bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A visual assessment of the recovery of 3D seismic lines in the Cooper Basin, South Australia
Authors: Doudy Bridgette , Cockshell David
Published: August 2017

This report examines the recovery rates of 3D seismic lines in the Cooper Basin, SA, 1992–2015. There are now more than 70,103 km of 3D seismic line in the Cooper Basin. There are a variety of impacts caused by seismic exploration, with the visual impact being the prime concern raised by stakeholders. The recovery rates of 3D seismic lines vary between differing land systems. Some land systems, such as dune and floodplain, are dynamic, while others, such as gibber plain, are less so.
A historical database consisting of 2,018 videos and photographs was used to score the visibility of seismic lines at various locations and times. A new methodology of visually scoring this data was created, using a scale ranging from 1 (the survey dominates the landscape) to 5 (the survey is no longer visible). Data analysis showed that seismic lines in dune land systems are likely to recover within seven years, seismic lines in floodplain land systems are likely to recover within eight years, and seismic lines in gibber plain land systems are likely to take 10–20 years to recover to a visibility score of 4 or 5. To arrive at a more accurate determination of seismic line recovery in salt lake, wetland and tableland land systems, more extensive data collection is recommended.
Simulation of hydraulic fracturing with propane-based fluid using a fracture propagation model coupled with multiphase flow simulation in the Cooper Basin, South Australia
Authors: Fei Yang , Perdomo Mary Gonzalez , Nguyen Viet Quoc , Lei Zhongyu , Pokalai Kunakorn , Sarkar Sume , Haghighi Manouchehr
Published: August 2017

In many unconventional reservoirs, gas wells do not perform to their potential when water-based fracturing fluids are used for treatments. The sub-optimal fracture productivity can be attributed to many factors such as effective fracture length loss, low load fluid recovery, flowback time, and water availability. The development of unconventional reservoirs has, therefore, prompted the industry to reconsider waterless fracturing treatments as viable alternatives to water-based fracturing fluids.
In this paper, a simulation approach was used by coupling a fracture propagation model with a multiphase flow model. The Toolachee Formation is a tight sand in the Cooper Basin, around 7,200 ft in depth, and has been targeted for gas production. In this study, a 3D hydraulic fracture propagation model was first developed to provide fracture dimensions and conductivity. Then, from an offset well injection fall off test, the model was tuned by using different calibration parameters such as fracture gradient and closure pressure to validate the model. Finally, fracture propagation model outputs were used as the inputs for multiphase flow reservoir simulation.
A large number of cases were simulated based on different fraccing fluids and the concept of permeability jail to represent several water-induced damage effects. It was found that LPG was a successful treatment, especially in a reservoir where the authors suspected the presence of permeability jails. The authors also observed that total flowback recovery approached 76% within 60 days in the case of using gelled LPG. Modelling predictions also support the need for high-quality foam, and LPG can be expected to bring long-term productivity gains in normal tight gas relative permeability behaviour.
2015 PESA industry exploration review
Authors: Kelemen Stephen
Published: August 2017

Globally, 2015 had the lowest addition of new oil reserves in more than 60 years, reflecting both reduced activity and fewer oil opportunities, although significant gas discoveries were made. In Australia, the underlying theme for the year was one of adapting to low oil prices and learning to operate prudently with a lower price outlook.
The cautious approach of 2014 persisted, with exploration activity at reduced levels. Offshore seismic recording maintained its recent high activity levels with a total of 45,563 km2 of mainly regional 3D seismic recorded, but onshore seismic recorded was at historically low levels.
Nine exploration wells were spudded offshore with limited success (two gas and condensate discoveries at Auriga West–1 in the Browse Basin and Roc–1 in the Roebuck Basin). Onshore, however, the 38 non-CSG exploration wells drilled had a high success rate although discoveries were small. A highlight onshore was Origin Energy reporting encouraging results from the McArthur Basin for its Proterozoic mid-Velkerri Formation shales gas exploration program.
Caution also extended to permit activity, where offshore relinquishments exceeded the number of permits granted, and onshore international companies withdrew from their unconventional farmin programs. For permits granted offshore, lower expectations of prospectivity resulted in only one well being committed in the primary term work program.
Community pressure continued to play a significant role in the lack of CSG and other exploration drilling in NSW and onshore Victoria.
Application and regulation of hydraulic stimulation across the states and territories
Authors: Stone Mark
Published: August 2017

