Kimberley coral spawning treats scientists to rare show

Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:00
Science Network Western Australia

CORAL spawning in the Kimberley coastline was recently first-witnessed by WA researchers, as slicks of blue and pink gametes lit the dark waters after sunset.


Dr Andrew Heyward from the Australian Marine Science Institute, who provided guidance to the KMRS leading up to the event, says observing the coral spawning is a first step in identifying the key seasonal patterns for corals along the Kimberley coast. Image:hjk_888

Recorded about 6.30pm on March 17 at the WAMSI partnered Kimberley Marine Research Station (KMRS) in Cygnet Bay, Research Officer Ali McCarthy says “the combination of natural phenomena with the wild wet season weather overhead and this remarkable spawning snowstorm under the surface was genuinely awe-inspiring.”

“We saw the first signs of spawning activity as turquoise gametes were released from the Faviid and Mussid corals and shortly afterwards, the Acroporid corals began releasing their gametes into the water and the aquariums were awash with slicks of blue and pink spawn.”

“From a scientific perspective, it was really exciting in that this was something new, not just for me or for us at KMRS, but for the greater Kimberley coastline as a whole, where it had been acknowledged that in general the finer details of spawning activity along the mainland Kimberley coast were not well studied and had not yet been observed directly for science.”

Dr Andrew Heyward from the Australian Marine Science Institute, who provided guidance to the KMRS leading up to the event, says observing the coral spawning is a first step in identifying the key seasonal patterns for corals along the Kimberley coast.

“If it turns out most corals spawn along the Kimberley at certain times of year then we can look at the currents and get a much better idea of which way the spawn will travel and hence, how connected different parts of the coast are.

“At a broader level, these initial observations at Cygnet Bay show that for some coral species at least, their reproductive patterns and timing are the same as offshore reefs in the region such as Scott Reef and the Rowley Shoals.

“As we extend these studies, it may be that the biology of corals in the region is shown to be quite similar to what we know from better studied reef areas.”

Although spawning demonstrates a time of renewal for our reef building corals, Ms McCarthy says the Kimberley corals as a whole are not well understood due to their remoteness.

“It is only in recent years that their uniqueness and high biodiversity have been explored and recognised in a western science perspective,” she says.

The observations are just a building block from which to launch further investigations and establish monitoring programs.

It is hoped the KMRS can begin to collate a series of data over time and start to fill the knowledge gaps that surround the Kimberley marine environment.

Woodside kicks off $1bn Browse sale as plans for processing plant may be axed

• BY:ANDREW BURRELL 
• From:The Australian 
• January 27, 2012 12:00AM

• Increase Text Si

WOODSIDE Petroleum has launched a $1 billion-plus auction of most of its 50 per cent stake in the huge Browse gas project in Western Australia, in a move that could kill off controversial plans to build a processing plant on the Kimberley coast.

Sources say the formal auction process began after Woodside was approached by scores of companies over the past 12 months over a potential selldown.

Indicative bids for the Browse stake are being lodged but any sale could take several months to finalise, especially in light of Woodside's announcement last month that it would be unable to proceed with the $40bn project for at least another year.

The potential sale comes amid industry speculation that Browse's 14.3 trillion cubic feet of reserves will soon be increased through the inclusion of additional sources under Scott Reef, an environmentally sensitive part of the Browse Basin, that were previously thought to be inaccessible.

The Australian understands that Woodside may reduce its 50 per cent stake in Browse to 16.67 per cent as part of a plan to align the ownership of the Browse joint venture more closely with the North West Shelf liquefied natural gas project.

"They would go from owning half of Browse to owning about one-sixth -- that would give some symmetry around what the North West Shelf looks like," said one source familiar with the process.

The shake-up may involve Woodside selling stakes in Browse to Japanese trading houses Mitsubishi and Mitsui, which are also partners in the North West Shelf and have previously expressed an interest in Browse.

But other companies, including European groups Total, ENI and GDF Suez, are also believed to be keen to snap up equity in Browse as they seek to increase their involvement in Australia's booming LNG sector.

It is understood any equity sale would not be linked to a gas supply contract from Browse, which is due to produce 12 million tonnes of LNG a year and become one of Australia's biggest resources projects.

The North West Shelf is owned by six companies, each of which has a 16.67 per cent stake -- Woodside, BHP Billiton, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Chevron and an alliance of Mitsubishi and Mitsui.

But Woodside owns 50 per cent of Browse, with the rest of the venture held by BHP (8.33 per cent), Shell (8.33 per cent), BP (16.67 per cent) and Chevron (16.67 per cent).

A potential complication to Woodside as it tries to dilute its stake is that its Browse partners have pre-emptive rights over any sale.

BHP, Chevron and Shell would be unlikely to buy additional equity given their existing commitments in the sector.

However, BP is known to be looking for additional investments in Australia and may want to boost its stake in Browse.

Any selldown would reduce Woodside's exposure to the Browse venture and free up capital for its spending commitments on other projects, including a planned $10bn expansion of the Pluto LNG plant near Karratha.

But it would also reduce Woodside's voting rights within the Browse joint venture and could end the Perth company's plan to process the Browse gas at a greenfields site at James Price Point, north of Broome.

