1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,320
Speaker 1: Now, we were talking just a little while ago with

2
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,960
Speaker 1: the Chief Minister about these report in the Northern Territory

3
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,520
Speaker 1: News last week that the NT is facing ongoing risks

4
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,880
Speaker 1: of power blackouts and higher energy prices. That is according

5
00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:18,040
Speaker 1: to Australia's energy regulator of the world's largest gas prospects. Now,

6
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,079
Speaker 1: the latest Australian Energy Regulators report was downbeat about the

7
00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,400
Speaker 1: territory's electricity supplies, tipping ongoing blackouts caused by an unsecure

8
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,160
Speaker 1: gas supply. Now joining me in the studio is the

9
00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:36,400
Speaker 1: Australian Energy Producers NT Director David Slammer. Good morning to you.

10
00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,720
Speaker 2: Good morning, Katy, thanks so much for your.

11
00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,160
Speaker 1: Time this morning. Now, David, what did the regulators report

12
00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,839
Speaker 1: find for the Northern Territory From the gas.

13
00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,120
Speaker 2: Perspective, Yeah, thank you so. From our perspective, the gas

14
00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:55,360
Speaker 2: industry perspective, this very much highlights the recent supply challenges

15
00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,600
Speaker 2: and only reinforces the urgent need to process developments in

16
00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,080
Speaker 2: the Northern Territory for production such as in the Beeloo Basin.

17
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,960
Speaker 2: There's a shortage of electricity going around and most people forget,

18
00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,759
Speaker 2: Katie that when you turn your air conditioner on at

19
00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,279
Speaker 2: home or keep your lights on at night while you're working.

20
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,959
Speaker 2: You think electricity, but that electricity is actually made with

21
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,000
Speaker 2: gas here in the territory, and we need more of

22
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 2: that gas. And it's not we don't have as much

23
00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,280
Speaker 2: on tap right now as we thought we need.

24
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 1: So for our listeners, if we're not using gas, what's

25
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,080
Speaker 1: our backup. My understanding is that we've got the diesel

26
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:32,840
Speaker 1: generators out there at Channel Island.

27
00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a worry right now. We've literally just got gas.

28
00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,000
Speaker 2: And you hope that if there is a blackout that

29
00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,320
Speaker 2: people have a generator, diesel generator at home they can

30
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,680
Speaker 2: plug in the power cord and run the fridge overnight.

31
00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,680
Speaker 2: Because all of the gas in the in Darwin is

32
00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,520
Speaker 2: used to make electricity, so all of electricity is made

33
00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:52,920
Speaker 2: with gas.

34
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,840
Speaker 1: Yes, So is the decline of the of black tip

35
00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,560
Speaker 1: the main reason or what's the situation here?

36
00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, the decline of black tip isn't new news.

37
00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,920
Speaker 2: It's been going on for a little while. Just when

38
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,800
Speaker 2: they drilled for a little bit more gas, they didn't

39
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,680
Speaker 2: quite get as much as they thought they were going

40
00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,480
Speaker 2: to get. In very basic terms, and that's the nature

41
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 2: of the industry, and that's why you can't just rely

42
00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,800
Speaker 2: on rely on one source. You got, you know, to

43
00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,480
Speaker 2: be present, you've got to have multiple developments on the go.

44
00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,200
Speaker 2: And thank god, we've got Impects and we've got Santos

45
00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,639
Speaker 2: on standby. Yes, they're exporting gas. Santos's gas comes from

46
00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 2: Timor and goes overseas, and impexes gas comes from Federal

47
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,040
Speaker 2: waters and mainly goes to Japan. But we have the

48
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,840
Speaker 2: opportunity to tap into that and they have been helping

49
00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,880
Speaker 2: us out over the last couple of years regularly. If

50
00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,720
Speaker 2: it wasn't for those big developments, we would be having

51
00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:47,920
Speaker 2: candles on.

52
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,400
Speaker 1: So tell me. We spoke to the Chief Minister a

53
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,840
Speaker 1: bit earlier this morning. Now we put to her this

54
00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,480
Speaker 1: issue and spoke about the fact that you know that

55
00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,800
Speaker 1: we're potentially staring down the barrel of running out of

56
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:06,560
Speaker 1: gas and ultimately you know, having power power issues. What

57
00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,040
Speaker 1: is the situation in terms of if we do run

58
00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,200
Speaker 1: out of gas from your perspective, I mean she said

59
00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,280
Speaker 1: that we could very you know, potentially need to actually

60
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:16,760
Speaker 1: purchase gas from Queensaint.