Hydraulic stimulation, to increase the productivity of petroleum and geothermal wells, has been applied onshore in Australia for more than 50 years.
While most states and territories have employed hydraulic stimulation, the most significant application has been in SA and Queensland, driven by the development of significant gas resources in the Cooper-Eromanga and Bowen-Surat provinces. In Queensland, some 500 wells have been hydraulically stimulated in the past five years, driven by the appraisal and development of coal seam gas (CSG) resources.
As global and domestic demand for natural gas continues to grow, and in light of the recent start-up of Queensland’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, industry will continue to optimise discovered resources while identifying new supply in under-explored basins and plays.
Australia has substantial onshore prospective and contingent gas resources, a significant proportion of which are held in shale and tight sands. Commercialising this gas, at volumes sufficient to underpin associated major investment, will require the extensive application of hydraulic stimulation.
The federal government and all states and territories bar Queensland have completed independent or parliamentary inquiries into hydraulic stimulation or unconventional gas development in general. A moratorium on hydraulic stimulation presently exists in Victoria and Tasmania.
This paper summarises the historic application of hydraulic stimulation onshore Australia, the legislation presently in place to regulate and manage the activity, and a hypothetical scenario of the application of hydraulic stimulation to explore for and develop shale and tight gas resources at a field scale.
Gender diversity in the oil and gas industry
Authors: Power Clare , Kennedy Andrew
Published: August 2017

A woman in every boardroom, secular happy holidays greetings, and Indigenous internships. These strategies are inoffensive and mostly well intentioned, but real change requires disruption. Indirect discrimination is an obstacle to true diversity and can lead to legal complications for employers. It is common for rigid practices or organisational structures to apply equally to everyone, but disproportionately affect one particular group of people. In a global industry that demands movement and flexibility from employees, what are those employees offered in return?
In particular, the oil and gas industry must increase its efforts to attract and retain skilled women. The skills shortage is one indicia of a sector that has failed to change with the times. The industry needs to increase female workforce participation by challenging structural barriers, not simply with lip service to critical issues like work-life balance. The conversation should expand to include flexible work, mentorship, networking, offshore opportunities, and changes to recruitment practices. Furthermore, the next generation of women engineers is gearing up, with talent to feed into the industry from the ground level.
It is time to get more women in the pipeline. Do law and practice match the rhetoric?
Evaluating potential coal seam gas impacts to the Condamine Alluvium: an example of successful community involvement
Authors: Gossmann Simon , Denner Stephen , Herbert St.John , Pandey Sanjeev , Cox Randall , Gallagher Mark , Moncrieff Josh
Published: August 2017

The groundwater resources of the Condamine River Alluvial Aquifer (Condamine Alluvium) in Queensland have been developed in the past 60 years for irrigation, stock, domestic and other uses. Extraction of more than 55,000 mL/yr from this aquifer is critical to supporting the local irrigation industry.
Existing and proposed coal seam gas development in the Surat Basin extends to underneath the western edge of the CA footprint and involves depressurisation of coals that form up to 10% of the Walloon Coal Measures (WCM) at some depth below the alluvium. Reduced groundwater availability from the already-stressed Condamine Alluvium is thus an oft-quoted concern of landholders when further development of the CSG industry is considered.
An extensive study, led by the Queensland Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA) and supported by Arrow Energy, was carried out to provide quantitative assessments of vertical hydraulic conductivity between the alluvium, coal measures and intervening formations.
This extended abstract focuses on one element of the aforementioned study led by Arrow Energy, specifically, aquifer testing undertaken at two representative sites overlying the Condamine Alluvium. This included drilling and collection of core; geophysical, geomechanical and geochemical testing; test pumping and monitoring; and, modelling. An important element of this project, aside from sharing of data and results—was the involvement of local landholders in development of the investigations, and attendance at field days during drilling and presentation of results.
Key findings included estimated ranges of vertical hydraulic conductivity derived from parameter estimation modelling that were lower than previously suggested.
Major accident prevention (MAP): a safety case approach to construction
Authors: Selleck Roberta
Published: August 2017

The oil and gas construction industry continues to experience unnecessary work-related fatalities. The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) reported 80 fatalities in 2013 (IOGP, 2014).
When assessing this against the use of OGP Life-Saving Rules (LSRs), which contractors are required to adopt, the IOGP stated that ‘Assessment of the applicability of the OGP Life-Saving Rules to fatal incident descriptions for 2013 data has shown that at least 67% of the fatal incidents reported are covered by the OGP Life-Saving Rules and may have been prevented…’ (IOGP, 2014).
While LSRs raise awareness about the hazards and standards required, the rules-based approach has not been effective in preventing fatalities.
Clough has rigorously applied LSRs on projects, however, following a fatality in July 2013, Clough re-evaluated the management of major accident events (MAEs) and found that standard safety management practices, including the use of LSRs, were not effective in managing high-risk activities in a dynamic construction environment. As a result, the Major Accident Prevention (MAP) program was developed, bringing offshore safety case principles to the onshore construction environment. These include:

to know and understand the activities that give rise to MAEs;
to identify and define critical controls; and,
to implement a verification regime that confirms the critical controls are effective.

