Santos boss berates Federal Government for 'populist' approach to energy policy

Australia's gas industry has used its annual conference in Darwin to launch a scathing attack on the Federal Government.

The NT Government is now estimating the Beetaloo
 Basin contains 500 trillion cubic feet of gas — more
than double that initially modelled.

Santos has accused the Government of unfairly blaming the gas companies for the east coast gas crisis because they send most of their supplies offshore under export contracts.

The company's chief executive, Kevin Gallagher, told the South-East Asia Australia Offshore and Onshore Conference, potential limits on gas exports and bickering over energy policy were threatening the international investment needed to develop new projects

Read the story from ABC News by Jane Bardon - “Santos boss berates Federal Government for 'populist' approach to energy policy.”

(Despite the rhetoric, the only place for gas is in the ground - Robert McLean)

Inpex will pay nothing to extract oil and gas

The Inpex-led Ichthys LNG project will export $195 billion of LNG, LPG and condensate from Darwin over the next three decades but will not pay Canberra anything for the gas it extracts from its field 450km north of Broome.

The Ichthys LNG project’s s central processing facility.

The Ichthys LNG project started construction in 2012 and next year is expected to begin shipping condensate from its offshore facilities and LNG and LPG from its Darwin plant.

Inpex yesterday released a report by ACIL Allen on the economic benefit to Australia from its $US37 billion ($47.7 billion) investment.

Inpex president director Australia Seiya Ito said Ichthys, funded by a US$20 billion project finance deal, was the biggest overseas investment ever by a Japanese company.

Read the story by Peter Milne from The West Australian - “Inpex will pay nothing to extract oil and gas.”

Darwin and the Top End warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus

Darwin is in the direct line of a cyclone expected to form into a category 2 storm north of Australia on Friday.

Cyclone Marcus forecast track map issued at
11:13 am ACST Friday 16 March 2018.

Residents of the Northern Territory capital city and across the Top End have been warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus, which is predicted to make landfall overnight and hit Darwin in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Areas from Maningrida to the Daly river mouth, including Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, are on an official cyclone warning, along with areas from the Daly river mouth to the Western Australia border.

WA emergency services have also issued a blue alert, urging those in areas from the NT border to Mitchell plateau, including Kununurra and Wyndham, to make preparations.

Read Helen Davidson’s story from The Guardian - “Darwin and the Top End warned to prepare for Cyclone Marcus.”

World Solar Challenge off to a bumpy start as teams run into trouble

It was a bumpy start for at least seven teams this morning as the 30th World Solar Challenge began from Darwin.

At least seven teams ran into trouble
not far from the starting line in Darwin.

Nearly 40 teams left the Top End today, and started the 3,000 kilometre journey to Adelaide, but a number succumbed to issues before they left the city limits.

Hundreds of people braved the searing heat and humidity to watch the race begin in front of Darwin's Parliament House.

Among the top ten starters, Adelaide University's team ran into trouble a short distance from the start line.

But after a push from team mates they joined the race and began the journey home.

Read the ABC News story by Georgia Hitch - “World Solar Challenge off to a bumpy start as teams run into trouble.””

More rain in flooded Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek

More rain is expected over Tennant
 Creek, which has been in flood.

Tennant Creek has experienced more than half its average annual rainfall in just the first 15 days of the year, as storms continue to dump rain over flooded areas.

Senior forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin, Graeme King, said there was more rain expected for another two or three days, with the possibility the town's annual average rainfall would be exceeded.

"That [having the full year's average rainfall in the first few weeks of 2017] is quite on the cards," Mr King said.

In the past two weeks, 248 millimetres of rain has fallen in Tennant Creek, located about 900 kilometres south of Darwin, compared to the annual rainfall figure of 476mm.

Read the ABC story - “More rain in flooded Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek.”

Tennant Creek deluged with 'one-in-50-year' flood

Flooding in Tennant Creek saw
70mm of rain fall in just 70 minutes.

The normally dry town of Tennant Creek has experienced a deluge overnight in what meteorologists say was a one-in-50-year flood.

Irena Edwards-Kelly, 26, said she appreciated the rain when it began, but she had now had enough.

"It is good rain and I was loving it, but it gets annoying," she said.

It was the highest floodwaters Ms Edwards-Kelly had ever seen in the town.

Senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin, Graeme King, said the flooding was a significant event.

Read the ABC story by Xavier La Canna - “Tennant Creek deluged with 'one-in-50-year' flood.”

Approval of Port Melville supply base near Darwin quashed by federal court

Former Northern Territory chief minister Adam
Giles, centre, at the site of the port in 2015.

The decision to approve a $130m marine supply base at Port Melville north of Darwin has been overturned by the federal court.

The ruling quashes a decision by a delegate of the former federal environment minister Greg Hunt to allow the development 120km north of Darwin to go ahead despite it not having an environmental assessment.

Justice White’s ruling said the delegate’s “exercise of the power was ... uncertain” and leaves the development by Ezion Offshore Logistics Hub (Tiwi) Pty Ltd in limbo.

The judge referred the matter to the new environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, who will come under pressure to order a full impact inquiry

Read The Guardian story - “Approval of Port Melville supply base near Darwin quashed by federal court.”

The real 'great race' starts in Darwin

The world's first - a Dutch built
four-seater solar powered car.

Each October the petrol-powered V8 dinosaurs gather at Bathurst for what has become traditionally known as “the great race”.

Little do the participants, organizers and fans of the Bathurst event realise, the real “great race” began today in Darwin when 40 solar-powered cars set out to race across Australia.

Bathurst is about yesterday and Darwin is about tomorrow.

An ABC story headed: “Futuristic solar cars launch from Darwin for World Solar Challenge”, tells about years of engineering and thousands of dollars in technology, that relies only on energy from the sun, being tested as the cars race through the Australian desert.