben, is proposed. The development of the graben and its subsequent inversion would most likely result from strike- slip and dip- slip motion along an underlying northeast- trending fault. The strike- slip is interpreted as right- lateral during the Late Jurassic, and left- lateral during Early Cretaceous and Late Miocene to Holocene. Such strike- slip has not previously been recognised in the Jabiru area.Consideration of structural models has been useful in predicting the potential of areas of very poor data at Jabiru. The concept of balanced sections is helpful in determining the model which best fits the data and is geometrically feasible.
THE SALADIN OIL FIELD
Authors: Tait A.M. , Bartlett R.M. , Sayers M.J. , McLerie M.K. , McKay D.M.
Published: November 2018

The Saladin Oil Field is located immediately east of Thevenard Island, 25 km northwest of Onslow, in the Barrow Sub- basin, northwest Australia. Saladin 1, drilled in 1985 on a structure mapped from 1984 and older seismic data, tested 47° API oil at 875 kL/d (5510 B/D) from the Early Cretaceous Barrow Group. Additional shallow- water seismic was shot in 1985 and a Telseis* survey conducted in early 1986 over Thevenard Island and its fringing shoals. Saladin 2 in 1986, and Saladin 3 in 1987, tested at 1745 and 1790 kL of oil per day respectively (10 975 and 11 280 BOPD), setting successive Australian single- zone flow records. The fourth well, Saladin 7, was drilled in 1988 on a 1987 seismic line and tested at 1720 kL of oil per day (10 820 BOPD).The oil occurs in southeast- dipping Barrow Group sands overlain by and upthrown against Muderong Shale across the northeast- trending Saladin Fault. The Barrow Group sands have porosities around 24 per cent and permeabilities averaging 5- 6 darcies. Some claystone layers are present, and carbonate cement reduces porosity but less so permeability in parts of the oil column. A bioturbated sand has low permeabilities due to clay burrow- linings.Oil- in- place is currently estimated at 11 MkL (70 MMBBL). Field development will involve offshore platforms and deviated wells from Thevenard Island, on which oil storage and treatment facilities will be placed, and an offshore loading terminal for tanker transport. First oil production is scheduled for mid- 1989.
WAARRE SANDSTONE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE PORT CAMPBELL EMBAYMENT
Authors: Buffin A .J.
Published: November 2018

The Late Cretaceous Waarre Formation is recognised as the principal reservoir unit throughout the Port Campbell Embayment, where a number of small gas fields were discovered and developed in the late 1970s and the early and mid- 1980s.The Waarre Formation can be subdivided into four units, identified as Unit A, a basal fining upward sequence; Unit B, a medial siltstone with interbedded calcareous sandstones; Unit C, a coarse- grained porous sandstone (the primary gas reservoir); Unit D, a ferruginous siltstone/sandstone sequence.The Upper Waarre, Units C and D, represents a variety of environments unique to a beach barrier- system, including back- water lagoons, swamps, tidal channels, tidal deltas, and beach sands. The development of an Upper Waarre sandstone- beach- barrier model, the identification of various facies, and the construction of regional palaeogeography leads to an understanding of sedimentary deposition during Waarre times.Recent drilling has shown the Upper Waarre to extend laterally in an easterly direction and, as proposed by the depositional model, development of the prospective Waarre Unit C gas sands in a restricted linear east- west zone.By combining the complex structural history of the Port Campbell Embayment and the resultant structures developed with the depositional model of the Waarre Formation, major migration pathways, and thick (>50 m) overlying seals, exploration throughout the embayment can be directed towards prospective gas reservoirs within the Waarre, Unit C, sandstone bodies.
A NORTH WEST SHELF TRIASSIC REEF PLAY: RESULTS FROM ODP LEG 122
Authors: Williamson P.E. , Exon N.F. , Haq B. ul , Rad U. von
Published: November 2018

