The Federal Government has given the green light for Senex Energy to build more than 120 new gas wells in southern Queensland, fuelling the company's ambitious expansion plan.
Senex Energy will push ahead with a $1bn expansion of its Atlas and Roma North natural gas fields after receiving federal approval for the stalled project.
Australia faces power blackouts unless regional communities back the acceleration of renewable energy and construction of 10,000km of transmission lines, with authorities raising the alarm that not enough green electricity will be built before coal exits the grid by 2038.
The federal Labor government has approved the $1bn expansion plan of Senex Energy, owned by South Korean steel giant Posco and Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, in a decision which will temper some concerns over medium-term gas supplies across Australia’s east coast.
There is no escaping this impenetrable fact. If Australia is to remain competitive in the global marketplace, its industries must be given every opportunity to reduce emissions in a cost-effective way, while maintaining access to reliable baseload power.
A recent flurry of forecasts offers us a range of different views on what’s happening to the global demand for, and use of, crude oil. One thing seems to be clear, however: the chances of net zero carbon emissions in the near term – ie, by 2050 – are basically zero.
The Australia Institute reckons $111 billion of WA gas was exported over four years without any royalties paid to government - but the lobby group’s claims need serious scrutiny.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has told energy producers he will halve project approval times for new projects and release new gas fields annually for development as he works to win back support from the west-coast resources sector.
Iron ore futures prices extended their rise to hit the highest level in multiple weeks on Monday, bolstered by an obvious reduction in shipments and hopes that top consumer China will roll out more stimulus to prop up its economy.