Australia’s Victoria seeks further gas storage capacity

: Electricity, Natural gas
24/09/12

The state Labor government of Victoria will introduce laws to allow offshore gas storage projects in its waters as it grapples with a predicted supply deficit because of declining Bass strait production.

Victoria, which is Australia's largest user of household and commercial gas, will allow gas to be stored in empty gas reservoirs offshore in a bid to boost supply security, Victorian energy minister Lily D'Ambrosio said on 11 September. But the state's waters extend three nautical miles offshore, meaning the laws will not cover most of the state's depleted fields in the Otway and Gippsland basins which lie in federally administered zones.

Victoria's largest storage is the 26PJ (694.3mn m³) onshore Iona facility in the state's west, owned by domestic gas storage firm Lochard Energy which plans to expand its capacity by 3PJ.

But further capacity is needed to help bridge seasonal gaps, with the new laws possibly advancing privately-owned GB Energy's Golden Beach gas project, which could add 12.5PJ of storage to the grid.

The Gippsland basin joint venture (GBJV) and Kipper Unit JV which feed the three Longford gas plants in the state's east have historically supplied about 60pc of southern states' gas, but operator Exxon plans to close one of the plants in July-October, cutting the 1.15 PJ/d facility's capacity to 700 TJ/d and further to 420 TJ/d later this decade.

GBJV operated just 50 producing wells and six gas platforms in the 2024 southern hemisphere winter, with Exxon expecting a 70pc reduction in the number of wells from 2010 levels by next winter.

The Australian Energy Market Operator's (Aemo) 2024 Victorian Gas Planning Report (VGPR) update confirmed the need for greater supply in Victoria, as declining demand would not offset the loss of supply from the GBJV.

Peak southern state winter demand exceeds 2 PJ/d, but at full capacity, pipelines linking Queensland state's coal-bed methane fields to the southern states can meet only 20pc of such demand.

Coal and gas-dependent Victoria this year approved its first nearshore gas project in a decade as the government softens its anti-gas stance.

LNG import plans

The possibility of LNG imports is firming in Victoria, with Australian refiner Viva Energy announcing public consultation has begun on its supplementary environmental effects statement (EES) for a planned floating storage and regasification unit, adjacent to its 120,000 b/d Geelong refinery.

The Geelong LNG terminal would have the capacity to supply more than half of Victoria's current gas demand, Viva said on 12 September. The terminal's surplus gas could also flow into the connected southern states of South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania.

A public hearing into the proposal, which could see the import of 45 cargoes/yr, is expected to be held in December before an independent committee reports to the state's planning minister next year.

Subject to a final investment decision, works could commence in 2026 to deliver first gas for winter 2028, Viva said, aligning with Aemo's expected shortfall of 50PJ in that year.

By Tom Major

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25/07/07

Alberta, Ontario to study oil pipelines, port, rail

Calgary, 7 July (Argus) — Alberta and Ontario plan to study new trade routes to boost economic activity between the two provinces and beyond, with an interest in exporting oil and gas through Hudson Bay, leaders said today. Alberta premier Danielle Smith and Ontario premier Doug Ford signed two memorandums of understanding to drive interprovincial trade and major infrastructure development, including pipelines and rail lines. The broad intent is to further connect Alberta's energy resources to Canada's most populous province, and on to foreign partners, using steel from Ontario. "Built using Ontario steel, new pipelines would connect western Canadian oil and gas to existing, and potential, new refineries in southern Ontario," said Ford during a joint press conference in Calgary, Alberta. A "potential" new deep sea port at James Bay on the south side of Hudson Bay in northern Ontario would also enable further export opportunities for land-locked Alberta, which is trying to get more pipelines built before growing oil sands production fill existing capacity. Oil and gas would need to flow across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to get to Ontario. Alberta has taken an all-of-the-above strategy in its pipeline pursuits, calling for more egress in all directions, including enhanced access to Pacific Rim markets via a 1mn b/d bitumen pipeline to British Columbia's (BC) coast. "Having access to the northwest BC coast is essential to being able to get to Asian markets, and that's the one that we hear the most enthusiasm for," said Alberta premier Danielle Smith, who expects to have some "good news" on that front in a few months. Federal regulations need to be undone: premiers Smith and Ford called on the federal government to significantly amend or outright repeal the onerous Impact Assessment Act and other legislation that has stifled investment, including the oil and gas emissions cap, Clean Electricity Regulations and the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act that currently prevents an oil pipeline to BC's northwest coast. "No one will build a pipeline to tidewaters if there is a ban on tankers," said Ford. "It is the craziest thing I've ever heard of . . . a ban on tankers." Ford is the latest premier to side with Alberta's stance on federal oversight after Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe did in June . Ford's automobile , steel and aluminum sectors have been caught in US president Donald Trump's crosshairs, spurring the premier to look elsewhere to shore up trade, including within Canada. But hostilities from south of the border are not new for Ontario, whose refining sector relies on Enbridge's 540,000 b/d Line 5 cross-border pipeline. "We have the governor of Michigan constantly threatening to close down the pipeline," said Ford. "Do you know the disaster that would create in Ontario?" To both kickstart a lagging economy and pivot away from the US, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney fast-tracked Bill C-5 through Parliament last month to allow "nation building" projects to bypass regulatory hurdles. To be considered for the new "National Interest Projects" list, a project should strengthen Canada's autonomy, provide economic benefits, have a high likelihood of completion, be in the interests of Indigenous groups, and contribute to meeting Canada's climate change objectives. "The days of relying on the United States 100pc, they're done, they're gone," said Ford. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Multilateralism should steer climate finance: Brics