Site 764 of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP), drilled during Leg 122 in the Exmouth Plateau region, cored 200 m of Upper Triassic (Rhaetian) reef complex. This site, on the northern Wombat Plateau (northernmost Exmouth Plateau) represents the first discovery of Triassic reefal material near the Australian North West Shelf. Seismic reflection data through Site 764 show that the reef itself corresponds predominantly to a seismically poorly reflective zone. A number of regional unconformities appear to correspond, however, to traceable seismic horizons which pass with reduced amplitude through the reef, indicating stages of reef growth separated by erosion or non- deposition. Seismic facies around the edges of the reef are consistent with the deposition of wedges of prograding reef- derived detritus.Application of the seismic criteria for reef recognition established at ODP Site 764, to other seismic reflection data on the Wombat Plateau, demonstrates that a major Upper Triassic reef complex fringes the margins of the Wombat Plateau. The Wombat Plateau lies at the western end of the North West Shelf, which was part of the southern margin of a warm Tethys Ocean in the Late Triassic, at a palaeolatitude of 25- 30°S. Upper Triassic reefs are known from southeast Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and now the Wombat Plateau, and may be common elsewhere along the outer margin of the North West Shelf. Upper Triassic reef complexes, with their associated reservoir, source and seal facies, could represent an exciting new petroleum exploration play for the entire North West Shelf. Facies analysis suggests that they are likely only on the outer shelf and slope. Shallow Triassic reef complexes are clearly identifiable using high resolution seismic reflection data. Seismic reflection data of lower resolution may well reveal the associated detrital carbonate wedges, which are more laterally extensive than the reefal core, deeper in the section.
THE CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN BASINS
Authors: Hopkins Roy M.
Published: November 2018

The Amadeus and Ngalia Basins are two of several intracratonic basins situated in the central region of the Australian Continent and underlain by Upper Proterozoic and Lower Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks.In the Amadeus Basin, the preserved sedimentary section has been deformed by several orogenic events through geological history, with salt tectonics playing an important role in the structural evolution. The Ordovician System is the primary exploration objective. The Cambrian and Proterozoic sequences, which also carry rock strata having source, reservoir and sealing properties, are secondary targets. However, these latter units are sparsely explored, and only limited information is available on their petroleum prospectiveness. Three of the four petroleum accumulations found to date are in Ordovician sandstones, with the fourth accumulation contained in Cambrian sandstones.The initial drilling phase in the Amadeus Basin in the early 1960s was concentrated on geologically defined surface antic :nes, with seismic surveying becoming the principal technique employed in subsequent exploration phases. The ongoing work has demonstrated a major untested structural play associated with a regional thrust fault system — in particular, combination dip and fault closures developed on the underthrust blocks. Stratigraphic prospects also are present in the Amadeus Basin, but none of these yet has been drilled.The Ngalia Basin is similar stratigraphically and structurally to the Amadeus Basin and is considered prospective for oil and gas. Much less work has been done in the Ngalia than in the Amadeus, with only one well drilled in the entire basin. The well yielded a gas snow from a Proterozoic formation, and other direct hydrocarbon indications have been recorded elsewhere in the basin. Rock units having source, reservoir and sealing parameters are present, as are structures capable of forming traps. Again, these are associated largely with a complex regional thrust fault system.
THE SURAT AND BOWEN BASINS
Authors: Elliott Lindsay
Published: November 2018

Exploration for petroleum in Queensland began in the Bowen and overlying Surat Basins in 1908. During the next 50 years a few small fields were found. The discovery of oil at Moonie in 1961 and a number of gas fields on the Roma Shelf during the 1960s triggered extensive seismic and drilling programs. This resulted in additional discoveries and the construction of an oil pipeline to Brisbane in 1964 and a gas pipeline in 1969. To date more than 680 exploration and 350 appraisal wells have been drilled. Approximately 16 × 109 m3 of gas and 5 × 106 ML of oil have been discovered. There is potential for an additional 16 × 109 m3 of gas and 2 × 106 ML of oil reserves to be found in the basins. There is a much greater risk in finding the oil reserves than the gas reserves. The oil and gas reserves occur within Permian, Triassic and Jurassic sandstone reservoirs.
THE FUTURE FOR EXPLORATION IN THE GIPPSLAND BASIN
Authors: Mebberson A.J.
Published: November 2018

