To Frack or Not to Frack? Australia's NatGas Dilemma
The decision by the government of Australia's Northern Territory government to allow the resumption of fracking for natural gas will do little to immediately solve the country's energy woes, but will likely sharpen political battle lines. The territory's government said on April 17 that it has lifted a near two-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing…
Trudeau's Political Troubles Boil as Pipeline Surprise Weighs
Canada's government got just 24 hours notice that it would be thrust into a political and economic crisis by an ultimatum from a pipeline operator, government sources said, leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau scrambling for options in a dispute that could damage his re-election chances. The Kinder Morgan Canada…
Stagnant Demand, Volatile Trading Dogs Coal
Moribund global demand growth and volatile pricing are what coal producers face in the next five years, with not even some bright spots in Asia able to outweigh a bleak outlook for Europe and the United States, and lower consumption in top user China. That's the central message of the International Energy Agency's Coal 2017 report…
Coal to Become a Scarce Commodity?
The idea of coal as a scarce commodity seems somewhat preposterous given it remains one of the most abundant mineral resources on the planet, but the coming years may see a deficit in seaborne markets for the polluting fuel. The current debate surrounding coal is generally one of how long it will continue to play…
Adani's Carmichael Mine is Coal's Game-breaker
The world's biggest planned coal mine is once again lurching toward the finish line as India's Adani Enterprises moves ahead with a final decision on its Carmichael project in Australia. Even if Adani does approve the $4 billion thermal coal and rail project in central Queensland state, the venture is shaping up as a turning point for coal in Australia…
Australia Gas Export Restrictions Counterproductive
When governments adopt new policies the benchmark for success should be that the change works, is efficient and fair to all parties and does not create unintended consequences. The decision by the Australian government to restrict exports of natural gas if the domestic market is constrained meets none of these criteria…
Thousands Without Power as Storms hit Australian state
Wind gusts and storms lashed the Australian state of Victoria on Sunday, downing trees and causing power-outages for thousands of people. Roughly 13,000 homes were without power across the country's second-most populous state and Melbourne's International Airport closed one of two runways, causing significant delays.
Australia's Natural Gas Ban Replicates Springsteen's Rust Belt
When government policies are driven by populist politics, it is almost certain to lead to poor outcomes and a low standard of debate, as shown by the current conundrum in Australia's natural gas sector. The natural gas-rich Northern Territory has become the latest of Australia's eight state and territory governments to restrict the development of the industry…
Australia's LNG Sector Must Tackle its Enemies
It should be a golden age for Australia's liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers as they sit on the cusp of becoming the world's largest supplier of the fuel that holds the largest growth potential among its fossil rivals. But instead of taking a moment to reflect on its achievements, industry leaders used their…
Danish Government Says Wind Power Became Too Expensive
The Danish government said on Friday it wanted to scrap plans to build five offshore wind farms as their output would become too expensive for consumers. The government estimates it would cost consumers 70 billion Danish crowns ($10.63 billion) to buy electricity from the plants with a total combined capacity of 350-megawatts.
Danish Government Wind Power Became Too Expensive
The Danish government said on Friday it wanted to scrap plans to build five offshore wind farms as their output would become too expensive for consumers. The government estimates it would cost consumers 70 billion Danish crowns ($10.63 billion) to buy electricity from the plants with a total combined capacity of 350-megawatts.
Kerry: Canada Election Won't Impact U.S. Keystone Policy
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the ousting of the ruling Conservative Party in Canada's election will not affect his decision on whether to approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline between the two countries. Election victor Justin Trudeau of the Liberal party has said he would repair…
Trudeau Promises to Improve Canada-U.S. Ties
If Canada's Liberal Party wins the October general election it will create a special cabinet committee to oversee and manage damaged relations with the United States, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said on Monday. Trudeau, whose Liberals are in third place in most opinion polls, blamed Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper for souring ties with Barack Obama by lecturing the U.S.
Norway to Reassess Arctic Drilling Boundaries
Norway's government will have to reassess oil drilling boundaries in the Arctic after failing to get parliamentary backing for its original proposal to move them further north. With Arctic ice shrinking significantly, a trend scientists link to climate change, the way the government defines the ice edge, and with that where there can be oil and gas exploration, has been put in question.
Australia's LNG Boom's Domestic Impact
It's somewhat ironic that as Australia ramps up to being the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), domestic industries are under threat from not being able to source the fuel. A combination of new LNG plants, exploration moratoriums and a successful anti-gas campaign means that industry and residential users in the three most populous states…
Fracking Inquiry Puts Aussie Energy at Risk
The South Australian Liberal Party risks damaging investor and public confidence in the natural gas industry by moving to establish a Parliamentary inquiry into hydraulic fracturing – an industry practice that has been used safely in the State for many decades. APPEA’s Chief Operating Officer Western Region, Stedman Ellis…
Australian LNG investment is at risk, but not as much as feared
The Australian oil and gas industry is telling everybody that a second wave of investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants is at risk unless labour and regulatory costs are cut. The companies are unlikely to get all that they want. In fact they may not get very much at all out of the labour unions and the federal and state governments.
