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JUNE 2009 • ISSUE 140 ABN 71 000 876 040 ISSN 1443-2471 PREVIEW AUSTRALIANAUSTRALIAN SOCIETY SOCIETY OF OF EXPLORATION EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICISTS GEOPHYSICISTS NEWS AND COMMENTARY FEATURE ARTICLES Natural gas – a strategic national asset Coal seam gas in eastern Australia AGM news and reports TerraWulf II: Cluster-computing facility Research Foundation updates The search for cosmic magnetism EIS – $80 million for WA Commodity prices in 2008 Downhole EM, MMR Surveys Surface EM Surveys • Atlantis B-fi eld sensor Surface MMR Surveys • Depths to 2000 m Surface IP and Resistivity Surveys • High power transmitter DigiAtlantis Now Available Downhole IP and Resistivity Surveys • Faster speed, higher resolution and greater productivity Consulting VORTEX GEOPHYSICS www.vortexgeophysics.com.au Contact: Allan Perry, Manager Phone: (08) 9291 7733 Fax: (08) 9291 7737 8 Hart Street, Lesmurdie, Western Australia 6076 Email: [email protected] Vortex Ad 2009 210x297.indd 1 19/2/09 10:59:13 AM PREVIEW ADVERTISERS INDEX Absolute Geophysics IBC CONTENTS Archimedes 9 Baigent Geosciences 3 Editor’s Desk 3 Bartington Instruments 7 Guest Editorial 4 Daishsat 32 EMIT OBC Flagstaff Geoconsultants 4 ASEG News Fugro Instruments 20 Geoimage (Max Bye) 32 President’s Piece 5 Geoimage (Sylvia Michael) 32 Geokinetics 2 Past President’s Report 6 Geophysical Software Solutions 9 Treasurer’s Report 8 Outer-Rim Exploration 19 Research Foundation Update 10 Southern Geoscience Consultants 15 Systems Exploration 19 Executive Brief 11 Thomson Aviation 9 People 12 UTS Geophysics 15 Vortex Geophysics IFC Branch News 14 Zonge 35 News Geophysics in the Surveys 16 2009 ASEG CORPORATE MEMBERS Research 21 CORPORATE PLUS MEMBERS Industry 24 Elliott Geophysics International Pty Ltd Vale Exploration Pty Ltd Velseis Pty Ltd Feature Papers CORPORATE MEMBERS Archimedes Financial Planning Coal seam gas in eastern Australia 26 Beach Petroleum Ltd The search for cosmic magnetism 33 CGG Veritas Chevron Australia Pty Ltd Eni Australia Limited Calendar of Events 36 Fugro Airborne Surveys Geoscience Australia Geosensor Pty Ltd Geosoft Australia Pty Ltd Haines Surveys Pty Ltd Newmont Australia Pty Ltd Origin Energy Resources Ltd Outer-Rim Exploration Services Pty Ltd Papuan Oil Search Ltd Petrosys Pty Ltd PGS Australia Pty Ltd Pitney Bowes Business Insight Rio Tinto Exploration Pty Ltd Santos Ltd Seismic Asia Pacifi c Pty Ltd UTS Geophysics Pty Ltd Woodside Energy Ltd Zonge Engineering & Research Organisation Editor Publisher FRONT COVER Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes CSIRO PUBISHING JUNE 2009 • ISSUE 140 Tel: (08) 9203 7231 ABN 71 000 876 040 ISSN 1443-2471 Tipton West Coal Seam Email: [email protected] Production Editor PREVIEW Gas Field. Photos courtesy Helena Clements Tel: (03) 9662 7639 AUSTRALIANAUSTRALIAN SOCIETY SOCIETY OF OF EXPLORATION EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICISTS GEOPHYSICISTS of Arrow Energy. Associate Editors Book Reviews: Hugh Rutter Email: [email protected] (See p. 26 for details.) Email: hughrutter@fl agstaff-geoconsultants. com.au Advertising Web Waves: Andrew Long Wendy Wild Email: [email protected] Tel: (03) 9662 7606 Canberra Observed: David Denham Email: [email protected] NEWS AND COMMENTARY FEATURE ARTICLES Email: [email protected] Natural gas – a strategic national asset Coal seam gas in eastern Australia AGM News and reports TerraWulf II: Cluster-computing facility Research Foundation updates The search for cosmic magnetism EIS – $80 million for WA Commodity prices in 2008 ASEG Head Offi ce & Secretariat Ron Adams Centre for Association Management Preview is available online at Tel: (08) 9427 0838 www.publish.csiro.au/journals/pv Email: [email protected] ISSN: 1443-2471 eISSN: 1836-084X Web site: http://www.aseg.org.au A world of opportunities, revealed. Imagine the ingenuity it would take to create and conduct seismic data acquisition programs in even the most difficult-to-access areas of the world, from British Columbia to Bangladesh. 