The Gippsland Basin is, by Australian standards, mature from a petroleum exploration point of view but retains significant potential for success. The main recognised plays of Top Latrobe porosity, deeper fault blocks and stratigraphic truncations are in various stages of exploitation, with the latter two showing the greater undiscovered potential. Parameters for hydrocarbon accumulations, such as source, seal, structural style and trap timing, are now reasonably well documented and future success in established and untested plays will rely heavily on detailed velocity analysis, deep- penetration high- frequency seismic data and an integrated regional approach to stratigraphic controls.
Observations on the behaviour of the smoky mouse Pseudomys fumeus (Rodentia: Muridae).
Authors: Woods RE , Ford FD
Published: November 2018

This study examined aspects of behaviour in a captive colony of smoky mice, Pseudomys
fumeus, over a two year period. Wherever possible behaviours observed in the captive
population are compared to data collected in a study of a wild population in south-eastern New
South Wales. This paper provides the first recorded observations of behavior in this species.
Both captive and wild populations of P. fumeus display strictly nocturnal circadian activity
rhythms. In the captive study, P. fumeus were found to exhibit social interactions similar to
some previously studied Pseudomys species. However, in the wild, the species was found to
communally nest during the breeding season, behaviour not observed in other Pseudomys from
similar habitats. P. fumeus in captivity can have more than two litters in one breeding season
which suggests that their reproductive parameters are more flexible than previous studies of
wild populations have shown. Field data indicate that post-partum oestrus can occur in this
species, and that gestation lasts for approximately 30 days, although these observations are
based on a small sample.
First contemporary record of New Zealand fur seals Arctocephalus forsteri breeding in Bass Strait.
Authors: Arnould JPY , Littnan CL , Lento GM
Published: November 2018

DURING the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries (1798 - 1825), large numbers of fur seals
were hunted on the islands off southeastern Australia.
It is estimated that >300,000 pelts were collected
before hunting became commercially nonviable and
the seals gained statutory protection in 1889
(Warneke and Shaughnessy 1985). Two types of fur
seals were known to occur in southeastern Australian
waters but cargo records from the sealing vessels
active in the area do not accurately identify the
species taken, referring to them only as ?black? and
?brown? seals (Goldsworthy et al. 1997). There are
currently two species of fur seal found in these
waters: the New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus
forsteri) and the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus
pusillus doriferus). Based on pelage colour, it has
been suggested that these species correspond to the
?black? and ?brown? species, respectively, referred to
by the sealers (Goldsworthy et al. 1997).
A comparison of the foraging behaviour of the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) and nectarivorous birds in a Banksia integrifolia woodland
Authors: Evans KM , Bunce A
Published: November 2018

The foraging behaviour of a non-flying mammal, the eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) and nectarivorous birds was compared in a Banksia integrifolia woodland at Wilson's Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia. Exclusion experiments performed previously in this woodland indicate that both non-flying mammals and nectarivorous birds are important pollinators of B. integrifolia (Cunningham 1991: Oecologia 87: 86-90). In this study it is shown that C. nanus and nectarivorous birds employ different foraging tactics. Nectarivorous birds tended to move further between trees (Χ = 8.16 ± 1.06 m) than C. nanus (Χ = 5.64 ± 0.75 m), although these differences were not significant. Nectarivorous birds were attracted to trees with a significantly larger number of inflorescences (Χ = 36.55 ± 2.84) than C. nanus (Χ = 18.65 ± 2.95), and visited a significantly greater number of inflorescences per tree (Χ = 4.24 ± 0.35) than C. nanus (Χ = 2.33 ± 0.22). Although the two pollinator groups were attracted to banksia plants by different cues, once in the plants they visited an equal proportion of the available inflorescences.
The ghost bat in the Pilbara: 100 years on.
Authors: Armstrong KN , Anstee SD
Published: November 2018

