1900-1996 1900 Natural gas found in water bore, Roma Queensland. 1900 Natural gas found in water bore, Grafton racecourse, New South Wales. 1902 First exploration drilling for oil in Western Australia at Warren River in

southwest of State. 1904 Prospector William Campbell samples oil from rocks near Victoria River,

Northern Territory. 1906 Roma, Queensland, lit for 10 days by natural gas. 1906 — 23 Oil shale production at Newnes, New South Wales. 1907 First survey in Sepik region of German New Guinea. 1908 Blowout and fire at Roma No.1 gas well, Roma, Queensland. 1910 — 15 Oil shale production at Railton, Tasmania. 1911 Planters Thomas and Lett find gas seeps at Opa on Vailala River, Papua New

Guinea. 1912 Joseph Carne finds oil seeps at Orevi and Upoia on Vailala River, Papua New

Guinea. First exploration drilling in the country. 1912 Oil from seeps in Sepik region of German New Guinea analysed in Germany. 1913 Arthur Wade engaged by Australian Government to survey Papuan region of

New Guinea. 1915 First recorded Tasmanian exploration drilling on Bruny island. 1919 Stockman Okes finds pitch in basalt near Ord River, Western Australia. 1919 Water driller Price finds oil traces in bore near Fitzroy Crossing, Western

Australia. 1920 Arthur Broughton proves Coorongite in South Australia to be vegetable origin. 1920 Australian and British Governments begin joint exploration of Papua and New

Guinea using BP as exploration agent. 1920 Australian Government offers £50 000 reward for discovery of commercial oil. 1920 — 35 Oil shale production at Latrobe, Tasmania. Early 1920s ‘Johnson’s’ well reportedly finds gas/condensate on Bruny Island,

Tasmania. 1922 British Government withdraws from Papua and New Guinea exploration.

Australian Government and BP continue work. 1922 — 24 Freney Kimberley Oil finds oil traces during drilling in northwest Western

Australia. 1924 Australia’s first oil discovery (as opposed to condensate and oil traces) at Lake

Bunga No.1 well near Lakes Entrance, Victoria. 1926 Australian Government passes Petroleum prospection Act providing pound for

pound subsidies (up to £60 000) for oil exploration. 1927 Petroleum Prospecting Act extended to Papua New Guinea and increased to

£120 000. 1927 Dr George Woolnough appointed Commonwealth Geological Advisor. 1927 Roma oil Co’s Roc No.1 gas/condensate discovery at Roma, Queensland, sets off

stock exchange boom. 1928 First commercial sale of Australian oil (condensate) — 160 gallons [727 L] from

Roc No.1, Roma, Queensland. 1928 Geophysical Survey Act passed by government to prompt surveys in Australia

for oil, minerals and water. 1929 Roma absorption plant begins commercial production of condensate,

Queensland. 1930 — 41 107 000 gallons [486 422 L] of oil produced from Lakes Entrance region,

Victoria. Most sold to Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board for lubricating suburban trams.

Early 1930s Woolnough experiments with first applications of air photography to geology in northern Australia.

1931 Results of Imperial Geophysical Experimental Survey (IGES) lay foundations for commercial geophysics in Australia.

1932 Oil Search Ltd begins field work in Mandated Territory of New Guinea. 1932 — 34 Arthur Wade maps Kimberley region of Western Australia for Freney

Kimberly Oil. 1934 Oil recovered from water bore at Wilkatana, near Port Augusta, South Australia. 1934 — 42 Government forms and supports Northern Australia Survey to investigate

geology of areas north of 22nd parallel. 1935 Oil search Ltd’s Arcadia No.1 in Queensland finds gas in lower horizon than

reservoirs at Roma. 1936 Petroleum Oil Search Act passed with £250 000 available to encourage drilling

operations. 1936 Three-man Oil Advisory Committee formed of geologists Walter Woolnough,

Arthur Wade and Keith Ward. 1937 First air survey of Papua New Guinea. 1937 — 52 Oil shale production at Glen Davis, New South Wales. 1938 Australasian Petroleum Company (APC) formed by BP, Mobil and Oil Search. 1939 — 51 Shell conducts largest coordinated exploration effort in Australia to that

time. 1939 — 54 War interrupted drilling of Freney Kimberley’s Nerrima Dome well in

Western Australia on recommendation of Wade. 1940 Oil Advisory Committee disbanded. Harold Raggatt appointed Commonwealth

