Australia during last week expanded and actually grew by 2.5m sq km - that's about the equivalent of 10 New Zealands, five Frances, 20 UK's and enough Hollands to make every Dutchman very happy. Along with this UN sanctioned expansion of the continental shelf comes access to many more resources - not that we are exactly short of those, but a bit more might well be useful.
Australia grew today - by 10 times the size of NZ
April 21, 2008 - 4:25PM
A potential oil and gas bonanza could follow Australia extending its continental shelf under an agreement with the United Nations.
"I am pleased to announce that Australia, the largest island in the world, has just been dramatically increased in size," Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told reporters in Canberra.
"We have fully explored through the United Nations our entitlements to actually extend our continental shelf."
Mr Ferguson said Australia had explored its entitlements to extend the continental shelf.
The UN had found that Australia's territory should be extended by 2.5 million square kilometres, he said.
"That is an area five times the size of France, 10 times the size of New Zealand, and 20 times the size of the United Kingdom," Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Ferguson could not put a figure on the potential oil and gas reserves contained in the areas.
"The truth of the matter is that they have been hardly explored," he said.
"There has been some exploration ... in terms of gas.
"This is potentially a bonanza. We have got unknown capacity up there."
It also raised questions about what regimes might be needed in the future to encourage exploration, he said.
Mr Ferguson said resource-hungry nations want security over supply by Australia.
"As you can appreciate, when you sit down and talk to countries such as Japan, Korea, India and China, the big issue they want from us is security of supply and that goes to the energy security debate,'' he said.
"It is also very important in the international debate about energy security,'' he said.
The expansion did not mean motorists could expect cheaper petrol or LPG, he said.
"As you and I appreciate, LPG and oil prices are part of international outcomes in the same way in which so is the price of iron ore, uranium, coal, nickel and copper,'' he said. "We are part of a world market.''
It was important that Australia got on with exploration because it was not oil-rich, Mr Ferguson said.
"We do need to find another Bass Strait or alternatively develop alternative fuels, such as gas-to-liquids and coal liquids, because the issue of energy security goes squarely to the question of transport fuels.''
Mr Ferguson ruled out the exploration of the Antarctic mainland and waters around it.
"We have always acknowledged the Antarctic treaty,'' he said.
The minister did not immediately rule out exploration of the waters around Macquarie Island, in the Southern Ocean.
He was not immediately available to confirm all details of exploration in the Southern Ocean.
AAP
April 21, 2008 - 4:25PM
A potential oil and gas bonanza could follow Australia extending its continental shelf under an agreement with the United Nations.
"I am pleased to announce that Australia, the largest island in the world, has just been dramatically increased in size," Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told reporters in Canberra.
"We have fully explored through the United Nations our entitlements to actually extend our continental shelf."
Mr Ferguson said Australia had explored its entitlements to extend the continental shelf.
The UN had found that Australia's territory should be extended by 2.5 million square kilometres, he said.
"That is an area five times the size of France, 10 times the size of New Zealand, and 20 times the size of the United Kingdom," Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Ferguson could not put a figure on the potential oil and gas reserves contained in the areas.
"The truth of the matter is that they have been hardly explored," he said.
"There has been some exploration ... in terms of gas.
"This is potentially a bonanza. We have got unknown capacity up there."
It also raised questions about what regimes might be needed in the future to encourage exploration, he said.
Mr Ferguson said resource-hungry nations want security over supply by Australia.
"As you can appreciate, when you sit down and talk to countries such as Japan, Korea, India and China, the big issue they want from us is security of supply and that goes to the energy security debate,'' he said.
"It is also very important in the international debate about energy security,'' he said.
The expansion did not mean motorists could expect cheaper petrol or LPG, he said.
"As you and I appreciate, LPG and oil prices are part of international outcomes in the same way in which so is the price of iron ore, uranium, coal, nickel and copper,'' he said. "We are part of a world market.''
It was important that Australia got on with exploration because it was not oil-rich, Mr Ferguson said.
"We do need to find another Bass Strait or alternatively develop alternative fuels, such as gas-to-liquids and coal liquids, because the issue of energy security goes squarely to the question of transport fuels.''
Mr Ferguson ruled out the exploration of the Antarctic mainland and waters around it.
"We have always acknowledged the Antarctic treaty,'' he said.
The minister did not immediately rule out exploration of the waters around Macquarie Island, in the Southern Ocean.
He was not immediately available to confirm all details of exploration in the Southern Ocean.
AAP
This week also saw the Aussie dollar reach a 27 year high against the US dollar with A$1=95c. Our resources and minerals sector is helping Australia minimise the current world finance squeeze. We still have significant shortages of labour, and although interest rates have risen along with the cost of fuel, we are not feeling anywhere near the hurt that many other countries are experiencing. Along with our resource exports we also export wheat and rice, two commodities that are at record highs. Australia is indeed 'the lucky country'.
The house continues well with the plasterers hard at it today. Pictures from last Friday are to be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/orloo/sets/72157604789090696/ Look for the set 'April 25'.
NOS Jornaal from BVN in Holland is currently in the background on SBS News channel. It's nice hearing the Dutch language. That reminds me, Wednesday is the Dutch Queen's official birthday Koninginnedag. To my Dutch friends
, have a wonderful and merry Orange Day. More info for the non Dutch fraternity on the day is to be found here http://www.thehollandring.com/koninginnedag.shtmlRene and I have had the most wonderful recent few days with an overnight guest last Thursday, Kit, our American Aussie friend who's about to visit the US again for a few weeks to see family and friends. His wife Polly (hi Polly!) has already been over there for a few weeks working and visiting family and friends. Following Kit's visit we also overnighted last night in Brisbane at the home of friends who are about to embark on a three month motor home tour of France and Spain. Peter, Bernie and their daughter Rebecca will travel in their new motor home th
at they bought in England after searching the net for weeks. They'll leave it in Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) after the three months and return in a year's time for the 2009 three month tour, picking up from where they left of this year. Bon voyage guys, and see you again in August.Rene had a flat tyre on his motorbike and so he's getting a new tyre. It was ready for replacement anyway. The weather is superb right now for riding and the countryside around the Sunshine Coast
is superb for scenery plus twisting hilly roads. This picture was from Montville last Monday where I was buying shirts for upcoming weddings. Would you believe we have three (yes, 3) weddings to attend later this year. My 55% silk, 45% cotton shirts look fabulous, especially the one I bought for Rene's sister's wedding on the beach at North Stradbroke Island (Straddie) on October 2.This coming weekend we have a couple of friends from Toowoomba staying for two nights. Rhonda and Bill adopted Tikki, Mum's dog, when I went to live in Europe. We hope to extend to them a great time here at the coast. We just love visitors.
Rene's sister's dog Splinter passed his obedience test
last week back in Holland. Claartje's partner Jan is pictured with the pampered (but obedient) pooch. Lovely photo!I can see where visitors to my blog come from. This is the country chart, but there are many other bits of information contained in the site meter icon at the top right of this page. I can even see if people in Beaverton OR and Coventry have checked the blog. Yes, Big Brother is alive and well (I even can see the isp's addresses).
There's more, but alas, no further time at present. Until later, have a great week.
1 comment:
We zullen het Nederlandse aandeel eens wat opkrikken!
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