This paper summarises the roost habitat and distribution of the ghost bat, Macroderma gigas
(Dobson, 1880), in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with particular emphasis on natural
habitats. The preferred habitat of M. gigas in the Hamersley Ranges appears to be caves beneath
bluffs of low rounded hills composed of Marra Mamba geology. Habitats were also found in the
larger hills of Brockman Iron Formation in the Hamersley Range, and other formations beneath
bluffs composed of Gorge Creek Group geology to the north east. Granite rockpiles are also
used in the eastern Pilbara. A summary of Pilbara records from numerous sources is presented,
including anecdotal accounts and other new records. This includes a newly discovered
maternity site from the Hamersley Ranges, only the third reported from natural cave formations
in the region. Threats to M. gigas in the region are highlighted and include disturbances
associated with mining and entanglement in barbed wire fences.
Marsupial Moles pop up in the great Victorian and Gibson Deserts
Authors: Pearson D , Turner J
Published: November 2018

MARSUPIAL moles (Notoryctes spp.) remain one of
the great enigmas of the Australian fauna. Their
occurrence is highly sporadic, resulting in a slow
trickle of specimens to Museums at the rate of around
5-15 per decade (Johnson 1995). Their small size,
cryptic habits, remote distribution and wariness have
led to few reported sightings. In addition, the
difficulty of keeping captive Notoryctes has restricted
the collection of basic biological information (Howe
1975; Corbett 1975; Johnson and Walton 1989).
The nest of the Hastings River mouse Pseudomys oralis.
Authors: Meek PD
Published: November 2018

THE most detailed information on the burrows and
nests of Australian small mammals are reported by
Watts and Aslin (1981). The nests of several species
of Pseudomys have been described and vary between
species. Three nests of the New Holland mouse
Pseudomys novaehollandiae were excavated from
sand burrows and described as being partially
comprised of Eucalypt leaves (Kemper 1981). In
South Australia, silky mice P. apodemoides construct
nests of shredded bark within a nest chamber of
approximately 15 cm (Watts and Aslin 1981). The
desert mouse P. desertor reputedly builds dry grass
nests in shallow constructions (Read et al.1999) and
the long-tailed mouse P. higginsi and eastern
chestnut mouse P. gracilicaudatus, delicate mouse P.
delicatulus and Gould?s mouse P. gouldii all
construct nests of plant material (Watts and Aslin
1981; Green 1993; Fox 1995) mostly grass. The nests
of the smokey mouse P. fumeus are constructed of
dried grass and Allocasuarina needles that are shaped
in a cup form (10-15cm in diameter) (Woods and
Ford 2000).
Morphometric data on the intestines of the platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus and the short-beaked echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus.
Authors: Snipes RL , Snipes H , Carrick FN
Published: November 2018

ALTHOUGH the gross morphology of the
monotreme gastrointestinal tract has been described
(Griffiths 1978; Hume and Harrop 1980),
morphometric data on the intestines of the two extant
monotremes, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus
anatinus) and the short-beaked echidna
(Tachyglossus aculeatus), are to date incomplete.
Using an established method (Snipes and Kriete
1991, Snipes 1994, 1995, 1997) to measure the entire
intestines of mammals, which does not rely on
extrapolations from measured probes with the
inherent danger of missing major surfaceenlargement
structures such as folds and villi, major
morphometric parameters were measured in both
species. These included lengths of the small and large
intestines, including the caecum, their respective
basal or ground areas, and the factor of surface
enlargement determined on histological specimens of
each area. Multiplication of this factor with the basal
area renders a total surface area for each intestinal
segment. Additionally, volumes of each segment
were calculated from lengths and basal areas. Table 1
gives measured values as well as percentages of
totals for each segment. In order to compare these
empirical data, coefficients were calculated according
to a system proposed by Chivers and Hl�dlik (1980,
1984), i.e., coefficient of digestion (area of large
intestine divided by the area of small intestine) and
coefficient of volume (volume of large intestine
divided by volume of small intestine). Obtained
values can be set on a scale (Chivers and Hl�dik
1980) to categorise the dietary strategy of an animal
(faunivore, intermediate feeder or nonruminant
herbivore; see Table 1).
Population Viability Analysis.Edited by Steven R Beissinger and Dale R Mullough
Authors: Brook Reviewed by BW
Published: November 2018

