-Bureau of Rural Sciences.
ABARE-BRS attributed the decline in production to flooding in central Australia's Cooper Basin, combined with scheduled maintenance at some oil fields, which more than offset increases in output following the startup of the Pyrenees and Van Gogh projects off northwest Australia.
Australia produced 4,097 megaliters of naturally occurring LPG over the fiscal year, up 4% from 2008-2009's 3,929 megaliters, ABARE-BRS said. Natural gas production was 8% higher at 43,202 million cubic meters, up from the previous 40,109 million cu m, underpinned by the startup of new fields,including Henry and Blacktip offshore, and some coal seam gas operations in eastern Australia.
In the three months to June 30, Australia produced 6,162 megaliters of crude oil and condensate, down 3% from 6,344 megaliters in the March quarter and down 5% year on year; 1,025 megaliters of naturally occurring LPG, up 7% from 957 megaliters in the March quarter and down 5% year on year; and 10,652 megaliters of natural gas, up marginally from 10,629 megaliters in the March quarter and down 2% year on year.
The nation's exports of crude oil and refinery feedstocks totaled 17,986 megaliters in 2009-2010, up 8% from 16,588 megaliters the previous year. The increase reflects higher production off northwest Australia, where most fields sell to Asian refineries, ABARE-BRS said.
The value of crude oil exports climbed 9% to A$9.52 billion ($8.69 billion, from 2008-2009's A$8.76 billion.
In the June quarter, Australia exported 5,473 megaliters of crude oil and other refinery feedstock, up 44% from 3,786 megaliters in the March quarter and up 45% year on year. The value of crude oil exports rose to A$3.059 billion, up 51% from A$2.017 billion in the March quarter and up 83% year on
year.
Australia's exports of LNG surged 16% year on year to 17.9 million mt, from the previous 15.4 million mt, as the fifth production train at the Woodside Petroleum-operated North West Shelf project reached full capacity, according to ABARE-BRS. But the exports earned 23% less for the year at A$7.8 billion, compared with the previous year's A$10.08 billion, reflecting lower prices.
In the June quarter, the country exported 4.1 million mt of LNG, down 13% from 4.66 million mt in the March quarter and almost unchanged from 4.04 million mt in the June quarter of 2009. Earnings from LNG exports totaled A$2.03 billion in the quarter, down 9% from A$2.22 billion in the March
quarter but up 27% year on year.
Australia's seven refineries produced a total of 37,674 megaliters (649,000 b/d) of oil products in 2009-2010, down 5% from the previous year's 39,546 megaliters (681,000 b/d). Exports of refined oil products for the year totaled 805 megaliters, down 31% from the previous 1,164 megaliters, and the
value of the shipments dropped 28% to A$546 million, from A$788 million.
In the June quarter, the refineries produced 9,111 megaliters of oil products, down 2% from 9,273 megaliters in the March quarter and down 8% year on year. Earnings totaled A$159 billion in the period, up 14% from A$139 billion in the March quarter but down 16% year on year.
The nation's imports of both crude oil and refinery products rose in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Intake of crude oil and other refinery feedstock totaled 27,284 megaliters at a cost of A$15.03 billion, compared with 2008-2009's 24,302 megaliters at a cost of A$14.73 billion.
Imports of refined oil products rose to 19,993 megaliters, from the previous year's 19,697 megaliters. But the cost of the imports for 2009-2010 was A$11.31 billion, down from $13.13 billion in 2008-2009.
In the June quarter, imports of refined oil products at 4,762 megaliters was in line with 4,500 megaliters in the March quarter and 4,780 megaliters a year earlier. But the cost of the imports rose 11% to A$4.1 billion from A$3.7 billion in the March quarter and by 19% from A$2.9 billion a year earlier.
China Chemical Weekly: http://news.chemnet.com/en/detail-1411716.html