Most of Woodside's Browse partners favour piping the gas to the North West Shelf in the Pilbara when reserves at that project start to run low later this decade, thereby extending the life of the investment.

Significantly, a dilution of Woodside's equity interest in Browse would reduce its commercial incentive to process the gas as quickly as possible.

It would also lessen Woodside's exposure to rising project costs and fears of falling prices sparked by a possible global LNG glut. Some analysts believe the rapid development of the US shale gas industry will lead to LNG exports from North America within a decade.

Woodside chief executive Peter Coleman is believed to be far less enthusiastic about using James Price Point than his predecessor Don Voelte, due to the higher costs of a greenfields plant.

James Price Point is being vigorously opposed by environmentalists and some Kimberley indigenous people.

But it is backed by the West Australian and federal governments as well as local indigenous groups who stand to benefit from a compensation package for use of the land.

Woodside would need to convince the governments that James Price Point was not economic if it wanted to pipe the gas to the Pilbara.

Mr Coleman said last year that Woodside could sell down its stake in Browse, along with the Pluto 2 and Sunrise developments, to reduce $35bn in funding obligations for the projects when they proceed.

Merrill Lynch said in a report in September last year that Woodside's stake in Browse would be worth between $US2.2bn ($2.1bn) and $US4.3bn, based on recent gas pricing benchmarks.

This would value the equity being sold by Woodside at between $US1.4bn and $US2.7bn.

Sources familiar with the auction said the stake being pitched to potential buyers would fetch more than $1bn.

Browse up for review

Energy News Bulletin

Browse up for review

Bevis Yeo Tuesday, 15 November 2011 WOODSIDE Petroleum is confident of managing the risk to fisheries, marine fauna and flora under the greatest threat from development of the upstream component of its $A30 billion Browse LNG project. Illustration of the Browse LNG upstream facilities Map of the Browse LNG fields Image courtesy Woodside Petroleum Browse LNG retention leases Image courtesy Woodside Petroleum In its environmental impact statement, Woodside said the development of the Torosa, Brecknock and Calliance fields did not represent a significant threat to any listed or migratory species and management response measures were in place in the event an unplanned incident like a spill occurred. Woodside said 50-90 wells would be drilled over the project life. They will be connected to manifolds (four at Torosa, two at Calliance and one at Brecknock), which will be connected in turn through flowlines to their respective infield platforms. The platforms will be connected to the central processing facility, which will comprise up to four platforms located on the continental shelf in 80-120m of water. Gas and condensate will be processed at the facility before it is sent by about 310km of pipeline to the LNG plant at James Price Point. The upstream facilities will tap the 13.3 trillion cubic feet of gas and 360 million barrels of condensate believed to be present in the three fields. While most of the expected impacts are classed as low risk, Woodside noted local fisheries faced a medium risk through exclusion zones around platforms and drill rigs, though the total area is expected to be small. Woodside also carried out tests to determine the impact of light from the Torosa platform on marine turtles and concluded maximum light levels reaching Sandy Islet would appear to be no more than a small lit object, which Woodside said would not influence nesting behaviour of adult turtles. However, the company said it had started a long-term monitoring program of turtles on the island to identify impacts from the development. Noise produced during the construction of the project, vessel movements and operational activities were also assessed and while most were found to be of low risk to cetaceans, uncertainty over the noise from the subsea choke valves in the channel between the north and south reefs at Scott reef led Woodside to conclude it presented a medium risk to cetaceans until more data became available. Woodside said besides carrying out measurements of the noise, it would also investigate insulation methods to reduce the noise produced by fluids through the chokes. Other risks brought up by the report included the high possibility vessels and rigs might bring in invasive species – though Woodside said its comprehensive management plan made the likelihood low – and changes in water quality due to elevated suspended sediment from pipeline trenching works. The study also examined the reasons behind the Browse joint venture’s decision to drop development alternatives. Woodside said the Browse to Darwin option was dropped in 2007 due to the higher cost of running a long pipeline, while an option to build a liquefaction facility in the shallow water of the southern lagoon of Scott reef was deemed to be environmentally unacceptable. Floating LNG was also dropped due to the need for multiple facilities to efficiently recover gas from the fields. Woodside acknowledged the option to pipe gas to the Burrup peninsula, widely considered to be the most viable alternative to developing Browse LNG at James Price Point, did not pose unmanageable environmental issues though it raised the possibility that issues related to the cumulative impacts on the Burrup peninsula might present challenges for the option. The EIS represents 17 years of research that has shed new light on Western Australia’s northern offshore ecosystems. “Browse represents a major opportunity for Australia to meet the world’s growing demand for cleaner forms of energy,” Woodside Browse senior vice president Michael Hession said. “It is likely to be a major part of Woodside’s growth as an energy supplier. “We are also working closely with traditional owners to make sure that Kimberley indigenous people can realise the economic and social development opportunities from this project.” Browse LNG is expected to generate up to $50 billion for the Australian economy and create up to 8000 jobs, 6000 onshore and 2000 offshore, during construction. The 12 million tonnes per annum LNG project is expected to be approved next year, with first production in 2017