Geological Advisor. 1941 American engineer Leo Ranney recommends oil shaft (Ranneywell) project at

Lakes Entrance, Victoria, to Australian Government. 1941 — 48 APC’s war — interrupted Kariava No.1 well drilled near Vailala River,

Papua New Guinea. 1946 Australian Government forms bureau of Mineral Resources Geology and

Geophysics (BMR). Harold Raggatt appointed first director. 1946 Australian Government withdraws from Ranneywell scheme. Austral Oil (Lakes

Oil) takes over. 1947 Frome-Broken Hill conducts Australia’s first commercial post-war oil surveys in

Canning Basin of Western Australia. 1947 Ampol secures its first oil exploration permits, Exmouth region, Carnavon Basin,

Western Australia. 1948 First BMR field party begins geologically mapping Fitzroy Basin in Kimberley

region of Western Australia. 1949 Australia’s first reflection seismic survey shot by BMR in Roma area of

Queensland. Early 1950s Introduction of helicopters to survey work, particularly in Papua and New

Guinea. 1951 Seismograph Services of London, the first contract seismic crew in Australia,

arrive at Rough Range area for WAPET. 1951 Ranneywell project abandoned after producing 172 590 gallons [784 594L]. 1952 Australian Associated Oilfields flows gas in its first well, at Hospital Hill, Roma,

in Queensland.

1953 WAPET tests oil at Rough Range no.1 well, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.

1954 WAPET geologists make up first civilian group to visit Barrow Island after atomic tests in the region and conduct basic reconnaissance survey.

1956 Australasian Petroleum Company’s Kuru No.1 well in Papua New Guinea blowout and uncontrolled gas flow for five months.

1957 First heli-rigs used in Papua and New Guinea by Australasian Petroleum Company.

1957 Petroleum Search Subsidy legislation passed. 1958 Introduction of system of graticular blocks as basis for drawing up permit

boundaries. 1959 Australasian Petroleum Company’s Puri No.1 wildcat in Papua New Guinea

finds oil. 1959 Petroleum subsidy scheme broadened to include seismic and other survey work. 1959 Formation of Queensland Petroleum Exploration Association (QUPEX) 1959 Formation of Australian Petroleum Exploration Association (APEA). 1959 Geophysical Services International shallow-water survey for Frome-Broken Hill

in Otway Basin, Victoria, first offshore seismic programme in Australia. 1959 Woodside (Lakes Entrance) Oil takes out first offshore exploration leases in

Gippsland Basin, Victoria 1959 Innamincka No.1 the first well in the Cooper Basin, is drilled by

Delhi/SANTOS. 1959 WAPET’s Meda No.1 well brings oil to surface for first time in Canning Basin,

Western Australia. But noncommercial. 1959 Frome-Broken hill tests significant gas flow in Port Campbell No.1 well,

Victorian Otway basin. 1960 Institute Francaise du Petrole (IFP) contracted by Australian Government to

survey the country’s oil potential. 1960 Associated Group finds gas in Timbury Hills No.2 near Roma, Queensland. 1960 Gas blowout in Union oil group’s Cabawin No.1, Surat Basin, Queensland. 1960 Consultant Lewis Weeks recommends BHP explore Bass Strait. 1961 First APEA conference held in Melbourne. 1961 Cabawin No.1 tests gas and light oil. 1961 Union group’s Moonie No.1 flows oil in Surat Basin Queensland. 1962 Moonie declared Australia’s first commercial oil field after 18 months appraisal

work. 1963 Woodside awarded North West Shelf permits, Western Australia. 1963 Delhi/SANTOS find Gidgealpa gas field in Cooper Basin South Australia. 1963 Ooraminna No.1 records hydrocarbon shows from Ordovician/Cambrian

reservoirs in the Amadeus Basin of central Australia — the oldest such occurrence known in the world.