This extended abstract describes the advantages of a safety case approach compared to the traditional LSR approach, supported by case studies to demonstrate a real-life implementation of the program on major construction projects.
Creating shared value through better management of water and waste in oil and gas
Authors: Thélier Yves
Published: August 2017

In the oil and gas sector, access to water and disposal of liquid and solid waste can be an opportunity to create significant additional value rather than just an operational and environmental risk. With the growing number of oil and gas projects in water-scarce regions, the ascent of unconventional extraction methods, and the growing need for enhanced oil recovery in mature fields, treating and managing water is becoming increasingly complex. In addition, strict regulations for the disposal of (hazardous) wastes require advanced treatment and create pressure to close resource loops. Many of these pressures are felt by the Australian oil and gas sector as it is transiting into the operations phase in LNG developments. Turning water and waste management from a cost item into tangible financial benefits has never been so important for producers.
This extended abstract examines key strategic collaborative case studies built on shared value creation between global oil and gas operators and a global environmental services contractor. In contrast to a more traditional buyer-seller relationship, these strategic collaborations are built around joint project teams that identify and implement value creation opportunities in water and waste management, fully leveraging the unique knowledge and experience of both partners.
The extended abstract outlines this collaboration model, which consists of five distinct value creation levers including top-line improvements through increased production, bottom-line improvements through operational efficiencies, securing license to operate, de-risking of investments through financial engineering, and strengthening of brand value through sustainability and social engagement.
Improvements in understanding short-range permeability variability in coal seam gas reservoirs
Authors: Tyson Stephen , Hurter Suzanne , Zhou Fengde , Jami Morteza
Published: August 2017

After several years of production history on at least some of the more than 7,000 CSG production wells in the Surat and Bowen basins, reservoir engineers continue to note that understanding detailed permeability spatial variation near the well bore and its impact on actual production performance remains poor. There is a growing realisation that permeability of coals has an even higher variability than was initially expected, and that this variability occurs across a shorter range than that of the typical inter-well spacing (~750 m). As a result, flow between wells, pressure depletion, water and gas production rates and ultimate recovery is difficult to predict. Forecasting short-range continuity of different categories of absolute permeabilities through modelling is the key challenge. Other physical or geophysical parameters may change similarly with the same range.
Generation models tend to over-estimate the lateral continuity of coals and associated carbonaceous shales resulting in a poor match between the model predictions and the observed production data. This may be due to incomplete information on the short-range variability of porosity and permeability and the appropriate up-scaled values for these parameters used in the reservoir simulation models.
This extended abstract discusses controls on permeability, both the geological influences and the impact of drilling and completion on permeability. Taking a holistic approach to the problem of understanding permeability variability, the relative impact of these controls is estimated and discussed. With the benefit of rudimentary ranking of these controls, techniques have been developed to improve measurement and modelling of permeability variability. These approaches can help improve the predictive modelling capability of reservoir performance.
Sustainable partnerships: the art of high-performing alliances and joint ventures
Authors: Riksen Amita , Chipman Nick
Published: August 2017

In the increasingly transparent, real-time, digital business environment, the degree of collaboration required to succeed is rapidly expanding. Interdependencies created among diverse market participants, prospective partners and stakeholders is dramatically altering who actively participates in the oil and gas industry and how much influence they can yield.
An industry deeply premised on technical innovation and excellence must evolve to broaden the value proposition and address the complex, expanded stakeholder groups. Traditional value drivers need to be extended to effectively leveragemulti-party joint ventures (JVs) to address the principles of license to operate and deliver the required capabilities.
PwC hypothesises that risk-averse, technical, legal and quantitative biases drive joint venturing agreements to narrow obligations and sub-optimal outcomes. This is because narrow agreements ignore the behavioural, organisational and critical relationship-driven outcomes in contracting, venturing and alliance configurations.
By widening the lens of JV agreements and strategic alliances, the authors look briefly at real case studies and undertake critical observations of the emerging industry behaviour, in identifying the following range of factors industry participants need to confront:

the power and agility of social media driving industry response;
the role of subjective, human factors in realising strategic objectives;
the perceived rights of JV parties as the reality;
the role of emotion in decision making and misalignments of culture/style/behaviours among stakeholders;
the balance of diversity versus control requirements in governance management;
the enablers for co-creating, high-performing ventures and contracting for co-operation alongside risk management;
using the letter of the contract to facilitate rather than dictate behaviour; and,
the power of influence to enable decision making.