PREDICTING the persistence of small populations is
a key issue in population ecology and conservation
biology. A large and increasing number of species
are threatened with extinction from factors associated
with humans (such as habitat loss, over-exploitation,
pollution and introduced species) and stochastic
hazards (demographic and environmental
fluctuations, natural catastrophes, inbreeding and loss
of genetic variation). In order to address such
problems in a systematic way, the process of
?population viability analysis? (PVA) has been
developed over the past few decades, and has now
become one of the major unifying disciplines in
conservation biology. PVA is a technique, usually
employing complex computer simulations, for
predicting the future fate of wildlife populations and
comparing competing management options, based on
the integrated modelling of demographic,
environmental, genetic and habitat-related
information. Using PVA allows time, money and onground
action to be rationally and efficiently
allocated.
Electrophoretic characterization of Solomon Islands populations of Nyctimene and Rousettus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae).
Authors: Macaranas JM , Colgan D , Ingleby S
Published: November 2018

The taxonomic status of fruitbats belonging to the genera Nyctimene and Rousettus from the
Solomon Islands was investigated using allozyme electrophoresis. Two populations from the
Bismarck Archipelago (Papua New Guinea) were included as reference profiles. The allozyme
data at 23 loci assigned all specimens into either Nyctimene albiventer or Nyctimene major. The
N. albiventer specimens comprised two subspecies, N. a. papuanus from the Bismarck
Archipelago and N. a. bougainville from the Solomon Islands. No support was evident for
bougainville being a separate species, and indeed the data suggest that N. a. bougainville
encompasses the previously described species N. malaita and subspecies N. a. minor. Genetic
distances between populations of R. amplexicaudatus from the Bismarck Archipelago and the
Solomon Islands were generally low, supporting recent morphological assessments that the
subspecies hedigeri, from the majority of the Solomon Islands, should be considered
synonymous with subspecies brachyotis. An individual from Choiseul (Solomon Islands) with a
distinctive allozyme profile is the only evidence of taxonomic complexity in R.
amplexicaudatus.
Activity rhythms of southern brown bandicoots Isoodon obesulus (Marsupialia: Peramelidae) in captivity.
Authors: Larcombe AN
Published: November 2018

The temporal activity patterns of individually housed captive southern brown bandicoots
(Isoodon obesulus) were recorded using time-lapse infra-red videorecording. Recordings were
made over a period of four continuous days per animal under natural lighting and climatic
conditions for Perth, Western Australia during March 2002. Analysis showed that all bandicoots
were almost entirely nocturnal and spent ~71% (~17 hr day-1) of their time in their nests. The
times of onset of activity were remarkably regular, and occurred both following feeding during
the late afternoon and again after dusk (average 1841 hrs). Bandicoots were active for an
average of ~7 hr night-1. Virtually all activity involved the bandicoots running around their
enclosures (~6.5 hr day-1). This running was interspersed with shorter periods spent feeding
(~25 min day-1), grooming (~8 min day-1) and drinking (~2 min day-1). No other behaviours
were observed. There was a greater degree of variation in the time of cessation of activity
between individuals. Time of cessation ranged from 0039 hrs ± 20 min to 0504 hrs ± 25 min.
The average time of cessation of activity was 0315 hrs ± 61 min and was not related to either
time of onset of activity or sunrise.
An extension to the known range of the desert mouse Pseudomys desertor south into the Great Victoria Desert, Western Australia.
Authors: Alpers DL , Gaikhorst G , Lambert C , Fletcher T , Spencer P.B.S.
Published: November 2018