25/07/07

Multilateralism should steer climate finance: Brics

Sao Paulo, 7 July (Argus) — Developed countries must fully engage in climate finance to support developing countries trying to meet Paris agreement goals, top Brazilian officials said at the Brics summit held in Rio de Janeiro on 6-7 July. "One decade after the Paris agreement, [the world] lacks resources for a fair and planned transition," Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "Developing countries will be the most affected by losses and damages, while they are also the ones that have fewer ways to fund mitigation and adaptation," Lula da Silva said during his keynote address Monday. The Brics summit discussed climate finance in anticipation of the UN Cop 30 climate summit , which will be also be held Brazil, in November. The group issued a declaration that reinforced its commitment to uphold multilateralism as a solution for climate actions, while it also emphasized developed countries' responsibility towards developing countries to financially enable just transition pathways and sustainable development aligned with the Paris agreement. The Cop 29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024 managed to reach an agreement to allocate $300bn/yr in resources for climate action. But delegates to the upcoming UN Cop 30 summit are targeting at least $1.3bn/yr in public and private funds to tackle climate change, focusing especially on countries that are already dealing with extreme weather conditions and lack financial resources to mitigate it. The Brics also announced a memorandum of understanding on the Brics Carbon Markets Partnership focused on capacity building and multinational cooperation to support climate strategies such as mitigation efforts and emergency resource mobilization. The declaration opposes unilateral protectionist measures, arguing that they "deliberately disrupt the global supply and production chains and distort competition." Climate justice, the fight against desertification, strengthened climate diplomacy and subsidies to environmental services were the main topics of discussion during the Brics summit, Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva said. Brazil will launch its own initiatives to promote climate finance in Cop 30. One program already launched is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) fund that aims to raise $125bn to preserve 1bn hectares of global tropical forests across 80 developing countries. Brics' development bank NDB will target 40pc of its investments to promote sustainable development, such as energy transition. The bank has approved $40bn in investments for clean energy, environment protection and water supply, it said last week. Brazil accounts for $6.4bn of total investments, gathering resources to 29 projects under climate actions, according to the institution. Brazil currently holds the presidency of the Brics, which also includes Russia, China, India and South Africa. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran are also members. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cuba, Uganda, Malaysia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Uzbekistan act as partner nations. Heated speech During his keynote address, Lula criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as an institution that promotes unilateralism and stressed his support for reforming institutions of the UN to promote multilateralism and political equity for developing countries. He also mentioned that 65 of the biggest banks in the world committed to a $869bn investment to the fossil fuels sector last year. "Market incentives run contrary to sustainability," he said. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Drilling slowdown undermines Trump’s energy dominance