The shared experiences of the authors identify an attribution framework underpinning the contractual frame and extends into the effective planning and execution traits of high-performing, co-operative JVs.
How to avoid aches and pains in your joint ventures
Authors: Steedman Brent
Published: August 2017

The Australian oil and gas industry is in a period of substantial challenges, including a significant decline in oil prices, fluctuating spot gas prices, a relentless drive for operating efficiency, and tight capital allocation, together with increased regulatory scrutiny and a reputation for below-standards productivity. On the upside, these market challenges provide significant opportunities for companies to bring in new investors, implement new operating models, apply innovation to update processes and practices, and restructure activities. Making material step-changes, requires companies to review, amend, and update joint venture operating agreements (JVOAs).
KPMG has worked with many of Australia’s leading oil and gas companies on a range of joint venture engagements. This extended abstract outlines why JVOAs need to be reviewed with respect to the following key opportunities and challenges:

Fast-changing global business operating models.
Available cost savings by eliminating inconsistent management and operating models between joint ventures.
Planning for potential restructuring, including separation of infrastructure (e.g. plants, pipelines, support) from reserve ownership.
Sharing of services (e.g. maintenance and logistics) between unrelated joint ventures.
Transparency of costs and asset performance.
Improved joint venture governance (not more or over-governance) between participants to attract investment.
Effective resourcing, noting the right transition of capabilities between deal-makers and joint venture operators.

With this extended abstract the authors aim to provide ideas for consideration. Each of these ideas will impact JVOAs. The authors’ proposition is that now is the right time to complete a comprehensive review of JVOAs to enable organisations to move fast as new and innovative opportunities arise.
Using a 3D hydraulic fracture simulator to assess the impact of perforation design on high near-wellbore pressure loss in the Cooper Basin
Authors: Eades Nicholas , Patter Mohit , Smokaj Aldi
Published: August 2017

Fracture stimulation in the Cooper Basin has long been challenged by high near-wellbore pressure loss (NWBPL) present in hydraulic fracture treatments. Though many strategies have been applied to either mitigate or prevent this, the industry is still in need of a broadly applicable, economic and practical solution. An approach that has significant potential, and targets NWBPL from its foundation, is perforation design.
Perforation design has been shown in the past to have a significant effect on the initiation of a fracture and the success of its continued propagation. A commercial 3D hydraulic fracture simulator has been applied to data from Cooper Basin wells. These vertical wells contain tight sand intervals and are characterised by high differential stress. A sensitivity analysis has been performed using industry-standard GOHFER software, focusing on parameters including perforation diameter, shot density, interval length, number of intervals, and shot spacing.
Though many previous authors have suggested that perforation design has limited impact on pressure loss, the analysis performed in this study indicates that there are methods inherent in perforation design that can impact on high NWBPL. In particular, this study has noted a potential for many cost-saving strategies that could be applied to future completions.
This is an innovative study that examines the underlying links between perforation design and the resulting near-wellbore pressure loss. It focuses on problematic areas of the Cooper Basin in the hope that by examining these links useful recommendations can be made to the industry.
Prospectivity and play analysis in the frontier Great Australian Bight: the benefits of a public domain data system and the application of traditional and new technologies
Authors: Longley Ian , Dirstein James
Published: August 2017

The deep water portion of the Great Australian Bight remains an untested basin with the Gnarlyknots–1A well drilled in 2003 not penetrating deep enough to test the well's targets within the Upper Cretaceous Ceduna Delta section. If an anoxic marine shale source system, that is an effective source in many parts of West Africa, is present beneath the delta, then this could supply a material oil charge into the numerous fault block structures identified on seismic data. With eight wells due to be drilled in the next few years, this area will be one of the most active exploration frontier settings in the region.
Since Australia has an open file system for technical data, the regional Flinders 2000 2D Marine seismic Interpretation report containing five regional Time structure maps is now in the public domain, as is the Gnarlyknots–1A well data and the raw seismic data from the Ceduna 3D survey acquired in 2012. These data were used to evaluate the untested Coniacian play interval with the construction of Reservoir Presence and quality, seal and charge relative probability maps made from various proxies that were then stacked to show areas of relative prospectivity. This traditional approach was supplemented by the an example showing pre-interpretation surfaces from the pre-Cenomanian portion of the 3D volume to help develop a better understanding of the potential prospectivity of deeper intervals not captured on the submitted open file maps. The workflow presented here suggests some parts of the Ceduna Sub Basin are significantly more prospective than others. Moreover, we demonstrate that even in frontier settings with minimal well data, pre-interpretation processing and simple play analysis together can be a useful and efficient approach for delivering significant insights into prospectivity. This workflow will ultimately promote more exploration thinking and activity in the future.
Source rock characterisation of under-explored regions of Queensland
Authors: Troup Alison , Edwards Sally
Published: August 2017

