Tuesday 13 May 2008

State now hot bed for energy supply

Adelaide Advertiser
Friday 2/5/2008 Page: 85

SOUTH Australia has vast potential for energy supply, with encouraging prospects for oil and geothermal discoveries, the State Government's minerals department says. There was extraordinary growth in hot rocks, Primary Industries and Resources SA director of petroleum and geothermal Barry Goldstein said. SA was at the forefront of the sector, with some $685 million of $820 million projects committed nationally.

Where there were no geothermal companies in Australia at the turn of the century,"we now have 33 companies in the country over hundreds of areas", Mr Goldstein told the Paydirt SA Resources and Energy Investment Conference yesterday. "The country is going to be wanting several or more gigawatts of this emissions- free base-load energy, and the largest part can come from South Australia," Mr Goldstein said.

"Rest assured that the world is watching us - there is no question about that." Among early movers is Geodynamics, with executive director Doone Wyborn saying power generation from its Habanero field was expected by December of this year. On oil, Mr Goldstein was excited by the Officer Basin in the state's west. The Officer Basin would add to the "exceedingly lucrative" Cooper Basin in the state's north-east, where further discoveries were expected in addition to established operations.

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