1963 IFP report is generally lukewarm about Australia’s oil potential. 1963 APEA Petroleum Club formed in Sydney — the forerunner of the Association’s

technical division. 1964 Esso farms into BHP Bass Strait acreage, Victoria, Tasmania and South

Australia. 1964 Moonie field comes on stream as Australia’s first commercial oil project. 1964 Union Oil group finds Alton oil field in Surat Basin, Queensland. 1964 Phillips Petroleum group finds Gilmore gas field in central Queensland. 1964 Exoil finds Mereenie oil/gas field in Amadeus Basin, central Australia via

spectacular blowout. 1964 WAPET finds oil at Barrow Island, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. Mid — 1960s First use of satellite position fixing and digital recording instruments in

seismic surveys. 1965 WAPET finds second, shallower reservoir in Barrow Island field. 1965 Esso/BHP finds Barracouta gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1965 Magellan Petroleum finds Palm Valley field in Amadeus Basin, Central

Australia. 1966 WAPET finds Dongara gas field in Perth Basin, Western Australia. 1966 Esso/BHP finds Marlin gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1966 Delhi/SANTOS finds Moomba gas field in Cooper Basin, South Australia. 1966 Alliance Oil Development’s Caroline No.1 well in Otway Basin of South

Australia finds commercial carbon dioxide field. 1967 Naturalist Harry Butler appointed conservation consultant to WAPET in early

industry move to protect the environment. 1967 APEA Petroleum Club formalized into the APEA Professional Division (the

forerunner of PESA) with a branch in each State. 1967 Esso/BHP finds Halibut, Kingfish and Dolphin oil fields, Gipplsand Basin,

Victoria. 1967 Woodside finds Golden Beach gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1967 Woodside drills Ashmore Reef No.1 — first well on North West Shelf Acreage. 1968 Esso/BHP finds Perch oil, Tuna oil/gas, Snapper gas and Flounder oil fields,

Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1968 Woodside’s Legendre No.1 well finds first hydrocarbons (oil) on North West

Shelf. 1968 Phillips’ Pasca No.1 finds gas in gulf of Papua. 1968 Esso/BHP strike fixed price arrangement with Australian Government for Bass

Strait crude production. 1968 Joint Federal-State legislations for jurisdiction of continental shelf regions. 1969 Esso/BHP finds Mackerel oil and Bream oil/gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1969 Aquitaine group’s Petrel No.1 wildcat in Bonaparte Gulf finds gas with

spectacular blowout. 1969 Delhi group finds Toolachee gas field in Cooper Basin, South Australia. 1970 AAR finds Rolleston gas field in Bowen Basin, Queensland. 1970 Hartogen drilling confirms Kincora as commercial gas field in Surat Basin,

Queensland. 1970 Cooper Basin discoveries at Merrimelia (gas), Strzelecki (gas), Della (gas), and

Tirrawarra (oil), all in South Australia. Early 1970s Introduction of LANDSAT photo imagery and seismic stratigraphy to

geological survey work. 1971 Cooper Basin of South Australia discoveries Big Lake (gas), Moorari (oil), and

Fly Lake (oil). 1971 Woodside North West Shelf gas/condensate discoveries — Scott Reef, North

Rankin and Goodwyn, Western Australia. 1971 Aquitaine finds Tern gas field in Bonaparte Gulf, Western Australia. 1972 Five more Cooper Basin gas discoveries at Brumby, Brolga, Epsilon, Burke and

Dullingari. 1972 Aquitaine finds Puffin oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory. 1972 Essoo/BHP find Cobia field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1972 Woodside find Angel gas/condensate field, North West Shelf, Western Australia.

1973 Petroleum Search Subsidy scheme terminated. 1974 APEA Professional Division becomes an independent, but still affilitiated body

and is renamed the Petroleum Exploration Association of Australia (PESA). 1974 Barrier Reef Royal Commission report bans further drilling on Great Barrier

Reef, Queensland. 1974 Bridge Oil finds Silver Springs gas/condensate field, Surat Basin, Queensland. 1974 Drillship Regional Endeavour launched in New South Wales. 1975 Papua New Guinea gains Independence. 1975 Federal Government introduces world parity pricing for Australian crude oil. 1976 Semisubmersible Ocean Endeavour launched in Western Australia. 1976 Namur gas field in South Australia is first find in Eromanga Basin. 1976 Semisubmesible Southern Cross launched in Queensland. 1976 Bridge Oil finds Boxleigh gas/condensate field, Surat Basin, Queensland. 1977 Gazettal of deep-water Exmouth Plateau permits off Western Australia. 1977 APEA draws up pioneering Code of Environmental Practice. 1978 Esso/BHP finds Seahorse and Fortescue oil fields, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1978 Delhi/SANTOS group finds first commercial Eromanga oil at Strzelecki and

Dullingari North fields, South Australia. 1978 Gulf Oil farms into APC’s Papua New Guinea highland permits. 1979 Successful Palm Valley and Mereenie field development negotiations represent

significant advance in Aboriginal relations. 1979 Beach Petroleum finds North Paaratte gas field in Otway Basin, Victoria. 1979 Surat Basin discoveries: Thomby Creek (oil) and Beldene (gas), Queensland. 1980 Western Australian Government and Amax Petroleum confront Aborigines in

land rights claim at Noonkanbah Station in the Kimberleys over Fitzroy River No.1 well.