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Count on Geokinetics for whatever it takes to reveal the true potential of your next energy opportunity, no matter where in the world it may be. Ingenuity. Expanding. Worldwide. www.geokinetics.com Editor’s Desk My role as Editor is to ensure that Preview or the geosciences which could be continues to reflect, as far as possible, the included in our Book Review section. mix of news, views and articles that are Contact me to either write a few likely to be of interest to the full spectrum paragraphs yourself or add it to the list of ASEG members. This means trying of texts for our Book Review Editor to to achieve a balance of material that will consider. be of interest to geophysicists working • Finally, don’t forget the fun and in minerals, petroleum, environmental interesting side of being a geophysicist. and geotechnical arenas; members who Perhaps you are able to contribute span the spectrum from students to highly photos and a couple of paragraphs experienced practitioners; and employees about an amazing field trip, or Ann-Marie Anderson-Mayes who may be in academic, research, large something that went horribly wrong, corporate, small corporate, consultancy or or an experience that changed your As your new editor, I would like to solo practitioner roles. perspective on life as a geophysicist. begin with an enormous thankyou to Geophysicists, like many other my predecessor, David Denham. David As a geophysicist with a background geoscientists, are often privileged to guided Preview through 58 issues from in research and consultancy on see a variety of cultures and natural October 1999 (Issue 82) to April 2009 environmental and minerals projects, environments around the world. (Issue 139). He put in an enormous I only have direct experience of one part Sometimes, we work in extraordinary amount of work to ensure that Preview of the ASEG spectrum described above. conditions. For some of us, it is those delivered a high quality mix of news, So, I need your help. For Preview to experiences that add richness and depth comments, technical articles, reviews and adequately reflect the news and views to our careers. matters of interest to ASEG members. of its members, those members must I am sure all our members will join me contribute. Here are a few examples of And if none of the above has stimulated in recording here our sincere appreciation what I mean. you to put fingers to keyboards, then for all his efforts. To ensure a smooth • If you have seen an interesting talk please take the time to send me feedback transition from the old to the new, David about Preview. Is there something you will continue as Associate Editor with or presentation at your local ASEG Branch, either write a short report or would like to see more of or less of? Preview. His support and advice are I can’t promise to meet everyone’s invaluable. He is also the new Secretary contact me so that I can track down the presenter for a potential article. interests all the time, but I would like to of the ASEG following the AGM in meet most of them at least some of the time. April. David continues to play a pivotal • Perhaps you have been chatting to colleagues or thinking about an issue role at the ASEG. And so to the content of my first issue. that is important to the geophysical In April, we had the ASEG AGM in A second vote of thanks needs to be community. If so, write me a Letter Perth. Consequently, this issue’s ASEG recorded for all those people who to the Editor. This only need be a few News is packed full of reports and contribute pieces to Preview magazine. paragraphs and it enables the wider updates. In March, Belinda Robinson, FedEx and ASEG Committee members, ASEG community to participate in the CEO of APPEA, gave an address to the State Branch representatives, employees discussion. Of course, if you are really National Press Club. By all accounts of the various national and state survey passionate about your topic and feel her presentation regarding Australia’s bodies and a small cohort of regular the need to write more, submit it as an natural gas resources was excellent. We contributors receive a reminder email Opinion Piece! are grateful for her Guest Editorial which from the Preview Editor once every two • If you and/or your colleagues have been summarises the exciting potential of the months. Most of these contributors write doing some interesting research or have natural gas industry in Australia. This a few paragraphs or more for most issues worked on a really interesting case is complemented by a comprehensively of Preview. They have to endure reminder study, then offer to submit an article to detailed Feature Article by Robert emails as we approach our publishing Preview. This is not a rigorous research Day reviewing Australia’s coal seam deadline, whilst they are no doubt very article as appears in Exploration gas (CSG) industry. Research News busy doing their ‘real’ work.