On 3 January 2020, the U.S. carried out a strike on a convoy travelling near Baghdad International Airport, killing Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, commander of the Quds Force. Nine other passengers, including the deputy chairman of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were also killed. The United States asserted that the strike was approved by President Trump to disrupt an “imminent attack” and the United States Department of Defense issued a statement that General Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American dipl... more

With the season’s first cyclone having formed off the North-West coast, businesses throughout Western Australia have been reminded to ensure that contingency plans have been established and are in operation. Today, WorkSafe WA Director, Chris Kirwin said it was crucial that everyone on both sea and land knew what to do when there was a cyclone in the area. “Under workplace safety and health laws, employers must have adequate plans in place and provide adequate training to protect workers in the event of a cyclone,” Mr Kirwin said. “The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a slightly lower than ave... more

Australia has officially become the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas (LNG) on an annualised basis. In sending overseas an estimated record 77.514 million tonnes (Mt) of locally produced LNG in calendar 2019, Australia edged out former LNG export titleholder Qatar, expected to produce 75 Mt in 2019. The 2019 Australian LNG exports were more than twice those of the United States, the world’s other fast-growing LNG producer. The US Energy Information Administration expects the US to have exported 34.3 Mt in 2019. The Australian contribution came from across all three now fully estab... more

The US is forecast to lead in terms of global trunk or transmission pipeline length additions for planned and announced (new-build) projects between 2019 and 2023, contributing around 21 per cent of global new-build pipeline additions by 2023, according to new research from data and analytics company, GlobalData. GlobalData’s recently released report, H2 2019 Global Length and Capital Expenditure Outlook for Oil and Gas Pipelines, outlines that the US is set to have a planned new-build pipeline length of 14,162km and an announced new-build pipeline length of 20,230km by 2023. Oil and Gas Analyst at Glob... more

Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, has praised industry partners and The University of Western Australia (UWA) for a joint research laboratory that will position Western Australia as a global energy hub leader, stimulating the economy and creating jobs. The Premier announced the opening of the Centre for Long Subsea Tiebacks laboratory located at UWA, while attending the Resources Technology Showcase on Wednesday 27 November 2019. The centre will focus on ground-breaking long subsea ‘tieback’ discoveries that will enhance the industry’s understanding of hostile deep-sea conditions. Subsea... more

Oil and gas pipelines have become polarising in Canada, but supporters and detractors alike can agree that the safer they are, the better. Unfortunately, integrity and health are ongoing and serious problems for North America's pipeline infrastructure. According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), there have been more than 10,000 pipeline failures in that country alone since 2002. Complicating safety measures are the cost and intensity of labour required to monitor the health of the thousands of kilometres of pipelines that criss-cross Canada and the United States. In a recent paper in th... more

A new report has found that almost 40 per cent of North Sea operators and contractors are concerned about diversification and energy transition, with around half (49 per cent) working to reduce their carbon footprints or develop low carbon solutions. The results of the 31st Oil and Gas Survey, conducted by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Fraser of Allander Institute and KPMG UK, outline that more than half (52 per cent) of respondents report an increasing demand for their products and services in non-oil and gas projects, with a further 25 per cent actively pursuing work ou... more