61
00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,280
Speaker 2: Now we've got the opportunity with the pipeline that's been

62
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,280
Speaker 2: built a few years ago from ten and Creek across

63
00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,360
Speaker 2: to Mount Eyes and now that pipeline can reverse the

64
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,440
Speaker 2: gas flow now and we can bring gas in from Queensland.

65
00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,079
Speaker 1: So are we doing that yet?

66
00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,040
Speaker 2: It's ready to go.

67
00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, it's ready to go for us to get

68
00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:36,400
Speaker 1: gas from Queensint.

69
00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,080
Speaker 2: Absolutely if we needed the technologies there, it's available to do. Now,

70
00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:42,720
Speaker 2: we don't want to do that. We're sitting on the

71
00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,600
Speaker 2: world's greatest gas supplyne the Beeloo Base and the Onchool

72
00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,200
Speaker 2: basin that not only will give us more than three

73
00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,520
Speaker 2: hundred years worth of gas, but it will also give

74
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,040
Speaker 2: us some of the cleanest gas in the world. It's

75
00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,280
Speaker 2: less than two percent carbon. I mean, it is literally

76
00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,240
Speaker 2: the cleanest gas you can find. And our job, our industry,

77
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 2: and that's what I do speak to the work with government, industries,

78
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,680
Speaker 2: working with government to make the territory an investment destination.

79
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:11,680
Speaker 2: We've got to make sure that we stay high up

80
00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,760
Speaker 2: on the radar for investment to flow, otherwise we can't

81
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:15,920
Speaker 2: unlock that gas into Bier.

82
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,600
Speaker 1: Quite a few questions coming through this morning about whether

83
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,440
Speaker 1: we're going to keep a reserve of gas for ourselves

84
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,919
Speaker 1: as well, like in the Beaterloo. I know my understanding

85
00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,600
Speaker 1: is that there was an agreement signed under the former

86
00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,160
Speaker 1: government with both Empire and also with Tamboran. I'm guessing

87
00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,200
Speaker 1: that that's potentially commercial and confidence in terms of what's

88
00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,840
Speaker 1: been agreed upon. But is there going to be gas

89
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,560
Speaker 1: held for us ourselves.

90
00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,280
Speaker 2: I can't talk to the commercial side of those agreements,

91
00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,240
Speaker 2: but you're absolutely correct they've been signed. And it's not

92
00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,680
Speaker 2: just Tambora and Empire. Central Petroleum down in Alice Springs,

93
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,799
Speaker 2: you know, they've been producing gas for twenty thirty years.

94
00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,920
Speaker 2: In fact, all of our springs is run by the

95
00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,200
Speaker 2: Marindi Field at Central Petroleum, So there's a pipeline that

96
00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,200
Speaker 2: comes up from ALUs Brings to darn as well and

97
00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,280
Speaker 2: Central Petrolum also got a supply agreement with the government,

98
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:10,200
Speaker 2: and that, if you like, is like a reservation opportunity,

99
00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,159
Speaker 2: so that the first agreements for those gas is to

100
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,599
Speaker 2: come to the territory, second is to export it into state,

101
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,280
Speaker 2: and thirdly is to export it overseas. So definitely the

102
00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,400
Speaker 2: number one priority is territory gas for territorians.

103
00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,839
Speaker 1: So, I mean, how real is this idea that we

104
00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,960
Speaker 1: could be bracing for blackouts? I mean, is this sort

105
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,160
Speaker 1: of look some might be saying, oh, hang on a second,

106
00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,200
Speaker 1: to play devil's advocate here, some might be saying that,

107
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,160
Speaker 1: you know, this is a gas industry pushing that idea

108
00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,080
Speaker 1: so that it sort of frightens territorians into thinking that, hey,

109
00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,680
Speaker 1: we need to get moving really quickly on the Beaterloo.

110
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,440
Speaker 2: Lookkie, it's a reality everywhere you go. I mean, we're

111
00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,520
Speaker 2: entering into cyclone season. There's going to be wins, there's

112
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,560
Speaker 2: going to be disruptions. We've got overland power lines. When

113
00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,680
Speaker 2: they come down, they come down, and so you know,

114
00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,840
Speaker 2: you can't say, well, that's the gas industries well, because we.

115
00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,520
Speaker 1: Might have infrastructure.

116
00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:12,000
Speaker 2: But in terms of running out there are certainly opportunities

117
00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,599
Speaker 2: still for our existing supplies like impets and Santos to

118
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:21,000
Speaker 2: come in, like I said earlier, Central Petroleum out of

119
00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:26,400
Speaker 2: Alice Springs, But we need to continue investing into that

120
00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:31,760
Speaker 2: infrastructure otherwise we run the risk of running short.

121
00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,360
Speaker 1: How quickly or what are the timelines around the Beloo production.