25/07/07

Drilling slowdown undermines Trump’s energy dominance

New York, 7 July (Argus) — US shale producers expect to drill fewer wells in 2025 than they initially planned to at the start of the year, dealing a potential blow to President Donald Trump's goal of unleashing energy dominance. Almost half of the executives quizzed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in its second-quarter 2025 energy survey have scaled back their anticipated drilling in response to lower crude prices. The decline was most notable among the large operators — or those with output of at least 10,000 b/d — that now account for about 80pc of total US production, according to the bank. The anonymous survey, which gauges the pulse of the shale heartland, has become an outlet for industry insiders to vent their growing frustration at the Trump administration, and executives from exploration and production (E&P) firms offered a withering criticism of the president's tariff policies and unrelenting push for lower oil prices that have contributed to an industry-wide slowdown. "It's hard to imagine how much worse policies and DC rhetoric could have been for US E&P companies," one unidentified executive wrote. "We were promised by the administration a better environment for producers but were delivered a world that has benefited Opec to the detriment of our domestic industry." The survey found that activity contracted slightly in the three months to the end of June, with firms becoming increasingly uncertain about the outlook. "The key point from this survey release is that conditions deteriorated for companies in the oil and gas sector this quarter, with survey responses pointing to a small decline in overall activity as well as oil and gas production," Dallas Fed senior business economist Kunal Patel says. The deteriorating outlook for shale comes as the Opec+ group has stepped up efforts to unwind past output cuts, which might help it to regain market share. But the White House argues that efforts to remove permitting obstacles will help the homegrown oil industry to thrive over the longer term, bolstered by Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill that paves the way for expanded oil and gas leasing. Still, that did not stop executives in the latest Dallas Fed survey from complaining that Trump's " Liberation Day chaos " has jeopardised the sector's prospects, and recent volatility is inconsistent with the president's "Drill, baby, drill" mantra. One drew attention to calls from some within the White House for a price target of $50/bl. "Everyone should understand that $50 is not a sustainable price for oil," the executive said. "It needs to be mid-$60s." Firms were also asked about how their production would change at lower prices. A slight decline was expected if oil prices hovered around $60/bl over the next 12 months, while a significant pullback was anticipated if oil retreated as far as $50/bl. Steel yourself About a quarter of producers estimated that tariffs have increased the cost of drilling and completing a new well by as much as 6pc. And about half of the surveyed oil field services firms expect a recent increase in US steel import tariffs to result in a slight decline in customer demand in the next year. "Despite efforts to mitigate their impact, the scale and breadth of the tariffs have forced us to pass these costs on to our customers," one services firm executive wrote. "This comes... when the economics of oil and gas production are already challenged due to the dynamics of global oil supply and demand." On top of this, firms expect challenges related to the huge volumes of water produced alongside oil in the top Permian basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico to act as a constraint on drilling in the next five years. "Water management continues to disrupt plans and add significant costs," one executive said. By Stephen Cunningham Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US to lay out tariff demands in coming days: Trump

25/07/04

US to lay out tariff demands in coming days: Trump

London, 4 July (Argus) — The US will lay out its tariff demands on foreign trade partners in the coming days, President Donald Trump said today. From tomorrow, 5 July, Trump will send letters to 10-12 countries a day, with the aim that all countries will be "fully covered" by 9 July, Trump said. That rate will not cover the amount of tariff deals still to be done by the US, which to date has struck three deals — of 10pc with the UK and China and of 20pc with Vietnam. "[The tariffs will] range in value from maybe 60pc or 70pc tariffs to 10pc and 20pc tariffs," Trump said. Countries will start paying them on 1 August, he said. Since 5 April Washington has been charging a 10pc extra tariff on imports — energy commodities and critical minerals are exceptions — from nearly every foreign trade partner, and those rates could go higher after 9 July. Trump has justified those tariffs by citing an economic emergency caused by allegedly unfair trade practices in foreign countries, and his administration is engaged in talks with foreign governments with the nominal goal of lowering their trade barriers. By Haik Gugarats and Ben Winkley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil real strongest to dollar since August

25/07/03

Brazil real strongest to dollar since August

Sao Paulo, 3 July (Argus) — The Brazilian real closed today at its strongest level since August, prompted by a weakening greenback globally. The real ended the trading session at R5.41 to the dollar at the end of the session, its strongest since 20 August, when it closed at R5.407. The Brazilian currency has strengthened by almost 5pc to the US dollar over the past 12 months, while it has been gaining ground on the greenback since late December of 2024. Brazil's central bank raised its target interest rate to the highest since July of 2006 to fight an "adverse and uncertain" global economic scenario. Back in May of this year, inflation slowed to an annual 5.32pc from 5.53pc in April, according to government statistics agency IBGE. The DXY dollar index, which tracks the greenback against six other major trading currencies, is near a three-year low, mainly on uncertainty over US president Donald Trump's shifting policies on tariffs and federal spending that have rattled financial markets. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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