"...All the scientific evidence collected over years shows there is no oil to spill in the area where we are planning to explore." https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7470540/pep-11-about-energy-jobs-and-the-environment/
I disagree.
Exhibit A:
"It is broadly accepted that so-called 'thermal' gas is the product of thermal cracking, 'primary' thermal gas from kerogen cracking, and 'secondary' thermal gas from oil cracking." -Mango FD, Jarvie D, Herriman E. Natural gas at thermodynamic equilibrium. Implications for the origin of natural gas. Geochem Trans. 2009;10:6. Published 2009 Jun 16. doi:10.1186/1467-4866-10-6https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705366/
"There are, therefore, two possible paths to natural gas, a thermogenic path operating almost exclusively at high temperatures, and a catalytic path operating at much lower temperatures." -Mango FD, Jarvie D, Herriman E. Natural gas at thermodynamic equilibrium. Implications for the origin of natural gas. Geochem Trans. 2009;10:6. Published 2009 Jun 16. doi:10.1186/1467-4866-10-6https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705366/
"...liquid oil and natural gas are often found together in the same reservoir.." Kuzmin, Andrey O.. "Confined multiphase swirled flows in chemical engineering" Reviews in Chemical Engineering, vol. 37, no. 1, 2021, pp. 31-68. https://doi.org/10.1515/revce-2019-0019
Exhibit B:
Figure sourced from James G. Speight Natural Gas: A Basic Handbook, Gulf Professional Publishing, Elsevier Inc. 2019.
"Suggested Target: Test 2D seismic line amplitude anomaly at DM1 on North end of ~Late Permian anticline formed on the upper plate of easterly dipping thrusts fault (red)." -ASX:BPH, 10 Aug 2020, BPH ENERGY LTD, PEP 11 Update
Exhibit C:
"The strong petroleum potential of the northern Sydney Basin is indicated by the result of the Strevens Terrigal 1 well drilled in 1961 just onshore from PEP 11. The online records from http://digsopen.minera1s.nsw. gov.au state that oil entered the wellbore at 338' (103m) (Narrabeen Formation) and 2-3" (5 - 7.6cm) oil fractures were noted at 5000' (1525m) (~Mulbring Siltstone). This oil stayed in the mud throughout the drilling. The wellbore had to be abandoned as the operator left “drilling rods downhole" in the wellbore at 6186' (1887m) TD. Their chief geologist suggested that another 10-15000 feet (3.05 to 4.6 km) of Permian facies lay below the TD of this wellbore. More integration of this available drill log and seismic data will be used to refine a drill location.As Santos Ltd stated in 1991, "there is presently no commercial production or known commercial size accumulations of oil or gas in the Sydney Basin. However, The abundant shows indicate that the Basin is indeed capable of yielding oil and gas."Although there are a number of risks associated with the new PEP 11 target the encouraging
1) the Terrigal #1 well is only 47 km from the proposed location and reported oil above and in the target PEP11 equivalent section
2) this thrusted anticline has overlying surface oil and gas seeps above a finite target amplitude, and
3)most historical reports put the hydrocarbon source kitchen in the Newcastle Syncline adjacent to and downdip to this proposed drilling location.
Correlation from this 2D seismic section west to the onshore Sydney Basin with the very sparse well control suggests a Late Permian target below the Tomago coal Measures. Additionally, Advent drilled and found "Permian" aged-sands in the New Seaclem 1 well well at TD which also provides a relative fit for the formation target versus 2D seismic. The Late Permian section drilled onshore from 0-3050m is dominantly sand of the Upper and Middle Permian so the thrust fault model appears to suggest that the target at the proposed drilling location may be at the Triassic/Permian boundary."
-ASX:BPH, 10 Aug 2020, BPH ENERGY LTD, PEP 11 Update
Exhibit D:
"The field found by the Phoenix South-1 well, which was targeting gas rather than oil, could have potentially up to 300 million barrels of oil in place, according to Apache." https://www smh com.au/business/companies/claims-of-australias-biggest-oil-discovery-in-30-years-20140818-1059vv.html
"The news put a rocket under the shares of one of Apache’s junior partners in the drilling venture, Carnarvon Petroleum, which almost trebled to 24¢ on Monday." https://www smh com.au/business/companies/claims-of-australias-biggest-oil-discovery-in-30-years-20140818-1059vv.html
Conclusion:
We can see that natural gas can originate from the thermogenic pathway or the catalytic pathway, from vitrinite kerogen, crude oil or n-alkanes etc, therefore, this explains why "oil and natural gas are often found together in the same reservoir" (exhibit A). Exhibit B described an anticlinal formation in which it is possible to contain both gas and oil. It was admitted by the company "the Terrigal #1 well is only 47 km from the proposed location and reported oil above and in the target PEP11 equivalent section", (exhibit C) therefore, if this is true, the inference the company is making is oil has been reported in the target PEP11 equivalent section in the Sydney basin (onshore and 47km from the 'proposed location'). This is why as an oil and gas investor I know full well that even when a company says they are pursuing gas, they can certainly hit oil, take Apache as an example "The field found by the Phoenix South-1 well, which was targeting gas rather than oil, could have potentially up to 300 million barrels of oil in place, according to Apache." (exhibit D).
Oil is not something to be feared. Especially when you talk about climate change and sustainability. One extremely good example is given by my pal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02cCzdFBMCY "Decarbonizing Air Travel ?", we cannot run air liners on batteries... we must use a liquid fuel, oil isn't going anywhere, it should be the last cab off the rank when it comes to the decommissioning of fossil fuels.
I assume the aprehension about promoting PEP-11 as a possible gas and oil target is that a potential "oil spill' could occur. Well too bad, you have NOPSEMA, a world leader in preventing oil spills, the consensus is that the risk is soo low due to our strong regulations that this fearmongering about oil spills should be a non-issue from every law maker... Unfortunately we don't live in a world where logic takes priority.
Note: I agree there is more evidence of gas than oil. But, according to my arguments above I disagree that "there is no oil to spill in the area where we are planning to explore".
(20min delay)