THE desert mouse Pseudomys desertor is a medium
sized rodent (15 – 30 g) which has a widespread
distribution throughout the arid zone of Australia
(Menkhorst and Knight 2001). It is considered locally
abundant in habitats containing samphire, sedge,
nitrebush or mature spinifex grasslands. A tolerance
to disturbed habitat (from mining or grazing) has also
been noted (Read et al. 1999). The distribution of the
species once extended from the Murray-Darling
through the Flinders Ranges to the Gibson and Great
Sandy Deserts, to the west coast and onto Bernier
Island (Read et al. 1999; Menkhorst and Knight
2001). Since European colonisation there has been a
contraction of the species’ range to the central deserts
(Kerle 1995; Read et al. 1999). In Western Australia,
the most southerly historical or contemporary record,
is from the Wanjarri Nature Reserve (near Mount
Keith), 370 km north of Kalgoorlie (D. Pearson pers.
comm.; Western Australian Museum fauna database:
http://203.30.234.168/). Recently, however, a
suspected P. desertor was caught north-west of
Queen Victoria Springs (QVS) in the Great Victoria
Desert (GPS 30o 03’ 56’’S; 122o 55’ 28’’E),
approximately 350 km to the south-east of its most
southern known locality. The specimen had the
distinctive buff-orange eye ring, size and general
features of P. desertor described in Kerle (1995) and
Menkhorst and Knight (2001). Prior to release of the
specimen, an ear biopsy was obtained for DNA
investigation and genomic DNA was extracted from
the biopsy via a variation on the salting out procedure
of Miller et al. (1988).
New records of Hastings River mouse Pseudomys oralis from State Forest of New South Wales pre-logging surveys.
Authors: Meek PD , McCray K , Cann B
Published: November 2018

THE Hastings River mouse Pseudomys oralis is one
of the rarest of the pseudomyines and is patchily
distributed across New South Wales (NSW) and
Queensland, although it is believed to have been
more common in the past (Watts and Aslin 1981). It
is currently listed as ‘endangered’ at both State
(NSW) and Commonwealth levels and there have
only been three ecological studies of the species
(Townley 2000; Keating 2000; Meek 2002a). One
interesting aspect of Pseudomys ecology is their
patchy distribution across the landscape (Watts and
Aslin 1981), even where habitat appears unaltered
and undisturbed. Historically, P. oralis was believed
to be widely dispersed, preferring creek and gully
habitats dominated by Cyperaceae and Juncaceae
species (Read 1993a; Pyke and Read 2002). New
evidence indicates that water courses are not as
important as previously believed with animals being
trapped across a range of topography and habitat
types (Townley 2000; Meek 2002a).
Morphometric data on the intestines of five Australian marsupials (Marsupialia).
Authors: Snipes RL , Snipes H , Carrick FN
Published: November 2018

THE nutritional biology of marsupials has been a
subject of numerous studies, culminating in valuable
compilations covering a wide range of aspects
(Osman Hill and Rewell 1954; Walton and
Richardson 1989; Hume 1982, 1999; Kerle 2001).
Despite this thorough coverage, there remains a
scarcity of morphometric data on the intestines of
monotremes and marsupials. In an attempt to
approach this need, an effort was initiated to provide
morphometric data on monotremes (Snipes et al.
2002) and marsupials (Snipes et al. 1993, 2003).
Reproductive Science and Intergrated Conservation. W.V. Holt, A.R. Pickard, J.C. Rodger AND D.E. Wildt (Eds) A Review by Marilyn B. Renfree.
Authors: Refree MB
Published: November 2018

CONSERVATION and reproduction are inextricably
linked, for reproduction is the science of the
transmission of life, and conservation is the ability to
maintain that life. The theme of this book is that
reproductive science in all its multiple sub-disciplines
is an essential (but often overlooked) component for
all successful conservation. The very first statement
in the volume makes this message clear ?Therefore,
the study of reproduction is fundamental to
conserving species, populations and, indirectly, the
vitality of entire ecosystems?. The overriding
message is just how little we know, and for only a
handful of vertebrate species. The lack of basic
research is of great concern, for, as Short (1985) so
succinctly stated, ?we cannot conserve until we
comprehend?. This compendium of papers from
world experts makes a start at redressing our
ignorance.
New South Wales Kangaroo Management Program: 2002 and beyond..
Authors: Gilroy JH
Published: November 2018