Historically, petroleum exploration in Queensland has focused on the Bowen-Surat and Cooper-Eromanga basins, with only cursory examination of other basins across the state. As part of the Queensland Industry Priorities Initiative, two projects (Round 1 and 2) were submitted to the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) to examine the geochemical characteristics of potential petroleum source rocks throughout Queensland. The analysis conducted provides a better understanding of generative potential for petroleum, and predicts the timing, volume, composition, and physical state of hydrocarbons retained in and expelled from source rocks. It is an integral component to petroleum systems analysis used to identify the potential for undiscovered accumulations of petroleum from conventional and unconventional reservoirs. Of particular interest were the Georgina, Drummond, Eromanga, and Maryborough basins. Of these, the Georgina and Maryborough basins have known hydrocarbon shows identified through exploration drilling, though no commercial discoveries have yet been made. The Drummond Basin was targeted to identify a potential source for oil and gas shows encountered in drilling within the Galilee Basin. The Toolebuc Formation in the Eromanga Basin has been noted as having the potential for a shale oil play and this study is supporting further assessment to identify optimal areas for future exploration through predictive modelling. This report details the results from Round 1 of the study for samples taken from the Georgina Limestone and Scartwater, Ducabrook, Mount Hall, Toolebuc, and Maryborough formations, where limited analysis of source rock characteristics has historically been undertaken. Ninety-seven samples were chosen from nine wells and sent to Geos4 in Potsdam, Germany, for source rock analysis. All samples were screened for suitability of further analysis using Rock-Eval and TOC by LECO, with immature and organic-rich samples being preferentially selected for further testing. Screened samples were analysed using pyrolysis gas chromatography (n=27), thermovaporisation (n=23), bulk kinetics (n=5), compositional kinetics (n=4), late gas analysis (n=14), and biomarker and bulk isotope analysis (n=15). These results have been integrated with existing analyses to better understand the prospectivity of the under-explored basins of Queensland.
1D depth burial history and thermal maturity modelling of the Toolebuc Formation, Queensland
Authors: Talebi Behnam
Published: August 2017

The Toolebuc Formation in the Eromanga and Carpentaria basins in western Queensland shares many characteristics with successful tight oil plays in the US. A study by the Geological Survey of Queensland has examined key parameters for this formation, including depth, thickness, lithology, mineralogy, maturity (both vitrinite reflectance and Tmax), total organic carbon and mud gas compositions and identified a possible play fairway in the central Eromanga Basin. Mudgas wetness ratios indicate that in areas modelled to be more mature, oil may be present in the Toolebuc Formation. These areas are typically in the central Eromanga Basin where the Toolebuc Formation is deepest, though oil responses have been calculated for wells that are shallower. This is contradicted by the apparent maturity of the formation based on vitrinite reflectance and Tmax measurements.
Initial burial history modelling of the six petroleum wells indicates that DIO Hammond–1, SSL Clinton–1, DIO Tanbar North–1 and DIO Marengo–1 are in main oil window (0.7–1.0 %Ro) while DIO Denley–1 and DIO Ingella–1 are in the early oil window (0.55–0.7 %Ro). A single erosional event of 550 m of the Winton Formation has been assumed for this modelling. These wells are the deepest intersections of the Toolebuc Formation where it has been modelled to have higher maturity, and mudgas wetness ratios indicate oil may be present.
Further refinement of these models and examination of additional wells is needed to better understand the potential for the Toolebuc Formation to have generated petroleum.
Coal microstructure changes due to water absorption and CO2 injection
Authors: Zhang Yihuai , Sarmadivaleh Mohammad , Barifcani Ahmed , Lebedev Maxim , Iglauer Stefan
Published: August 2017

Value from deep coal seams—too deep for mining—can nowadays be gained through natural gas production, so-called coal bed methane (CBM) recovery. To enhance such methane production (ECBM), CO2 can be injected into such coal seams—that are also a potential sink for CO2—to mitigate climate change. During this process CO2 is absorbed into the coal matrix, which can lead to a dramatic porosity and permeability change. The underlying changes in coal microstructure—despite their obvious importance for permeability and production—are only poorly understood. The authors thus imaged coal core plugs at high spatial resolution (3.4 μm) in 3D with an X-ray micro-computed tomography. Medium rank coal plugs were cut and imaged at dry and brine saturated state, and after CO2 injection. During brine flooding the authors observed a clear and significant change in microstructure morphology; while the solid volume clearly expanded significantly (coal swelling), cleats closed and permeability was reduced dramatically.
Palynostratigraphic and U-Pb CA-IDTIMS isotopic dating of the upper Orallo Formation, northern Surat Basin, Queensland
Authors: Cooling Jennifer J. , McKellar John L.
Published: August 2017

The Jurassic–Cretaceous transition in the Surat Basin, Queensland, has not been previously subjected to detailed palynological study and biostratigraphic assessment. The associated lithostratigraphic succession, that is represented by the upper Westbourne Formation, the unconformably overlying Gubberamunda Sandstone, and the succeeding Orallo Formation and Mooga Sandstone, represents the most complete record of deposition for the interval in Queensland. Several important aquifers and aquitards occur in this succession, and a refined palynological biostratigraphy may assist in providing more accurate correlations and improved conceptual models for its deposition and spatial variability.
Preliminary results of the investigation suggest that the existing pan-Australian zonal scheme and the informal alphanumeric scheme widely applied in eastern Australia can be modified to more accurately reflect the stratigraphic distribution of palynomorph species present in, and the overall palynofloral composition of, these uppermost Jurassic–lowermost Cretaceous rocks, not only in the Surat Basin but also, by extrapolation, their equivalents in other eastern Australian basins. This will thus facilitate more accurate intra- and inter-basinal correlations.
In the Orallo Formation material studied to date, zone-index fossils—though present—have proved to be scarce, but this is relative to the extreme richness and the diversity of taxa in the assemblages, the composition of which appears to differ significantly from that described in the literature, and reflects the temperate climate in the environment of deposition. On an introductory basis—as the study is in its early stages—a number of new species have been provisionally identified, and several existing species are seemingly in need of taxonomic emendation.
Rangal Supermodel 2015
Authors: Sliwa Renate , Esterle Joan
Published: August 2017

