Geological and Bioregional Assessments: a program to encourage industry development and improve regulatory efficiency while maintaining the highest possible environmental standards

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 471
Author(s):  
Andrew Stacey ◽  
Mitchell Bouma ◽  
Emily Turner ◽  
Mitchell Baskys
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Hazard Identification ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Industry Development ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Cooper Basin ◽  
Agriculture Water

The Australian Government’s $35.4 million Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) Program provides independent scientific information and baseline data to governments, the community and regional industries on the potential impacts of shale, tight and deep coal gas development on water and the environment. The program aims to encourage industry development and growth by improving the understanding of upstream operations and their potential impacts to drive regulatory efficiency while maintaining the highest environmental standards. The GBA program comprises a series of independent scientific studies undertaken by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and managed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The program was conducted in three stages and focuses on where industry is currently exploring, conducting assessments across three regions; the Cooper Basin, Beetaloo Sub-basin and the Isa Superbasin, each with potential to supply gas to the East Coast Gas Market. The GBA program brings together a range of disciplines to collect, aggregate and analyse environmental baseline data to conceptualise the geologic, hydrologic, ecologic and anthropogenic features of these regions. This robust ‘conceptual’ understanding of the regions combined with rigorous hazard identification enables the program to prioritise potential impacts on water and the environment, improving regulatory efficiency by focusing regulators towards managing those activities where the potential impacts can’t be avoided. Additional papers and presentations from our partners in the GBA program tell the story of how the Program was developed and delivered. The Program leaves a legacy of publicly available baseline data, information and assessment tools that will make regulation of the industry more efficient in the regions assessed.

Geological and Bioregional Assessments: assessing the prospectivity for tight, shale and deep-coal resources in the Cooper Basin, Beetaloo Subbasin and Isa Superbasin

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 477
Author(s):  
Lisa S. Hall ◽  
Meredith L. Orr ◽  
Megan E. Lech ◽  
Steven Lewis ◽  
Adam H. E. Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Stage 1 ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Geological and Bioregional Assessment Program is a series of independent scientific studies undertaken by Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology, and managed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. The program consists of three stages across three regions with potential to deliver gas to the East Coast Gas Market. Stage 1 was a rapid regional prioritisation conducted by Geoscience Australia, to identify those sedimentary basins with the greatest potential to deliver shale and/or tight gas to the East Coast Gas Market within the next 5–10 years. This prioritisation process assessed 27 onshore eastern and northern Australian basins with shale and/or tight gas potential. Further screening reduced this to a shortlist of nine basins where exploration was underway. The shortlisted basins were ranked on a number of criteria. The Cooper Basin, the Beetaloo Subbasin and the Isa Superbasin were selected for more detailed assessment. Stage 2 of the program involved establishing a baseline understanding of the identified regions. Geoscience Australia produced regional geological evaluations and conceptualisations that informed the assessment of shale and/or tight gas prospectivity, ground- and surface-water impacts and hydraulic fracturing models. Geoscience Australia’s relative prospectivity assessments provide an indication of where viable petroleum plays are most likely to be present. These data indicate areal and stratigraphic constraints that support the program’s further work in Stage 3, on understanding likely development scenarios, impact assessments and causal pathways.

Unconventional gas prospectivity of the Cooper Basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Tony Hill ◽  
Liuqi Wang ◽  
Dianne Edwards ◽  
Tehani Kuske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Rocks ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Hydrocarbon Generation ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Intracratonic Basin ◽  
Exploration Activity ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Cooper Basin is an Upper Carboniferous–Middle Triassic intracratonic basin in northeast SA and southwest Queensland. The basin is Australia's premier onshore hydrocarbon-producing province and is nationally significant due to its provision of domestic gas for the east coast gas market. Exploration activity in the region has recently expanded with numerous explorers pursuing newly identified unconventional hydrocarbon plays. While conventional gas and oil prospects can usually be identified by 3D seismic, the definition and extent of the undiscovered unconventional gas resources in the basin remain poorly understood. This extended abstract reviews the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Cooper Basin with a focus on unconventional gas resources. Regional basin architecture, characterised through source rock distribution and quality, demonstrates the abundance of viable source rocks across the basin. Petroleum system modelling, incorporating new compositional kinetics, source quality and total organic carbon (TOC) map, highlight the variability in burial, thermal and hydrocarbon generation histories between depocentres. The study documents the extent of a number of unconventional gas play types, including the extensive basin-centred and tight gas accumulations in the Gidgealpa Group, deep-dry coal gas associated with the Patchawarra and Toolachee formations, as well as the less extensive shale gas plays in the Murteree and Roseneath shales.

