2008 Production and development highlights
Wal MuirMBA Saros Pty Ltd
The APPEA Journal 49(1) 541-564 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ08036
Published: 2009
Abstract
Australian petroleum production reached record levels during 2008 due mainly to continued growth in gas production, particularly from coal seam gas in Queensland. Coal seam gas (CSG) has provided a major fillip to gas production in the east of the country, with four LNG projects slated for Curtin Island off Gladstone, and the Surat/Bowen Basin supplanting the Cooper Basin in gas production for the first time. Three new projects were brought on stream in the Carnarvon Basin, offsetting the projected natural decline of oil production in that basin. The pipeline of committed and planned projects continues to rise, with a number of major projects in the Carnarvon Basin moving closer to fruition and the Browse Basin likely to join the Carnarvon as a major LNG producer in the medium term. The impact of the global financial crisis, with a large number of countries which take Australia’s energy production in recession, is still being assessed. It appears that there may be a softening in costs, although the trends were not yet clear at year’s end.
Wal Muir has a BSc (Hons) degree from the University of New South Wales (1978) with a double major in geology, a major in pure mathematics and Honours in geophysics. He has a Master of business administration (1989) from the University of Queensland. Muir has 30 years of experience in the petroleum exploration and production industry, both within Australia and overseas. His principal expertise is in geophysical interpretation, prospect and permit evaluation, reserves assessment and economic evaluations. He has worked for seven companies during his career, rising to Exploration Manager. Since setting up MBA Petroleum Consultants in 2001 he has undertaken projects for many clients in Australia and overseas. Wal has filled all the executive positions at PESA Queensland, and was Federal President of PESA from 1997 until 1999. Member: ASEG, QPE and PESA. wal@mbapetcon.com.au |