More than 6,000 boreholes were compiled to develop a consistent regional scale stratigraphic framework for the Permian Rangal, Baralaba and Bandana coal measures (CMs) within the Bowen Basin. Coal beds and tuff horizons were used as stratigraphic markers, supported by chemostratigraphy and age dating. Results corroborate the general subdivisions of these different coal measures relative to basin location, but increase resolution on migrating depocentres in response to foreland loading and subsidence on coal thickness and splitting patterns. In the north, the Rangal CMs comprise two main seams, correlated as Leichhardt and Vermont. The Yarrabee Tuff is consistently present and splits the Vermont seam. The main Leichhardt seam exhibits relatively simple offset stacking relationships with the underlying Vermont and overlying Phillips seams. In the southwest, the Bandana CMs comprise two to three significant seams—the Aries-Castor, Pollux (Leichhardt equivalent) and Orion—along with the Pisces containing the Yarrabee Tuff. Seams exhibit complex Z splitting and vertical interburden stacking. Locally super-thick seams (crabs) form from convergence of thinner split seams in areas of relative stability over basement highs. In the Taroom Trough, the Baralaba CMs show the greatest response to loading, as seams thin and split along the eastern margin. The variability in the splitting patterns, coupled with the coal measures total thickness, corroborate the extension of the final basin depocentre northward, which was not preserved.
Vertical gas migration associated with coal seam gas production
Authors: Ricard Ludovic , Strand Julian
Published: August 2017

Gas migration outside coal seam gas reservoirs has been identified as a risk associated with CSG production. While such an event has not been reported or scientifically associated with CSG production, understanding the physical mechanism of the vertical migration in the overburden involved should gas leakage occur would improve mitigation strategies and risk evaluation.
In this extended abstract, a series of key modelling scenarios of gas migration above the reservoir are developed. Interpretation of the scenarios highlights that:

the seal/leakage nature of the overburden strongly impacts gas migration and volume of gas leaked;
when leakage does occur, the leaked volume represents a very small portion of the original gas in place and volume of gas produced;
the connectivity of the overburden plays a critical role on the gas migration pathways and volume of gas leaked; and,
residual gas saturation, and relative permeability hysteresis provide means to trap the mobile gas, significantly reducing the volume of gas leaked reaching shallower formations.
Virtual and classical Precipice Sandstone outcrops mapping for reservoir modelling
Authors: Pistellato Davide , Murphy Richard , Sansoleimani Atefeh , Bianchi Valeria , Esterle Joan
Published: August 2017

The Lower Jurassic Precipice Sandstone is an important hydrocarbon and water reservoir in the Surat Basin. It is the basal infill of the Surat Basin, commonly considered an intracratonic sag basin, although the triggering mechanism for subsidence remains unresolved. Its interpreted origin is a fluviatile system that formed a thick belt of sandstone that corresponds to the Mimosa Syncline structural axis.
The Precipice Sandstone outcrops along the northern margin of the basin forming laterally continuous cliffs. This provides good conditions for 2D and 3D photogrammetry and classical analysis of sedimentary architectures, bedding and facies. Photogrammetry is a measurement technique that builds 3D photorealistic virtual models in which every pixel on the image corresponds to a real 3D point in georeferenced space. This was used to measure surfaces, correlate stratigraphy, and to measure bed and body geometries for export to a reservoir modelling system, providing a bridge between the subsurface drilling data and the outcrop analogue.
The field survey mapped the lower Precipice, defined by the predominance of southeast-flowing planar and trough cross stratified sandstone (the braided stream facies), and upper Precipice, defined by a predominance of heterolithic, ripple and plane parallel stratification and slumps that transition upward into the Evergreen Formation mud-dominated unit. Sedimentary structures in outcrop suggest a northward flow on the eastern margin of the outcrop for the upper Precipice. The basin asymmetry, coincident with a major, meridional-trending fault system—the Goondiwindi-Moonie-Burunga system—and changes in upper and lower unit thickness suggest some syn-depositional control on the sedimentary architecture.
Small-scale technology solutions to eliminate flaring
Authors: Brown James , Law Chiew Yen , Fielden Katherine , Dee Ceri-Sian , Pollock Neil
Published: August 2017