Immediately following the review of the New South Wales (NSW) Kangaroo Management
Program (KMP) in 1997, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service initiated a strategic
planning process involving the NSW Kangaroo Management Advisory Committee. In April
2000 the strategic planning process progressed into a full review of the KMP 1998-2002 and
various reports were commissioned. The draft KMP 2002-2006 was released for public
comment on 14 July 2001. Key issues considered when preparing the new program were the
legislative framework, the inclusion of goals and objectives that can be audited, the merits of
damage mitigation as a rationale for commercial kangaroo use and the format and writing style
of the KMP 1998-2002. Following analysis of submissions on the draft KMP 2002-2006, the
program was finalised and submitted to the Australian Commonwealth Government for
approval. The KMP 2002-2006 was approved by the Commonwealth and is valid from 1
January 2002 to 31 December 2006. The KMP 2002-2006 has a single overarching goal to
maintain viable populations of kangaroos throughout their ranges in accordance with the
principles of ecologically sustainable development. This goal is serviced by six new
management-based objectives, each of which is covered by a specific section in the new
management program. The new management program no longer relies on identification of
damage as justification for commercial kangaroo use, and facility for an adaptive management
approach has been added for the first time. Specific arrangements for ongoing program audits,
periodic full program reviews and community awareness and participation are further additions
to the new management program.
The role of kangaroos in Australian tourism.
Authors: Higginbottom K , Northrope CL , Croft DB , Hill B , Fredline E
Published: November 2018

Generally absent from the debate on the management of kangaroos (Macropodoidea) is
discussion of their role in tourism. This paper examines the role that kangaroos play in
Australian tourism, synthesising the findings of four related projects undertaken recently by the
Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism. It investigates the role of kangaroos in
tourism marketing imagery, international tourist demand and existing tourism enterprises, and
examines opportunities for future development of tourism involving kangaroos. In order to
assess these aspects, experimental studies, interviews, visitor surveys, content analysis of
advertising material, postal surveys of wildlife professionals and site visits were conducted.
The kangaroo was found to be one of the world?s best-recognised tourism icons and to generate
positive responses among Americans; yet it is apparently under-utilised in overseas travel
brochures designed to attract international tourists to Australia. The use of kangaroos in
tourism is already widespread, with over 190 tourism enterprises including kangaroo viewing,
and with the kangaroo featuring in organised wildlife tourism more frequently than any other
type of animal. However kangaroos are generally just one component of a broader tourism
experience. While 18.4% of international visitors are motivated to visit Australia partly
because of its native animals, there are very few who would not come otherwise. Kangaroos
and koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are by far the most popular animals with international
visitors. Most visitors who wished to do so, succeeded in seeing kangaroos during their visit,
and most expressed high levels of satisfaction with their wildlife experiences. The most
satisfying kangaroo viewing experiences are likely to involve the relatively large, social
species of open habitats. However areas where these species are most likely to be abundant
mostly score poorly in terms of feasibility of tourism. Tourism is one significant management
option for Australia?s kangaroos, and its potential deserves further investigation.
Detection of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus (Marsupialia: Burramyidae) at Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, New South Wales.
Authors: Harris JM , Goldingay RL
Published: November 2018

THE eastern pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus) has
an extensive distribution, from south-eastern
Queensland to south-eastern South Australia, and
also into Tasmania (Strahan 1995). Despite this it is
rarely detected in fauna surveys (Bowen and
Goldingay 2000). This rarity in detection suggested
that the species may be characterised by small and
isolated populations, and therefore vulnerable to
extinction. Consequently, it became listed as a
'Vulnerable' species in New South Wales (NSW) in
2001. Unless resolved, the low rate of detection of C.
nanus will continue to hinder the acquisition of basic
ecological information that is needed to more clearly
define its conservation status and that is fundamental
to the development of a recovery plan.
An extensive body of survey data for NSW
involving C. nanus has been reviewed by Bowen and
Goldingay (2000). Among a range of survey methods
aimed at detecting this species, trapping within
flowering banksias and checking installed nest-boxes
had the highest rates of detection. Indeed, one study
in northern NSW captured 98 individuals over a 3-
year period from within nest-boxes (Bladon et al.
2002). All other studies detected fewer than 15 C.
nanus. It is clear that further research is required to
investigate the effectiveness of a range of detection
methods.
A description and discussion of the penile morphology of Rhinonicteris aurantius (Gray, 1845) (Microchiroptera: Hipposideridae).
Authors: Armstrong KN
Published: November 2018

