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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)
Contents Vol 52 (Conference Proceedings)

Why partner with a major oil and gas company for unconventional resources ventures in Australia?

G. Sloan A and B. Courme B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Total S.A.

B Total Gas Shale Europe.

The APPEA Journal 52(2) 647-647 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ11061
Published: 2012

Abstract

With the increased activity in exploiting unconventional resources (CSG, shale gas, and shale oil) during the past few years in Australia, it has become increasingly common to see partnerships develop between small- and mid-cap Australian companies and major companies from the international oil and gas industry.

Unconventional plays are usually large in areal extent and complex to interpret and develop; it becomes a daunting task for the smaller partner to progress alone. Some obscure benefits of this relationship can help the smaller Australian partner. The obvious advantages brought to the table by the major companies:

  1. Finance to fund projects and to give them credibility.

  2. Project management skills: critical skills are expensive and hard to find.

  3. Complete range of competencies in exploration, development, midstream, marketing, and product manufacturing.

  4. Existing business relationships: long-term supplier relationships and global purchasing power.

  5. Familiarity and experience of working in unconventional reservoirs.

The obscure benefits that the major companies bring to the table:

  1. A highly trained unconventional resources team who know what data to gather and how to gather and interpret it correctly.

  2. Proprietary laboratories with highly trained personnel and advanced equipment.

  3. Large research and development teams who study technology and methodology changes.

  4. Well-vetted HSE programs with qualified teams.

  5. A public relations team to deal with public acceptance, education, and communications.

The combined benefits are highly beneficial to the project.

Garth Sloan holds an honours diploma in coal resources and tar sands engineering technology, from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and a BSc in petroleum geology from the University of Calgary.

He has spent the past 23 years of his career identifying, evaluating, acquiring, and developing international unconventional petroleum prospects, with emphasis on Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Presently, he is vice president, Unconventional Resources at Total S.A., responsible for all aspects of unconventional exploration and production worldwide.

He holds a professional geologist designation in Alberta, Canada (APEGGA).

He is a former director of the Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas.

Member: AAPG and CSPG.

Bruno Courme is a graduate from French engineering schools, and holds a master’s degree in geological sciences from the University of Texas, Austin.

He joined the exploration and division branch of Total S.A. in 2000, working first as a carbonate sedimentologist.

He successively held positions in geological operations then exploration teams in the Netherlands, Norway, Nigeria, and the UK from 2002 to 2008.

He then spent two years in Total Technical Centre in Pau, France, heading the team in charge of the interpretation of static and dynamic data acquired in Total wells.

In 2010, he was appointed as managing director of Total Gas Shale Europe, to look after studies and operations on Total gas shale acreage in Europe.