scholarly journals Predictive Scenarios of the Russian Oil Industry; with a Discussion on Macro and Micro Dynamics of Open Innovation in the COVID 19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vadim Ponkratov ◽  
Nikolay Kuznetsov ◽  
Nadezhda Bashkirova ◽  
Maria Volkova ◽  
Maria Alimova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Sharp Decrease ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Industry Development ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
The World

The decrease in the economic activity level around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic spread has led to a sharp decrease in the crude oil price and provoked an oil war outbreak in the global energy market. The current situation has provoked the need for a total decrease in the crude oil production in the world. Considering that Russia is one of the main oil exporters on the world market, the need to determine the supply and demand levels for Russian oil is becoming relevant. The aim of the paper is to model predictive scenarios of Russian oil industry development, considering the specifics of the current economic environment given the COVID-19 pandemic. The multifactor correlation modeling method was used to form the system of indicators determining the level of demand and supply for Russian oil used and the total level of their influence. The functions determine the probability of implementing various scenarios of oil industry development depending on the predicted values of demand and supply. The three-sigma rule and the fuzzy sets method were used to estimate three scenarios of oil industry development for 2020–2021. Changes in revenues of the industry under the influence of forecast indicators of supply and demand for oil have been assessed and the probability of implementation of each of the scenarios has been reasoned. The results obtained are of a practical nature and can be used by government agencies, financial intermediaries, and scientists to diagnose Russian oil industry development. The results will be useful for oil companies to develop a strategy of open innovations for further design of the scientific information field for the effective functioning of the industry in complete uncertainty conditions.

An overview of the new Geological and Bioregional Assessments Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Swirepik ◽  
Andrew Stacey ◽  
Rod Dann
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Tight Gas ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
New Energy ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Cooper Basin

As part of the AU$86.3 million ‘Towards a New Energy Future’ package, the Australian Government has committed AU$30.4 million to undertake the Geological and Bioregional Assessments Program. This program aims to encourage sustainable gas development through a series independent scientific studies into the potential environmental impacts of shale and tight gas exploration and production. These studies, conducted by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and managed by the Department of the Environment and Energy, will focus on three basins (regions) that are prospective, but underexplored for shale and tight gas. The program seeks to encourage exploration to bring new gas resources to the East Coast Gas Market within the next 5–10 years, increase the understanding of the potential environmental impacts posed by gas developments and increase the efficiency of assessment, monitoring and ongoing regulation, including improved data capture and reporting. The Cooper Basin and the Isa Superbasin have been selected for investigation with a third basin expected to be announced by mid-2018. The program will be delivered in three stages over 4 years and will investigate areas prospective for shale and tight gas within these regions. This independent, transparent, science-based approach aims to assist in building community understanding of, and confidence in, the capacity for safe and environmentally sustainable unconventional gas developments.

A survey of lowground sheep farhers’ concerbs and experience of sheep health and disease in scotland

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 158-158
Author(s):  
A W Alexander ◽  
G Burgess ◽  
P R English ◽  
D C Hacdonald ◽  
O MacPherson
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
The North ◽  
Health Association ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Base Management ◽  
Enzootic Abortion Of Ewes

The Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB) is developing a strategy for the production and marketing of high health breeding sheep. Farmers and crofters in the North of Scotland, with HIDB support, have formed the Highlands and Islands Sheep Health Association (HISHA) to produce and market high health sheep. HISHA has over 500 members with a total of 250,000 breeding ewes. Members’ flocks are monitored by the Scottish Veterinary Investigation Service for Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) and for vaccination against Clostridial Diseases and Pasteurella. A requirement for information on the sheep health concerns and experiences of the potential purchasers of high health breeding sheep was identified. A survey was undertaken of lowground sheep farmers in Grampian and the Borders of Scotland to provide this information.The objectives were to determine, firstly, lowground sheep farmers’ concerns on sheep health; secondly, their experience of sheep disease problems; and thirdly, their awareness of sheep diseases that can be introduced by wintering sheep for another farmer or through purchased sheep. The survey was carried out by postal questionnaire and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (DAFS) prepared a mailing list from their census records. The DAFS also undertook the despatch and receipt of the questionnaires to preserve farmer confidentiality. The data was analysed using the Scientific Information Retrieval Data Base Management Systems analytical package.