Five percent of the world’s gas supply is wasted by being flared or vented into the atmosphere, leading to a huge loss of potential revenue, not to mention a significant impact on the environment. This is equivalent to 150 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year and the release of 400 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
The industry does this for a variety of valid reasons, including well testing, emergencies, commissioning, maintenance, or simply because an economic solution for capturing and using the gas has not been discovered. Capture of flared gas, therefore, presents an economic and environmentally beneficial opportunity to create new value chains that can benefit not only the industry but also people’s quality of life.
This extended abstract draws on a recent DNV GL project to assess existing and future technologies and concepts for capturing small volumes of associated gas that are normally flared from oil fields, both onshore and offshore. The following four technology options that can be used to capture associated gas, convert it, and either utilise the product onsite or transport it to market for consumption are considered.

Using more cost-effective ways of transporting natural gas where there is no existing pipeline.
Converting gas into products with a higher economic value through chemical processes.
Novel concepts—bringing the solution closer to the source of gas flaring.
Other solutions.

The extended abstract then focuses on cost-effective ways of transporting gas, in particular the use of micro-LNG solutions
Digital turnarounds: leading practice in LNG train turnaround management
Authors: Neep Victor , Radach Alexander
Published: August 2017

Most operators are painfully aware that an LNG train turnaround is a time-consuming, complex and expensive undertaking; however, few know why the majority of turnarounds repeatedly overshoot schedules and budgets.
The typical turnaround window is planned for 24–28 days, but in reality most take more than 33 days to complete. Why? The answer often is that one cannot plan for the unknown. This typical response masks many inconvenient truths.
There are many well-understood reasons for poor turnaround performance, including sub-optimal preparation, limited execution control, silo mentality within the organisation, inaccurate asset data, late inspection reports, and lengthy drawing-update processes. Furthermore, turnaround managers are frustrated by the lack of visibility on progress and the poor quality of information that surfaces when it is too late.
Digital Turnaround is a new concept that can significantly improve performance and consists of several elements:

asset analytics allowing operators to know the status of the asset data;
predictive models to more accurately define scope;
mobile management dashboards giving a near real-time view on progress;
project systems fully integrated with the emergency response plan;
mobile web-based interfaces for contractors to report progress, hours and HSE; and,
wi-fi linking the schedule to detailed tracking of equipment, materials and contractors.

Digital Turnaround creates new possibilities to execute efficient and safe turnarounds. In this extended abstract the authors share their experience and lessons learned from recent Digital Turnarounds, resulting in the reduction of turnaround durations of more than 10 days, cost reductions of up to 40%, and improved safety performance.
From isolate to answer: how whole genome sequencing is helping us rapidly characterise nosocomial bacterial outbreaks
Authors: Roberts Leah
Published: August 2017

The occurrence of highly resistant bacterial pathogens has risen in recent years, causing immense strain on the healthcare industry. Hospital-acquired infections are arguably of most concern, as bacterial outbreaks in clinical settings provide an ideal environment for proliferation among vulnerable populations. Understanding these outbreaks beyond what can be determined with traditional clinical diagnostics and implementing these new techniques routinely in the hospital environment has now become a major focus. This brief review will discuss the three main whole genome sequence techniques available today, and how they are being used to further discriminate bacterial outbreaks in nosocomial settings.
Whole genome sequencing as a novel approach for characterising Neisseria meningitidis in Australia
Authors: Mowlaboccus Shakeel
Published: August 2017

Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is the causative agent of invasive meningococcal disease that manifests as life-threatening septicaemia and/or meningitis. This review provides a brief overview of the prevention of the disease and also highlights the importance of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in detecting outbreaks of meningococci in Australia. The use of WGS in identifying the emergence of a penicillin-resistant cluster of meningococci is Western Australia is used as an example for advocating the implementation of WGS on the routine surveillance in Australia.
Ecology, adaptation and acclimatisation mechanisms of Bythograeidae Williams, 1980, a unique endemic hydrothermal vent crabs family: current state of knowledge
Authors: Leignel V. , Hurtado L. A. , Segonzac M.
Published: August 2017

Diversified fauna have colonised the deep-sea hydrothermal vents, an environment characterised by high metallic concentrations and sulfide-rich waters. In 1977–79, brachyuran crabs were collected in hydrothermal vents around the Galapagos Rift, allowing description in 1980 of Bythograea thermydron and the new family Bythograeidae (and the superfamily Bythogreoidea). This family has a worldwide distribution and currently includes 13 species classified in 6 genera: Allograea (1 species), Austinograea (3 species), Bythograea (5 species), Cyanagraea (1 species), Gandalfus (2 species) and Segonzacia (1 species). These crabs have distinctive morphological and physiological characteristics, which reflect adaptations to particular deep-sea hydrothermal vent conditions. This review is the first on Bythograeidae, documenting the state of our knowledge regarding their taxonomy, evolution, ecology, morphology and physiology (i.e. osmoregulation, oxygen consumption, sulfide and metal detoxification, temperature tolerance). We also report on recent progress in maintaining bythograeids in an artificial ex situ environment.
William Blandowski: A frustrated life
Authors: Darragh Thomas A.
Published: August 2017

