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Western Australia land gas deficit grows from 63 PJ in 2007 to 116 PJ by 2010 and 244 PJ by 2015; NWSV refuses supply, Santos gains market power, contracts top $7.50/G

The tight Western Australia supply position was reflected in recent pricing for new contracts. 500 TJ/d (=170 PJ/year) of new and replacement gas, required by 2013. Report to the Joint Working Group on Natural Gas Supply Natural Gas in Australia.

Burma smuggles or imports fuel despite gas resources: loses money using black market funds

Burma had significant gas resources but it imported all its petrol and diesel, wrote Connie Levett in The Sydney Morning Herald (9/10/2007, p. 9).

Soaring fuel prices trigger for Burmese protests: unfair quota system in place

A surgeon in a public hospital in Burma earned $US15($17) a month and ran private clinics after hours to make ends meet, wrote Connie Levett in The Sydney Morning Herald (9/10/2007, p. 9).

More than 100 private security companies in Iraq: undermining mission, behaving like trigger-happy cowboys

According to United States Defence Department figures, there were more than 100 private security companies operating in Iraq, with more than 180,000 personnel, reported The Advertiser (11/10/2007, p. 13).

Military rent-a-crowd pays 90c per rioter; 1000 people remain in custody at unknown locations in Burma

About 1000 people remained in custody at unknown locations in Burma since last month’s rallies, and concern for their safety had grown, reported The Australian (15/10/2007, p. 10).

New Queensland ethanol plant gets $2.2 million funding, will create 400 jobs in construction phase

A new ethanol plant fuelled by 200,000 tonnes of corn, wheat, sorghum and bar­ley was to be built at Casino, in the far north-east of Queensland, within two years wrote Shan Goodwin in The Land (11/10/2007, p. 6).

Flynn, newly created central Queensland seat running from west of Longreach to Gladstone, prime target for Nationals

The Nationals were pinning their hopes on a clutch of east-coast seats, particularly the newly cre­ated electorate of Flynn in Queensland and other recently redistributed seats in New South Wales, wrote Cath Hart in The Australian (15/10/2007).

Rural land supply tightening globally, Westralia spending more than $40 million investing in agricultural property: WA, QLD, SA, VIC

The listed Westralia Property Trust was planning to transform itself into the only vehicle on the Australian Stock Exchange specialising in the emerg­ing asset class of rural property, wrote Matthew Cranson in The Australian Financial Review (15/10/2007, p. 62).

CO2 categorised as industrial waste in London Convention; likely to restrict disposal in sea-bed, says AGO report

On one view CCS (carbon dumps) may be viewed as contravening the spirit of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) – conversely, the FCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) might be used to support the argument that prevention of release of gaseous carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by CCS was consistent with UNCLOS, according to “A Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office on Property Rights and Associated Liability Issues, 2005″ (8/8/2007, p.113).

Woodside seeking permission to conduct seismic testing for oil and gas in Vic’s Port Campbell area: 23 threatened species potentially affected

Woodside Energy wanted to conduct a new round of seismic testing for oil and gas off Victoria’s Port Campbell, potentially disrupting the feeding season of the endangered blue whale, wrote Ewin Hannan in The Australian (8/10/2007, p. 4). Testing period would coincide with peak abundance of whales: Woodside had applied to the Howard Government to undertake the testing between November and May 2008, a period coinciding with the peak abundance of blue whales in the region. The survey area was about 20km south of Port Campbell, the coastal town west of the giant rock stacks known as the Twelve Apostles. Peter Gill, a long-time blue whale researcher, had said the survey area lay well within the blue whale feeding area. “If the survey occurs during the blue whale feeding season, and the whales are usually present between November and May, it is possible that blue whales may be displaced from preferred feeding areas,” he had said.

Survey needed to map sub-surface geology: In its application to the federal Environment Department, Woodside had said the survey was designed to map the sub-surface geology and ascertain the potential of sub-surface oil and gas deposits for further investigation. A survey vessel would operate an airgun that released bursts of compressed air that pushed the water away, creating a pressure wave that was used as a seismic signal. The survey would involve 23 days of testing.

‘Temporary’ displacement of whales: As the holder of a petroleum permit, Woodside had said it was required to undertake exploration to deduce the area’s potential for oil and gas production. In its submission Woodside acknowledged that 23 species listed as threatened under federal environmental legislation might occur within, or travel through, the project area. They included three species of whale, the great white shark, 12 albatross species, and the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot. “There may be some temporary displacement of (whales) as a result of the seismic survey and localised impacts on feeding behaviour,” Woodside had said in its submission.

US bombing raid on Iraqi women and children: now between 74,312 and 80,954 civilians killed since US-led invasion of Iraq in April 2003

A United States air strike in Iraq that killed 15 women and children had represented one of the largest losses of civilian life in a single military raid and a bloody start to the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, wrote Andrew Gully in The Canberra Times (13/10/2007, p.17).

Civilian deaths regretted: A US military spokesman had said 19 suspected insurgents and 15 women and children were killed in an oper­ation on Thursday in the Lake Tharthar region. Late last month the US military had been accused by Iraqi officials of killing 15 women and children in two air strikes south of Baghdad. Commanders had responded by saying that civilian deaths were regretted and came as “coalition forces search to rid Iraq of terrorism”.