1980 Perth Basin discoveries Mt Horner (oil) and Woodada (gas), Western Australia. 1980 Esso/BHP finds Scarborough gas field, Exmouth Plateau, Western Australia. 1981 Denison Trough gas discoveries: Merivale, Punchbowl Gully, Yellowbank and

Springvale, Queensland. 1981 Esso/BHP find Tarwhine oil field in Gippsland Basin Victoria. 1981 Western Australian finds include Gorgon gas (offshore Carnarvon Basin), Blina

oil (onshore Canning Basin) and Tubridgi gas (onshore Carnarvon Basin), plus Goodwyn No.6 well finds oil leg.

1981 Delhi/SANTOS group finds Jackson oil field, Eromanga Basin, Queensland. 1981 BHPP group finds Riverslea oil field, Surat Basin, Queensland. 1981 — 82 Queensland Eromanga Basin finds include Gunna (oil), Chookoo (gas),

Nockatunga (oil), Tinpilla (oil), Thungo (oil). 1982 Queenland Surat Basin oil finds include Yellowbank Creek, Borah Creek, Sandy

Creek and Waratah. 1982 Mesa finds South Pepper oil field, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. 1982 Home Energy group finds Sundown oil field, Canning Basin, Western Australia. 1983 Western Australian offshore finds include North Herald, Chervil and

Harriet/Lenita (oil) and Wilcox (gas/condensate). 1983 Hartogen group finds Tintaburra oil field, Eromanga Basin, Queensland. 1983 BHPP group finds Jabiru oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory. 1983 Niugini Gulf group finds oil shows at Mananda in Papua New Guinea — first oil

in the highlands region. 1983 Esso/BHP finds Whiting oil field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1984 Niugini Gulf group finds Juha gas/condensate field, Papua New Guinea.

1984 BHPP group finds Challis oil field, Timor Sea, Northern Territory. 1984 — 85 Queensland Eromanga Basin Oil, discoveries include Bodalla South,

Kenmore and Talgaberry. 1985 WAPET finds Saladin oil field, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. 1985 Resource Rent Tax introduced to offshore ‘greenfield’ areas. 1985 — 86 Queensland Surat Basin finds include Fairymount, Louise and Taylor oil

fields. 1986 Esso/BHP/Shell group finds Kipper gas field, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. 1986 Niugini Gulf group finds Iagifu oil field, Papua New Guinea. 1986 World price of oil crashes to below $US10 per barrel. 1986 Bass Strait oil production begins its decline. 1987 Stock market crash affects all Australian listed explorers. 1988 Free market introduced for Australian crude oil marketing. 1988 Delhi/SANTOS group finds oil at Sturt and Tantanna, Eromanga Basin, South

Australia. 1988 BHP Petroleum finds oil at Skua, Timor Sea. 1988 Ultramar group finds gas Katnook, Otway Basin, South Austalia. 1988 Chevron Niugini (Gulf) group finds Hedinia oil field in Papua New Guinea. 1988 International Petroleum group finds Pandora gas field in Papuan Gulf. 1989 Woodside finds Wanaea oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia. 1989 Chevron Niugini group finds Agogo oil/gas field in Papua New Guinea. 1989 Government calls submissions for complete review of oil taxation. 1989 Australia and Indonesia sign Timor Gap Treaty to allow exploration in newly

created joint development zone in Timor Sea. 1989 BHPP brings Challis oil field on stream in Timor Sea. 1989 Wapet brings Saladin oil field on stream in Carnarvon Basin off Western

Australia 1989 Wapet finds Cowle oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1989 Esso/BHPP find Blackback oil field in Bass Strait 1990 Woodside finds Cossack oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia. 1990 SANTOS group finds oil at Talbot in Timor Sea. 1990 BHP Petroleum finds Griffin oil field, North West Shelf, Western Australia. 1990 Barrack Energy (now Arrow Petroleum) finds oil at North Yardonogo and gas at