A description of the glans penis and baculum of the orange leaf-nosed bat (Rhinonicteris
aurantius Gray, 1845) is provided. The sample size, while limited, did not suggest that a more
comprehensive study would indicate significant differences between the three main regional
populations (Pilbara, Kimberley, Northern Territory). This observation complements previous
morphometric investigations on the species that revealed a general pattern of morphological
similarity among populations. The function of the spikes that were observed to cover the glans,
and the significance of the shape of the baculum are discussed.
Physiological significance of the microclimate in night refuges of the numbat Myrmecobius fasciatus.
Authors: Cooper CE , Withers PC
Published: November 2018

Numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) seek overnight refuge in hollow logs, tree hollows and
burrows, which provide protection from predators. Occupied night refuges were on average 5�C
warmer than ambient temperature, which would result in considerable energy savings (35 kJ
over 12 h). Use of a nest within the refuge reduced calculated energy expenditure by a further
55 kJ over 12 h. Mean nightly temperature didn?t differ with refuge type, but the nightly pattern
of refuge temperature did. Burrows had higher insulation than logs or tree hollows, and had
more constant night temperatures and higher minimum temperatures. Season had a significant
influence on refuge temperature, with lower temperatures in winter than in other seasons for all
refuge types. The gas composition of occupied night refuges was different to ambient, with
refuge air differing in O2 content by a maximum of 2.3%, and CO2 by no more than 3.0% from
ambient levels. The relative humidity in M. fasciatus refuges was extremely variable (23-
100%), but was generally lower than ambient relative humidity. The overnight refuges of M.
fasciatus (hollow logs, tree hollows and burrows) significantly buffer thermal conditions
without major effects on the gaseous or hygric environment.
Distribution, habitat and conservation status of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus in Victoria.
Authors: Harris JM , Goldingay RL
Published: November 2018

We review the distribution, habitat and conservation status of the eastern pygmy-possum
(Cercartetus nanus) in Victoria. Data on the habitat occurrences and rates of detection were
gleaned from 133 published and unpublished fauna surveys conducted from 1968 to 2003 in
Gippsland; northern Victoria; the Melbourne area and south-western region. C. nanus was
reported from a broad range of vegetation communities, which predominantly included a dense
mid-storey of shrubs rich in nectar-producing species such as those from the families
Proteaceae and Myrtaceae. Survey effort using a range of methods was immense across
surveys: 305,676 Elliott/cage trap-nights, 49,582 pitfall trap-nights, 18,331 predator remains
analysed, 4424 spotlight hours, and 7346 hair-sampling devices deployed, 1005 trees
stagwatched, and 5878 checks of installed nest-boxes. The surveys produced 434 records of C.
nanus, with Elliott/cage trapping, pitfall trapping and analysis of predator remains responsible
for the vast majority of records (93%). These data and those from the Atlas of Victorian
Wildlife indicate that although C. nanus has a widespread distribution in Victoria, it is rarely
observed or trapped in fauna surveys. Only 11 (8%) of the surveys we reviewed detected >10
individuals. C. nanus is likely to be sensitive to several recognised threatening processes in
Victoria (e.g., feral predators, high frequency fire, feral honeybees). There is also evidence of
range declines in several regions, which suggests that the species is vulnerable to extinction.
Therefore, we recommend that it be nominated as a threatened species in Victoria.
An extension to the known range of the eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus on Cape York Peninsula.
Authors: Ritchie EG
Published: November 2018

THE eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is
one of Australia?s widest-ranging large macropodids,
occurring in open forests, woodlands, subalpine
woodland, farmland, and semi-arid regions
throughout most of eastern Australia (Menkhorst and
Knight 2001). However current general accounts
(e.g., Poole 1995, Menkhorst and Knight 2001)
regard M. giganteus as being absent from the
northern Cape York Peninsula.
Retention and condition of cephalopod beaks in the stomach of an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea).
Authors: Gibbs S.E.
Published: November 2018

An Australian sea lion with a shark induced injury to its flipper was held in capitivity for 14 days and fed fish. Amputaion of the flipper was planned and the sea lion was sedated but it died under anesthesia. The only food in its stomach were 63 cephalopod beaks.