EMERGING CHALLENGES IN AUSTRALIA’S DOMESTIC GAS MARKET

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
J.P. Feenan
Keyword(s):  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Demand Pull ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
The Right ◽  
Global Supplier ◽  
Cooper Basin

This paper considers emerging challenges to balancing gas supply and demand in Australia’s domestic market in the context of the global demand for Australian gas exports. Based on a major 2004 study by Wood Mackenzie, a series of scenario forecasts assessed the balance of gas allocation to domestic and export gas demand to 2020.Australia is destined to become an increasingly significant global supplier and exporter of gas, primarily as LNG. The recent emergence of major new LNG customers in China and (west coast) north America seeking to secure supplies has ignited a global gas demand-pull on Australia’s gas reserves that is competing with domestic demand.The States of Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory (NT) hold more than 130 Tcf or 90% of Australia’s total remaining gas reserves. For many years industry and politicians have proposed major transnational pipelines to transport gas out of the remote northwest or from Papua New Guinea to feed the energy-hungry southeast, and supplement existing gas production from the Cooper Basin and Bass Strait.Striking the right balance between export and domestic gas resource allocation and meeting the needs of producers, customers and policy-makers is emerging as a major challenge within Australia’s domestic gas market.

Development in China’s Natural Gas Industry Regulation

2012 ◽  
Vol 524-527 ◽  
pp. 3058-3061
Author(s):  
Lin Jun Huang
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Industry Development ◽  
Policy And Strategy ◽  
Natural Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
The Cost

With the growing interest in clean energy, and the natural gas market maturity in China, there is a strong need to introduce as soon as possible a regulation system covering the mid- and downstream natural gas business to ensure a harmonized approach to gas industry development. Adopting a consistent regulation system for the mid- and downstream natural gas industry that establishes the fundamental rights, obligations and regulatory principles would provide a clear legal expression of the government’s policy and strategy for gas industry development and the ground rules for the operation of the gas industry. Such a regulation system would, therefore, help create a more stable investment and operating environment, reduce uncertainty and investment risk, and consequently lower the cost of capital.

scholarly journals Plant Virus and Virus-like Disease Threats to Australia’s North Targeted by the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2175
Author(s):  
Richard I. Davis ◽  
Lynne M. Jones ◽  
Bradley Pease ◽  
Sandy L. Perkins ◽  
Harshitsinh R. Vala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Virus ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
The North ◽  
Populated Region ◽  
Agriculture Water

The Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) is a biosecurity initiative operated by the Australian federal government’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). It is unique worldwide because it deals specifically with the potential arrival via unregulated pathways of exotic threats from overseas in a vast and sparsely populated region. It aims to protect the nation’s animal- and plant-based production industries, as well as the environment, from incursions of organisms from countries that lie immediately to the north. These are diseases, pests, and weeds present in these countries that are currently either absent from, or under active containment in, Australia and may arrive by natural or human-assisted means. This review article focuses on the plant viruses and virus-like diseases that are most highly targeted by the NAQS program. It presents eight pathogen species/group entries in the NAQS A list of target pathogens, providing an overview of the historical and current situation, and collates some new data obtained from surveillance activities conducted in northern Australia and collaborative work overseas.

Geological and bioregional assessments – enabling future tight, shale and deep coal gas development – Cooper Basin case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 946
Author(s):  
David Robinson ◽  
Merrie-Ellen Gunning ◽  
Tim Evans ◽  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Baskaran Sundaram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Environmental Significance ◽  
Coal Gas ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Petroleum Resources ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Gas Market ◽  
Cooper Basin

The Australian Government’s Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) Program is a series of independent scientific studies conducted by Geoscience Australia and CSIRO, supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and managed by the Department of the Environment and Energy. These studies focus on the Cooper, Isa and Beetaloo GBA regions, all of which include basins which are prospective, but under-explored, for shale, tight and/or deep coal gas. The GBA Program seeks to expedite development in order to bring new gas resources to the east coast gas market within the next 5–10 years through increased understanding of the potential environmental impacts posed by gas development and increasing the efficiency of assessment, monitoring and ongoing regulation, including improved data capture and reporting. This multi-agency program addresses the potential environmental impacts of gas development through geological and environmental baseline assessments and identification of major information gaps (Stage 2), followed by an analysis of the potential impacts on assets, including groundwater, surface water, environmental and cultural assets as well as Commonwealth and State matters of environmental significance (Stage 3). This paper will discuss how integrated conceptual models of the geology and hydrogeology of selected unconventional petroleum resources can be utilised by industry, regulators and other stakeholders. By establishing a baseline assessment for the Cooper Basin, which includes an integrated shale, tight and deep coal prospectivity and groundwater study, future development scenarios can be envisaged and the potential impact on groundwater and other resources contemplated. Similar baseline assessments and conceptual models are being developed for the Isa and Beetaloo GBA regions.

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