122
00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,960
Speaker 2: So it's looking pretty good down there at the moment

123
00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 2: I was down there a week ago. There right now

124
00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:48,159
Speaker 2: got a well Tamborren have Empire have just had an

125
00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,520
Speaker 2: approval last couple of weeks as well, So we're looking

126
00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:55,640
Speaker 2: at some early stages of production later next year, and

127
00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,520
Speaker 2: then it's got to be proved up as to exactly

128
00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,680
Speaker 2: how much gas we've got. And from there on you've

129
00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,800
Speaker 2: got to the pipeline from the well to the existing

130
00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,520
Speaker 2: pipeline and you know, for a couple of the operators,

131
00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,920
Speaker 2: that could be up to fifty sixty kilometers of pipeline.

132
00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,800
Speaker 2: So that's not going to happen overnight, and that's got

133
00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,080
Speaker 2: to be planned and approved. So by the time we

134
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,680
Speaker 2: get that gas into our system could still be a

135
00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:17,320
Speaker 2: couple of years.

136
00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,680
Speaker 1: I mean, David, when you look at at you know

137
00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,520
Speaker 1: what some of those different companies have had to do

138
00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,240
Speaker 1: to really get moving here in the Northern territory, particularly

139
00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:31,720
Speaker 1: in the Beloo, Like, how do those environmental approvals and

140
00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,760
Speaker 1: the different approvals that they've had to go Are we

141
00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,880
Speaker 1: are we quite stringent when it comes to the environment,

142
00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,200
Speaker 1: or you know, are we loose about the way that

143
00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,120
Speaker 1: we're doing things. I mean, it feels as though it's

144
00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,560
Speaker 1: been taking quite a long period of time to get

145
00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,000
Speaker 1: things moving in the beadlo.

146
00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,200
Speaker 2: Correct, Katie. You might recall we had a moratorium on

147
00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,000
Speaker 2: the industry which basically man tools down can't touch drilling

148
00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,160
Speaker 2: in the basin. And that moratorium took a few years

149
00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,440
Speaker 2: to see its way out. Credit to the previous labor

150
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,080
Speaker 2: government that's actually put it on but also removed it.

151
00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,200
Speaker 2: And now it's a matter of moving through that regulatory

152
00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,880
Speaker 2: framework and we are working with government to ensure that

153
00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,480
Speaker 2: we've got a stable framework that is workable, and that

154
00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:17,840
Speaker 2: is the next step now is we are probably the

155
00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:22,360
Speaker 2: most stringent restriction in the world when it comes to

156
00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,160
Speaker 2: environmental approvals. And that's that's that's a good things for

157
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:31,320
Speaker 2: those for those people who are worried about environmental safety,

158
00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,600
Speaker 2: safety to land use, cultural heritage, all that type of stuff, right,

159
00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:42,079
Speaker 2: that's all included and mount all that together. Yes, we've

160
00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:47,800
Speaker 2: got quite a strict regulatory framework, but we've got the

161
00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,360
Speaker 2: gas to take out, so when we do, it'll just

162
00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:51,959
Speaker 2: be fine.

163
00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,240
Speaker 1: I mean, what do you make then, of some environmental

164
00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,160
Speaker 1: groups and some within the Northern Territory, some territorians you know,

165
00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,839
Speaker 1: still feel as though more work needs to be done

166
00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,120
Speaker 1: when it comes to the environment and to really make

167
00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,920
Speaker 1: sure that we've followed and ticked off on absolutely everything

168
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,880
Speaker 1: before we do freak in the Betloo.

169
00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,280
Speaker 2: Yeah, correct, and that's just going to be the case.

170
00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,760
Speaker 2: There's going to be a minority of people that don't

171
00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,960
Speaker 2: want to see a megadul of gas being used. But

172
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,120
Speaker 2: when you ask those people about the options as to

173
00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,160
Speaker 2: what do you see we use for electricity, you know

174
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,320
Speaker 2: they believe a solar panel will do the job. But

175
00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,440
Speaker 2: Katie and I both know the sun doesn't shine at

176
00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,840
Speaker 2: night and the wind doesn't always blow, so in the

177
00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:39,679
Speaker 2: absence of coal or nuclear power, natural gas from the beadloo,

178
00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,560
Speaker 2: which is the cleanest gas of oil in the world,

179
00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:43,200
Speaker 2: is the cleanest thing we can have.

180
00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:49,040
Speaker 1: Well, David Slammer, the Australian Energy Produces NT director, good

181
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:50,840
Speaker 1: to catch up with you this morning. Thanks so much

182
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:51,320
Speaker 1: for your time.

183
00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:52,160
Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie,