Chairman's Address to the AGM
Brisbane, Nov 13, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - This year has been a pivotal year for State Gas Ltd (
ASX:GAS). We started the year with 60% interest in the Reid's Dome Project, which had not had any exploration on it for over a decade. In that decade the Ballera to Moomba interconnection had been built (expanding the market for Queensland gas), the LNG trains had been built (resulting in international parity pricing for gas) and coal seam gas (CSG) had become a proven and extremely economic gas resource in this State.
The Reid's Dome Project no longer suffered the "tyranny of distance" with less than 50km distance to the nearest pipeline. These decade long developments led to a seismic shift in what would be the minimum economic discovery required in PL 231, with the alluring prospect of the yet untapped CSG potential. This minimises the risk while adding to the upside.
Highlights from the last financial year include:
- drilling Nyanda-4 and Primero West-1 in November and early December 2018;
- raising the funds necessary for the presently underway drilling campaign;
- the acquisition of the remaining 40% interest in the Reid's Dome Project; and
- the grant of Pipeline Survey Licence 2028.
The results from Nyanda-4 were particularly exciting with 40m of net coal augmented by a further 25 m of carbonaceous shale. The gas content measured from the samples of coal taken from the well averaged 13.75 m3 / tonne with a range of content in individual samples between 8.3 m3/tonne to 17.3 m3/tonne. The thickest coal seam was at the upper end of that range, at 16.94 m3/ tonne. What a start!
The results announced this morning for Aldinga East-1A highlight the extent of the coal throughout the permit, as well as the fact that these coals are always the source of conventional gas discovered in this drilling. I can't wait for the results of Serocold-1 before the end of this year.
By January, we should start to get meaningful results from the cores taken at Aldinga East-1A. All of this information will inform the Company on how to design next year's pilot testing programme.
The discovery of conventional gas in the same well as potential CSG should add to the economics of the field. The benefits of the conventional gas are significant - the differential decline curves mean that the conventional gas provides revenue whilst the CSG coals are being dewatered, and conversely when the conventional gas declines the CSG production extends the plateau, all the while sharing the same infrastructure. The best of both worlds. Additionally the higher pressured conventional gas may provide a natural "gas lift" effect on the CSG enhancing the productivity of the coals.
This is not to understate the complexity involved and as a result I have asked Mike Herrington, who has immense experience in the operations of CSG both here and overseas, to join the Company on a part time basis to oversee the design and operations of next year's pilot scheme.
These developments could not have occurred at a better time with no end yet in sight on the national gas "shortage". The nation watches with an apprehensive eye on the impending decline of the Bass Strait and whether Victoria's summer electricity generation holds up with Loy Yang and Mortlake presently off line. Is this summer going to lead to more demand for a reliable low emission source of electricity stimulate further gas-fired electricity? Whatever happens your Board intends to ensure that State Gas is there as part of the solution, thereby increasing shareholder value.
About State Gas Limited
State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) (OTCMKTS:STGSF) is a Queensland-based gas exploration and development company with highly prospective gas exploration assets located in the southern Bowen Basin. State Gas Limited's mission is to support east coast energy markets through the efficient identification and development of new high quality gas assets.
It will do this by applying an agile, sustainable but low-cost development approach and opportunistically expanding its portfolio in areas that are well located to gas pipeline infrastructure.
State Gas is 100%-owner of the contiguous Reid's Dome (PL-231) and Rolleston-West (ATP 2062) gas projects, both of which contain CSG and conventional gas. The Projects, together some 1,595km2 , are located south of Rolleston, approximately 50 and 30 kilometres respectively from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network. State Gas intends to accelerate commercialisation of these assets through the application of an innovative virtual pipeline ("VP") solution which will see the Company transport compressed gas by truck to existing pipeline infrastructure or to an end user.
State Gas also holds a 35% interest in ATP 2068 and ATP 2069 in joint venture with Santos QNT Pty Ltd (65%). These two new areas lie adjacent to or in the near vicinity of State Gas and Santos' existing interests in the region, providing for the potential of an alignment in ownership interests across the region over time and enabling synergies in operations and development.
State Gas is also participating in a carbon capture and sequestration initiative with minerals explorer Rockminsolutions Pty Ltd in respect of EPM 27596 which is located on the western border of ATP 2062. This project is investigating the potential of the unique basalts located in the Buckland Basaltic Sequence (located in EPM 27596) to provide a variety of in-situ and ex-situ carbon capture applications.
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