Beharra Springs, Perth Basin, Western Australia. 1990 Federal Government extends Resource Rent Tax regime to all Bass Strait oil and

gas production with effect from July 1990. Government also extends RRT deductibility to all offshore areas within the

regime. 1990 SANTOS group finds oil at Malgoona, Cooper/Eromanga Basin, South

Australia. 1990 Denison Trough gas fields come on stream to Brisbane. 1990 Santos finds Bowen and Rheims oil fields in south west Queensland, Callabonna

oil field and Moolalla and Caraka gas fields in South Australia. 1990 Sumitomo begins feasibility study into Darwin LNG plant. 1990 Hadson finds Sinbad gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1990 Queensland State-owned gas pipeline from Surat to Gladstone comes on stream. 1990 Mitsubishi Group buys Marlin Petroleum's stake in Kutubu Project fields in

Papua New Guinea. 1990 Oil Company of Australia buys Hartogen Energy's Surat Basin oil and gas

interests.

1990 Woodside finds Yodel gas/condensate field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia.

1990 Federal Government puts Moomba-Sydney gas line up for sale with AGL having first right of refusal.

1990 BHPP finds oil in Tahbilk prospect in Timor Sea. 1990 Australian Government extends its territorial sea from 3 nautical miles to 12

nautical miles offshore. 1991 Ampolex finds Wandoo oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1991 Establishment of Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre in Geelong, Victoria for oil

spill response and training. 1991 First exploration permits awarded in new Zone of Cooperation (Timor Gap)

between Australia and Indonesia. 1991 Portugal mounts International Court of Justice action against Australia over

validity of Timor Gap Treaty. 1991 Command Petroleum group finds South East Gobe oil field in Papua New

Guinea. 1991 Wapet brings Yammaderry oil field on stream offshore Western Australia. 1991 Santos discovers Patroclus oil field in south west Queensland and Keleary oil

field in South Australia. 1991 Lasmo finds oil at Leatherback prospect near Exmouth Gulf in Carnarvon Basin

off Western Australia. 1991 Doral/Pan Pacific bring Tubridgi gas field on stream onshore Carnarvon Basin,

Western Australia. 1991 Chevron Niugini Group finds P'Nyang gas field in Papua New Guinea. 1991 Federal Government announces intention to deregulate interstate gas trade. 1992 BHPP gains approval to construct a pilot methanol plant at Werribee near

Melbourne based on Bass Strait gas. 1992 Santos loads its 400th shipment of Cooper Basin crude oil from Port Bonython

terminal, South Australia. 1992 Santos secures contract to supply 300 petajoules of gas from south west

Queensland fields to South Australia over 10 years beginning January 1994. 1992 First shipment of oil from Kutubu development in Papua New Guinea. 1992 Harriet field gas comes on stream into Western Australian domestic grid. 1992 Esso/BHPP's Kingfish field in Bass Strait produces its one billionth barrel of oil. 1992 Marathon spuds Hydra 1 wildcat the first well in the new Timor Gap permits. 1992 MoonieBrisbane pipeline carries its 100 millionth barrel of oil. 1992 BHPP's Skua oil field comes on stream in Timor Sea. 1992 Sagasco's Beharra Springs gas plant in Perth Basin of Western Australia comes

on stream. 1992 Esso/BHPP discover oil at Moonfish prospect in Bass Strait. 1992 Marathon abandons Talisman oil field off Western Australia the first significant

decommissioning of offshore facilities. 1992 Federal Government changes name of Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) to

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) and creates the separate Bureau of Resource Sciences (BRS) from former BMR's minerals assessment section and former Bureau of Rural Resources (BRR).

1992 Santos finds Farina gas/condensate field in South Australia. 1992 Western Mining Corporation finds oil in Maitland prospect in Carnarvon Basin

off Western Australia. 1992 Woodside group brings third LNG train on stream for the North West Shelf gas

project on Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia. 1992 Stirling Resources finds gas in Point Torment prospect in Canning Basin onshore

Western Australia. 1992 Santos acquires upstream oil and gas interests of AGL. 1992 Mabo land rights claim upheld in Australian High Court. 1993 Western Mining Corporation finds East Spar gas field in Carnarvon Basin off

Western Australia. 1993 Hadson Energy discovers Stag oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western

Australia. 1993 Wandoo oil field comes on stream off Western Australia. 1993 BHPP finds Minerva gas field in Otway Basin offshore western Victoria and