When Johann Wilhelm Theodor Ludwig von Blandowski (1822-1878), was appointed Government Zoologist on 1 March 1854, Victoria gained a scientist, who had attended Tarnowitz Mining School and science lectures at Berlin University. He had been an assistant manager in part of the Koenigsgrube coal mine at Koenigshütte, but as a consequence of some kind of misdemeanour, resigned from the Prussian Mining Service and joined the Schleswig-Holstein Army in March 1848. After resigning his Lieutenant’s commission and trying unsuccessfully to obtain another appointment in the Prussian Mining Service, he left for Adelaide in May 1849 as a collector of natural history specimens.
After some collecting expeditions and earning a living as a surveyor he moved to the Victorian goldfields. He undertook official expeditions in Central Victoria, Mornington Peninsula and Western Port and in December 1856 he was leader of the Murray-Darling Expedition, but control of the Museum passed to Frederick McCoy with Blandowski relegated to the position of Museum Collector. Feted on his return from the Expedition, he fell out with some members of the Royal Society of Victoria over somewhat puerile descriptions of new species of fishes and he also refused to recognise McCoy’s jurisdiction over him. After acrimonious arguments about collections and ownership of drawings made whilst he was a government officer, Blandowski resigned and left for Germany, where he set up as a photographer in Gleiwitz in
1861, but some kind of mental instability saw him committed to the mental asylum at Bunzlau (now Boleslawiec, Poland) in September 1873, where he died on 18 December 1878.
Assessments of Blandowki’s scientific and artistic career in Australia have been mixed. The biographical details presented provide the opportunity to judge assessments of Blandowski in Australia against his actions both before and after his arrival there.
Blandowski’s mammals: Clues to a lost world
Authors: Menkhorst Peter W.
Published: August 2017

Wilhelm Blandowski was the first zoologist employed by the Victorian Government, being appointed Officer of the Museum of Natural History by Governor La Trobe on 1 April 1854. Although he remained in this position for less than four years he left an important legacy by beginning the documentation of Victoria’s mammalian fauna before the full impact of European pastoralism and feral animals had become apparent. In particular, the 1856-57 zoological survey expedition to the lower Murray-Darling region provided a unique insight into the mammalian community that existed there before European occupation triggered a sudden decline in mammal species diversity, as happened progressively across the southern two thirds of Australia over the subsequent 90 years. Of the 34 mammal taxa recorded by the Blandowski Expedition, ten are extinct, nine no longer occur in the region, four are still present but with greatly reduced and fragmented distributions, seven have broad distributions in the region little changed since Blandowski’s time, although severely fragmented, and the remaining four have probably expanded their distributions. The contributions of Blandowski and his assistant Gerard Krefft to our understanding of the nature and causes of these mammal declines are examined and discussed. Unfortunately, the surviving contemporary documentation of the Expedition and the associated specimens is inadequate to shed much light on the factors that triggered the initial mammal declines, but the results do not support recent suggestions that predation by the introduced house cat Felis catus was pivotal.
Gerard Krefft: A singular man
Authors: Nancarrow Jenny
Published: August 2017

The life of Gerard Krefft, artist and second in command of the expedition to the Murray River, provides rich opportunity for reflection. This paper highlights the more memorable events of Krefft’s personal life as well as his scientific achievements and how he helped bring Australian science to the notice of the world. Krefft had remarkable zoological and ethnographic abilities and many scientific achievements are attributable to his efforts. He was critical of Blandowski and later won international recognition for his scientific work and for the Australian Museum. However, conflicts with the Museum Trustees came to a head in 1875 and Krefft was forcibly removed in tragic circumstances. His dismissal, the inquiry, the court case and personal life are examined through a combination of published sources and personal letters.
The surveys of F.P. MacCabe and his records of Aboriginal placenames at the Junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers
Authors: Hope Jeannette , Hercus Luise
Published: August 2017

Surveyor Francis Peter MacCabe mapped sections of the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Darling Rivers between 1848 and 1850. In the process he recorded and mapped hundreds of Aboriginal placenames. His surveys traversed the country of three distinct language families, making his careful recordings of particular linguistic value. This paper provides an overview of his life and work and provides an analysis of some of his records from the Murray-Darling Junction area.
Mildura at the time of the Blandowski expedition
Authors: Miller Glen
Published: August 2017

I would like to thank the organizers of the Blandowski symposium for the invitation extended to the Mildura and District Historical Society to be represented here and to give some insight into what was happening in nearby Mildura when the Blandowski Expedition was taking place.