Australian state approves Kimberley fracking plan, drawing anger
The state's environmental protection agency approved a controversial fracking proposal in Western Australia's remote, ecologically sensitive Kimberley region on Tuesday. This angered environmental campaigners. Bennett Resources, an American-based private subsidiary, Black Mountain Energy, presented its Valhalla Plan in 2021 for fracking?upto?20 wells. Later, it increased the amount water needed per well from 40 to 100 millions litres. A report by an Independent Expert Scientific Committee commissioned by the Federal government last year indicated that there was uncertainty about whether groundwater can be protected from hazardous chemical.
Origin Energy, Australia's coal-fired power station in NSW, will continue to operate until 2029
Origin Energy announced on Tuesday that it will extend the operation all four?units?of its Eraring Power?Station?toApril 2029 to support energy supplies in New South Wales. Eraring's 2,880-megawatt coal-fired power plant was scheduled to close in August 2027. A December report from the Australian Energy 'Market Operator (AEMO), however, said that Sydney could experience blackouts if the plant is retired as planned. Australia aims to meet 82% of its energy needs with'renewable sources' by 2030. Origin CEO Frank Calabria said in a press release that the decision to continue operating Eraring until April 2029 would give more time to deliver renewables…
Australian Rio Tinto Investor raises concerns about merits of possible Glencore deal
The Australian investor who is Australia's largest and oldest has joined the chorus of local concerns over Rio Tinto's possible acquisition of Glencore. He questioned the merits of the proposed tie-up?and its timing. "A lot M&A at top of market has not created value over the long-term." We're curious to know why people think that this time will be different, he said. Rio Tinto confirmed that it was in talks with Glencore on Friday about a possible merger. This could result in?the largest mining company of the world, worth more than 200 billion dollars.
Australian shares drop as miners and banks fall on holiday thin trade
Australian shares dropped on Monday. The final trading week of the year began on a quiet note as banks and miners led the losses. They eased from recent highs, as holiday turnover exaggerated movements across the market. Investors returned to the market after their Christmas and Boxing Day holidays, and turnover was about half of its 30-day average. The index is up more than 7% for this year, and it's on track to achieve a third consecutive annual increase. It has risen by roughly 24% from 2022 when the last time that it logged a decline in a single calendar year.
Australia requires LNG exporters to retain a minimum for the home market
Australia's new scheme will require exporters of liquefied?gas to keep up to 25% of their output for domestic use. The plan was announced on Monday in an effort to curb price spikes and fill a supply gap that has been predicted. The government of Anthony Albanese, a centre-left Prime Minister, said that it would work closely with exporters to create a system which limits the amount of domestic gas. A minimum allocation at local level is between 15 and 25 percent. The government announced the number of a policy that it had flagged for 2025, amid warnings of a gas shortage on Australia's east coast where 27 million people live.
Australian regulator expects a balanced gas market on the east coast in Q2; South will rely on Queensland
Australia's east-coast gas market will be in balance by the second quarter of 2026. Southern states are likely to rely heavily on?gas stored in Queensland and surpluses from Queensland to meet demand, according to the competition regulator. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) latest gas inquiry report, the east coast market will have a balance between supply and demand of 15 petajoules (PJ) and an 8 PJ deficit in the second quarter 2026. The'southern states' are also expected to require an extra 26 PJ over the same period. The gap between the gas supply and demand from southern sources has widened over recent years.
Lachlan Harris, an insider at Santos Australia, is named finance director
Santos announced on Friday that it had appointed Lachlan Harri as its new 'CFO'. The Australian gas producer is currently navigating a period of transition tied to the Barossa, and Pikka project. Sherry Duhe, the former CFO who left the position in October after just a year, was replaced by the new CFO. Analysts pointed out at the time that Duhe's departure left Santos without a clear succession, since she was widely seen as a potential successor to CEO Kevin Gallagher if he chose to step down. Lachlan Harris, since October's appointment as acting CFO, is responsible for the financial management of the company.
Woodside's new CEO must navigate LNG projects with high costs through glut risk
Woodside Energy is facing a leadership shake up after Meg O'Neill's unexpected departure for the top position at?BP. This comes at a time when the Australian company is trying to deliver on key projects in a?braced?for a glut of supply. Analysts say that the oil and gas company will continue to pursue its global growth strategy. This requires continued investment in new assets as well as continuity in mature fields. After project delays and rising costs, it will be important to advance the Louisiana LNG project. The Louisiana LNG project, valued at $17.5 billion, will be Woodside's key project.
Meg O'Neill, BP's new CEO, will be the first woman ever to lead an oil company.
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the London-based 'oil major'. She made an immediate impression when she took over at Australia's Woodside Energy and secured a deal which doubled the company's production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP petroleum assets, in a merger of then-$28billions, in '2021' boosted the Perth-based firm with an international presence during a period of industry consolidation. It made it a global top-10 energy independent company and a powerhouse of gas.
Woodside's new CEO must navigate LNG projects with high costs through glut risk
Woodside Energy is facing a leadership shake up after BP's?chief executive Meg O'Neill's unexpected departure for the top position at BP. This comes as the Australian 'firm' is trying to deliver key projects on a market that's braced for an oversupply. Analysts say that the oil and gas "producer" is expected to continue with its global strategy of growth, which requires sustained investment in both new assets and continuity within mature fields. After project delays and rising costs, it will be important to advance the Louisiana LNG project. The Louisiana LNG project, valued at $17.5 billion, will be Woodside's key project.
The new BP CEO has a long-lasting legacy at Australia's Woodside
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the London-based oil giant. She made an immediate impression when she took over at Australia's 'Woodside Energy', securing a deal which doubled the production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP’s petroleum assets by 2021 in a merger of then-$28 billion?bulked-up the Perth-based firm with an international presence during a time of industry consolidation. It made it a top-10 global energy independent company and a powerhouse of gas. Woodside shares have, however, underperformed their larger rivals over the past five years.
The new BP CEO has a long-lasting legacy at Australia's Woodside
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the venerable London based major. She made an immediate impact when she took over at Australia's Woodside Energy and secured a deal which doubled the production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP petroleum assets by 2021 in a merger of then-$28 billion boosted the Perth-based firm with an international presence?during an industry consolidation period, making it one of the top-10 independent global energy producers and a gas giant.
Australian shares continue to fall on the back of the mining slump, Woodside falls on CEO's surprise departure
The Australian share market was set to record a fourth consecutive day of losses, led by the miners. Meanwhile, energy stocks fell as Woodside Energy dropped after it announced its departure. As of 2322 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.2% at 8,567.70. The benchmark closed Wednesday 0.2% lower. Woodside Energy's stock fell as much as 2,6%, its lowest level for nearly two months, after the Australian firm announced that Chief Executive Officer Meg O'Neill will be joining BP as executive director. The sub-index for energy fell as much as 1.5% and reached its lowest level since October 22.
Tokyo Gas CEO: More than half of investments in overseas markets will be directed to the US within 3 years.
Tokyo Gas, Japan’s largest city gas provider, will direct more than half the 350 billion yen ($2.3billion) it has set aside for overseas investments in the next three years to the U.S., according to CEO Shinichi Sasayama. Tokyo Gas announced a plan in?October to invest 1.3 trillion yen by March 2029. This included 350 billion yen to fund overseas projects, such as U.S. Shale Gas Development. Sasayama said in an interview that "North America was our top priority" in terms of our overseas strategy. He cited a combination of a growing U.S.
Australia announces rescue bid for Rio Tinto Tomago Aluminium Smelter
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, announced on Friday that a "rescue" effort would be launched to keep Australia's biggest aluminium smelter open, the struggling Tomago plant majority owned by Rio Tinto after its current energy contract expires 2028. The announcement comes after the company had warned in October of a possible closure for Tomago Aluminium. It employs more than 1,000 employees and 200 contractors. Albanese stated that aluminium was becoming a "vital product", making it vital to keep Tomago operating. He said that if Australia does not produce aluminium, the knock-on effects in other industries are significant.
Sembcorp, the Singaporean energy giant, has taken over Alinta Energy for $4.3 billion.
Sembcorp Industries announced on Thursday that its unit would?acquire?Alinta Energy at a cost of A$6.5 billion (4.32 billion dollars), making it one of the biggest overseas expansions in the history for the Singaporean firm. Alinta Energy was acquired by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises. The energy company now controls one of Australia’s largest integrated gas and power retailers with 1.1 million customers, and 3.4 gigawatts in energy generation capacity, including gas, coal, and solar. Chow Tai Fook is the investment arm for Hong Kong billionaire Henry Cheng. In 2017, Chow Tai Fook acquired Alinta Energy for A$4 Billion.
Australia is preparing to review its gas market, which could affect LNG exports
Australia will soon issue a review of the gas market that could limit exports from its east coast. Three operators, led by Shell and Santos, send cargoes to Asia. They said that the review, which they expect Canberra to release this week, may 'include a plan for LNG exporters to prioritize local supply in the populous east, the main source of domestic demand. Tony Wood, energy analyst at Melbourne's Grattan Institute, said that the government is trying to solve a difficult problem. They want the domestic and international markets to be able access gas at a reasonable price.
Report: China invested $80 billion in cleantech overseas last year
According to a recent report from the Australian research group Climate Energy Finance, Chinese companies have invested $80 billion overseas in clean technologies to help absorb an oversupply. According to the report published on Sunday, many countries have also intensified their cleantech collaboration with China as a result of U.S. president Donald Trump's new tariffs. This brings China's overseas direct investment in green technology up to more than 180 billion dollars since 2023. Chinese companies dominate the supply chains of clean technologies, such as solar panels and batteries.
Australia's Waitsia Project begins sending gas to LNG export
Beach Energy, an Australian company, announced on Monday that the Waitsia onshore project located north of Perth has begun sending natural gas to Woodside Energy's liquidified natural gas export facility. Mitsui, a Japanese company, operates the Waitsia Project and shares it with Beach. Mitsui and Beach have signed a contract with the North West Shelf partners Woodside, BP Shell and Japan LNG for the supply of the facility in 2020. Japan LNG, a partnership between Mitsui & Mitsubishi, holds a sixth of the facility. Murray Watt, Australia's Environment Minister, signed a contract to extend the life of the LNG export facility until 2070 a few months ago.
Chevron's Gorgon project receives $2 billion investment approval
The Australian unit, owned by the U.S. oil company Chevron, announced on Friday that partners in the Gorgon Joint Venture had sanctioned the A$3 Billion ($1,98 Billion) Gorgon Stage 3 Development off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The project will serve as a backfill to the LNG export concern, and will connect the offshore Geryon & Eurytion gas fields with Gorgon's infrastructure on Barrow Island. Chevron plans to drill up to 40 wells in seven fields, with a field life of 2070. Chevron submitted its project proposal to the offshore environmental regulator in August 2024.