Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Natural Gas Country Notes

The level of proved recoverable reserves quoted above corresponds to 'Remaining commercial reserves at 1 January 2005' as given in Oil and Gas Resources of Australia 2004, published by Geoscience Australia in 2006. Doubtless due to the adoption of differing definitions of 'proved reserves', other published sources tend to quote substantially higher levels for reserves at end-2005, ranging (in terms of bcm) from Oil & Gas Journal's 783 to World Oil's
3 384.

Estimated additional reserves recoverable of 3 314 bcm correspond with 'Non-commercial reserves' of sales gas in the Geoscience Australia publication cited above, which also provides an alternative assessment, using the McKelvey classification, resulting in 'Economic Demonstrated Resources' of 2 587 bcm and 'Subeconomic Demonstrated Resources' of
1 482 bcm, giving a grand total of 4 069.

Australia's principal gas reserves are located in the Carnarvon, Gippsland, Browse, Bonaparte and Cooper Basins.

Gross production grew by over 60% between 1990 and 1996, reflecting in part higher domestic demand but more especially a substantial increase in exports of LNG (almost all to Japan) from the North West Shelf fields. Production growth has continued in recent years, but at a slower pace.

The main gas-consuming sectors in Australia are public electricity generation, the non-ferrous metals industry and the residential sector.