The pipeline tariff decision which will effectively decide Epic Energy's future in Australia has been delayed for a week, and interpreting the news that the WA Government has brought in the legal eagles to make sure it is on firm solid ground when the decision is handed down, points to a negative result.
At the back end of that contentious pipe is the Wesfarmers LPG plant / cash cow. The cosy relationship between it and AlintaGas, which yielded the latter over $27 million EBITDA last year, struck in the days of the Liberal Sir Charles Court Government, looks certain to be scrapped soon by the Labor Gallop Government.
Jamaica is looking to replicate the exploration success of neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, with the help of Venezuela and Ecuador.
Across the Atlantic, Hardman Resources has roped in two UK brokers to help it raise the capital it will need to develop its Mauritanian discovery and to leverage off the upcoming UK-based, Dana Petroleum drilling program.
Staying in Africa, the always dodgy Nigeria has gone to hell in a handbasket in a big way. Transocean has over 100 workers being held hostage on an offshore rig, while Shell are preparing their Sea Eagle FPSO, located in the EA Field, for an imminent attack by militants upset there are not enough locals being employed.
The Cooper Basin is hotting up with Beach chief Reg Nelson spraying the local brokers for concentrating on big oil plays at the expense of the low risk, onshore prospectivity of the Cooper. Impress bought the story, farming into VicPet's recently awarded permit, while Ron Prefontaine is still looking to sell his 20% stake. Vicpet also pocketed a lazy $300,000 for selling Arc and Roc 0.25% of the Jingemia discovery in the Perth Basin.
Anzoil has secured some sorely-needed cash flow, buying 45% of the Qld. Utopia field from Oil Wells Inc of Kentucky.
In New Zealand, Contact Energy plans to build a new duel-fuel power station, to run on diesel as well as the dwindling indigenous gas supply. Just as well, for the Commerce Commission there has temporarily delayed granting an application for the joint marketing and selling of the "replacement Maui" gas after that reservoir was found to be less than the full quid.
The Kiwis had a win in Australia (but don't mention the cricket) after the New Plymouth-headquartered Powerco signed a $NZ38 million deal to develop and operate a natural gas network in Tasmania. Gutsy, considering none of the locals put their hands up for the gig.
Amity Oil are overjoyed and perhaps a little hungover this week after getting a Korean consortium to farm in to the promising but problematic Whicher Range gas field. The gas is down there all right, it's just that no one has been able to get it out for the last 35 years. AYO hopes its air mist drilling will change all that.
Further north up the coast and first oil has been produced from the Woollybutt project in the Carnarvon Basin. Woodside and Japanese partner MIMI drilled a stand alone, gross 25 metre gas column in their Guilford-1 exploration well. Being 75 km from the North Rankin A platform, it's just a small diameter tieback away.
Saying in the neighborhood, Apache Energy picked up its second HSE fine in three years after being fined $20,000 for a breach in which a flashback occurred on the Harriet A platform during remedial work. Luckily there were no casualties or damage in that instance.
