SANTOS = South Aust. & Northern Territory Oil Search This was a...

SANTOS = South Aust. & Northern Territory Oil Search

This was a sort of Govt. or Semi Govt. start up back in the 1950's/60's ?? or at least had very firm & fixed contracts to supply energy to Govt, Utility companies....If it was a pure play private enterprise in its very early years, all the exploration & the Moomba infrastructure etc and the oil & gas in the Copper Basin may not have ever seen the light of day. Due to lack of finance. And all the junior pure private explorers that sort of hang off them...ie Beach, Copper Energy, Drillsearch. Victoria Pet... etc etc.
For years there was clause in the Santos deeds that prevented any one entity having more that 40% of the equity and a clause that prevented its HQ from moving away from Adelaide. ( as I recall)

My point is... it always was and is difficult now to fund these big projects - and so thats where the Govt. & so called nation building comes into it - to get this stranded oil & gas to market & reap the economic benefits.

Just some thoughts - cheers