Indiscriminate firing on civilians in Baghdad: The latest incident had come amid Iraqi outrage after a government report had found that guards from US private security firm Blackwater killed 17 civilians as they fired indis­criminately in a central Baghdad square last month.

Growing number of civilians killed: According to the latest United Nations Assist­ance Mission for Iraq report into human rights abuses in Iraq, 88 civilians had been killed in air strikes by the US military in the three months between April and June. According to the Iraqi Body Count website, which kept an indepen­dent tally of Iraqi deaths, between 74,312 and 80,954 civilians had been killed since the US-led invasion of Iraq in April 2003.

The Canberra Times, 13/10/2007, p. 17

New Queensland ethanol plant gets $2.2 million funding, will create 400 jobs in construction phase

A new ethanol plant fuelled by 200,000 tonnes of corn, wheat, sorghum and bar­ley was to be built at Casino, in the far north-east of Queensland, within two years wrote Shan Goodwin in The Land (11/10/2007, p. 6). Funding boost of $2.2 million:

CIA’s history is of bribery, coercion and brute force: often out of control, embattled, mistrusted

In Tim Weiner’s account, Legacy of Ashes: History of the CIA the CIA had emerged as a tawdry creation: part elite club, founded on arrogance and insufficient geography, part quasi-criminal racket operating outside the laws of the United States, wrote Chris Petit in The Canberra Times (13/10/2007, p. 16).

CO2 categorised as industrial waste in London Convention; likely to restrict disposal in sea-bed, says AGO repor

On one view CCS (carbon dumps) may be viewed as contravening the spirit of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) – conversely, the FCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) might be used to support the argument that prevention of release of gaseous carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by CCS was consistent with UNCLOS, according to “A Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office on Property Rights and Associated Liability Issues, 2005″ (8/8/2007, p.113).

CO2 ‘industrial waste’: ” … when the 1996 Protocol enters into force, it will supersede the London Convention as between parties to the 1996 Protocol which are also parties to the London Convention. However, Australia will continue to be bound by the London Convention in relation to nation-states that do not fall into this category. Accordingly, the application of both the London Convention and the 1996 Protocol to CCS is considered below. With respect to the London Convention, some commentators have suggested that carbon dioxide would likely be categorised as industrial waste, which is defined in the Convention as ‘waste materials generated by manufacturing or processing operations’ (Annex 1).

Restricting disposal: “If this is the case, the London Convention is likely to restrict the opportunities for the ‘disposal’ of carbon dioxide under the seabed. However, such views are not definitive, and it remains unclear whether carbon dioxide would be considered a waste for the purposes of the Convention. In addition, as previously mentioned, it is unclear whether the London Convention covers sub-seabed disposal of wastes (this is not an issue under the 1996 Protocol). In contrast, the 1996 Protocol does not contain the prohibition on ‘industrial waste’. Nevertheless, the reverse-list of allowable materials, which is essentially identical to the list contained in the London Convention, would likely mean that the same restrictions would apply when addressing the Protocol,” the report added.

Reference: Carbon Capture and Storage Section 6 – “A Report to the Australian Greenhouse Office on Property Rights and Associated Liability Issues, 2005″, p.113.

Contact: The Communications Director, Australian Greenhouse Office, Department of the Environment and Heritage, GPO Box 787, Canberra ACT 2601. Email: communications@greenhouse.gov.au

http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/publications

Wheat market up $10/t on 11 October; Sydney-delivered price at $480/t

The wheat market was up $10/t in the week, reported The Land (11/10/2007, p.67).  The Sydney delivered price was $480/t. Wheat prices were likely to hold better than barley into and during the harvest period with the multigrade forward contract for Port Kembla at $425/t on Tuesday. Growers were expected to sell whatever wheat they were able to harvest, after retaining enough for 2008 seed. Domestic buyers were expected to buy most of their 2008 physical requirements at harvest to avoid having to seek grain after the harvest.The Land, 11/10/2007, p. 67

Reclaim SA tyre-recycling facility to reuse 6,000 tyres/month for railway sleepers and other products

A tyre recycling facility to be built at Kilburn will reuse up to 6,000 tyres a month, project developer Reclaim Industries said, wrote Cameron England in The Australian Financial Review (9/10/2007, p.34). Fed Govt support: Reclaim was one of nine companies which last week shared in the final $14 million slice of the Federal Government’s Innovation and Investment Fund for South Australia (IIFSA) funding. Reclaim would match the $567,500 government grant, to build a tyre recycling and re-processing plant. Reclaim Industries director for business development Chris Forester said the plant would produce a range of products. “At the new facility we will utilise a new process similar to others in Europe and the US for using granulated waste tyre rubber, waste plastic and waste paint to mould railway sleepers and other extremely durable products,” Forrester said.

Range of products: “We believe there is significant demand for this range of products both in Australia and abroad, potentially providing a new market for Reclaim products and an additional revenue stream for the company. South Australia produces around 1.4 million waste tyres every year and it is estimated that 15 per cent, or 210,000, of these are truck tyres.” Because there were no tyre recycling businesses operating in South Australia, the State Government has estimated that approximately 90 per cent of those tyres were disposed of as landfill, with around 7 per cent transferred interstate for recycling and the balance of 3 per cent either illegally dumped or stockpiled.

Starting 2008: The Kilburn plant would be Reclaim’s second Australian recycling facility. Construction of the plant was expected to start early next year.

How new NSW gas-fired peakers changed price spikes in 2001 and 2002

How new NSW gas-fired peakers changed price spikes in 2001 and 2002

A chart showing standard deviation in the electricity pool price per quarter contained in a report “Securing Private Investment in New Generation in New South Wales” prepared by Morgan Stanley for the Owen Inquiry also demonstrated the commissioning of gas-fired peakers during 2001 and 2002. Reference: Morgan Stanley, Report to the Owen Inquiry: Securing Private Investment in New Generation in New South Wales, 31 August, 2007. 16/10/2007

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Macedon gas field possible supplier to domestic gas market in Western Australia; change in gas delivery standards needed

BHP Billiton’s Macedon gas field off the West Australian coast was coming into play as a possible supplier to the domestic gas market, wrote Nigel Wilson in The Australian (12/10/2007, p. 22).

2007 upstream gas price in Victoria, Queensland, NSW, South Australia falls between A$2.00 per GJ and A$3.50 per GJ

The price for gas sold under contract in Eastern Australia was usually a confidential agreement between the gas suppliers and the gas buyer, according to a report, Availabiliy and Cost of Gas for NSW Baseload Generation, (31/7/2007) prepared for the Owen Inquiry by Wood Mackenzie.

Queensland coal seam gas exports to NSW from Wallumbilla to supply gas into Newcastle to 2016: then NSW imports, from Western Australia, by pipe or LNG

Under the generation scenarios provided by the Owen Inquiry Secretariat, the potential to import Queensland and Victoria gas to NSW for the period to 2016, was substantial, although this would require expansion of existing gas transmission, as well as new pipeline investment.

Qld imported gas not competitive with coal for baseload generation in NSW without NSW Greenhouse Abatement Certificates (NGAC)s

If a Carbon Trading Scheme were to be introduced, gas could be competitive for baseload generation in NSW at a cost of carbon in the range $15 to $30/t CO2 equivalent, according to a report, Availability and Cost of Gas for NSW Baseload Generation prepared for the Owen Inquiry.

Bioreactor: how to make oil growing algae on exhaust gas piped from power stations and remove 75 per cent of CO2 from power station exhaust

For its supporters the idea of growing single-celled algae on exhaust gas piped from power stations was the ultimate in recycling; and now one of them, CleanTech, has developed a bioreactor based on a patent held by a group of scientists at the Ohio Coal Research Centre, at the University of Ohio, reported The Economist, (8/9/2007, p. 6).

Fed Govt uncertainty over climate-change policy blocking investment in new power gen; combined-cycle gas turbines cheaper than coal for NSW, Owen inquiry finds

The Owen Inquiry was a blunt rebuke for the Federal Government’s 10-year delay in agreeing to a national emissions trading scheme, wrote Marian Wilkinson in The Sydney Morning Herald (12/9/2007, p.4).

Questions about WA’s Economic Regulation Authority membership and remuneration answered

Answering questions from Helen Morton MP (Liberal Party) about the Economic Regulation Authority, Labor’s Kate Doust gave details of remuneration for members of the Authority, in Western Australia’s Legislative Council on 4 September 2007.

Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Amendment Bill 2007 seeks to strengthen counterterrorism laws

Speaking on 5 September 2007 in the Western Australia Legislative Council on the Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Amendment Bill 2007, Jon Ford, Minister for Regional Development and Fisheries, said that at a special Council of Australian Governments meeting held on 27 September 2005 to consider national counterterrorism issues, state and territory leaders agreed that a strengthening of Australia’s counterterrorism laws was warranted.

Queensland Treasury fuel subsidy task force wonders why Atherton – 100 km from fuel port of Cairns – sells petrol 0.74c a litre cheaper than Cairns

Queensland’s then Deputy Premier Anna M. Bligh explained the draft terms of reference of the Queensland Treasury fuel subsidy task force to Parliament.

Espoused list of spymasters enlarged: ALP gives OK as Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity and Australian Crime Commission join ASIO, Department of Defence, the DFAT and AFP

ALP Senator Joseph Ludwig (Queensland) told the Senate on 20 September 2007 that his party approved of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2007, which granted more agencies access to intercepted material.

BHP Billiton and Ngarda Civil and Mining congratulated for joint initiative to run Yarri mine: will assist indigenous employment

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on 5 September 2007, Western Australia Premier Alan Carpenter said he was pleased to be witness to the announcement of a landmark contract, announced in Parliament in the Aboriginal People’s Room.

Every mobile phone a potential tracking device for police or ASIO; Greens dismay as law says every website address a person visits could be monitored, with no judicial oversight and no accountability

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle (New South Wales) told the Senate on 20 September 2007 the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2007 opened up the prospect of communications being able to be observed in effectively real-time.