West Muiron gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1993 Independent Scientific Review of reports Australia's offshore petroleum industry

is environmentally sound. 1993 Cultus Petroleum buys Esso's interests in Timor Sea. 1993 Boral wins takeover battle for Sagasco Holdings. 1993 Wapet finds oil at Australind prospect in Carnarvon Basin. 1994 BHPP brings Griffin oil field on stream off Western Australia. 1994 Petroz finds Elang oil field in Timor Gap. 1994 Boral finds gas at Wynn prospect in Otway Basin onshore South Australia. 1994 APEA moves its secretariat from Sydney to Canberra. 1994 Wapet discovers Crest oil field near Thevenard Island in Carnarvon Basin off

Western Australia. 1994 Bridge Oil finds Link gas field in Surat Basin Queensland. 1994 Western Mining Corporation wins Federal Court decision over WMC's challenge

to compulsory acquisition without compensation of its 1970s Timor Gap area oil exploration permit

1994 Installation of Woodside group's Goodwyn A production platform finally completed 12 months behind schedule after mechanical problems with foundation piles.

1994 Wapet brings Roller and Skate oil/gas fields on stream off Western Australia. 1994 Boral finds Haselgrove gas field in Otway Basin onshore South Australia. 1994 AGL group completes purchase of Moomba-Sydney gas pipeline. 1994 MIM finds Bunya gas field in Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland. 1994 Santos finds Iliad oil field in south west Queensland and Allambi gas/condensate

field in South Australia. 1994 Santos signs deal to supply Cooper Basin ethane to ICI in Sydney. 1994 Woodside finds Laminaria oil field in Timor Sea. 1994 MIM finds Cocos gas field in Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland. 1995 Wapet finds Chrysaor gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1995 BHPP finds Kakatua oil field in Timor Gap. 1995 Woodside group signs new price agreement with Japanese LNG buyers in a five

year deal backdated to April 1994. 1995 Woodside brings Goodwyn gas/condensate field on stream as part of North West

Shelf gas project. 1995 Phillips Petroleum finds Bayu gas/condensate field in Timor Gap. 1995 BHPP finds Elang West field in Timor Gap. 1995 Woodside finds Perseus gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1995 OCA finds Thylungra gas/condensate field in Cooper/Eromanga Basin of south

west Queensland.

1995 BHPP's methanol pilot plant at Werribee in Victoria comes on stream. 1995 BHPP and Westcoast Energy announce preferred route along east coast for gas

pipeline between Bass Strait and Sydney. 1995 Esso/BHPP find small Gudgeon oil field in Bass Strait. 1995 Tenneco Gas buys Pipelines Authority of South Australia (PASA) to gain control

of Cooper Basin to Adelaide pipeline. 1995 Santos finds Tallerangie oil field in South Australia. 1995 APEA opens secretariat branch office in Perth. 1995 International Court in The Hague upholds validity of Australia's Timor Gap

Treaty with Indonesia by ruling against a challenge from Portugal. 1995 IOL finds Inland oil field in Eromanga Basin of south west Queensland. 1995 BHPP finds Undan gas/condensate field in Timor Gap indicating it is on the

same structure as Phillips Petroleum's Bayu adjacent field. 1995 Ampolex finds Wonnich oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1995 Boral buys Doral's interest in Tubridgi gas field in Western Australia. 1995 Apache Energy finds Wonnich gas field in Carnarvon Basin off Western

Australia. 1995 Victorian Government sells GFE Resources to Cultus Petroleum as part of

privatisation moves. 1995 APEA changes name to Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration

Association (APPEA) 1995 Woodside unveils plant for $5 billion expansion of facilities on Burrup

Peninsula, Western Australia to double LNG production. 1995 Santos secures contract to supply south west Queensland gas to Brisbane buyers. 1995 Esso/BHPP find oil leg under Turrum gas field in Bass Strait. 1995 Woodside sells 500th cargo of LNG to Japan and brings its new LPG production

facilities on the Burrup Peninsula on stream. 1995 Amity Oil finds Waggon Creek gas field in onshore Bonaparte Basin, Western

Australia. 1995 Woodside brings Wanaea/Cossack fields on stream off Western Australia. 1995 Woodside finds Corallina oil field in Timor Sea. 1995 Santos finds Plantago and Pennie gas fields in South Australia. 1996 Chevron Niugini finds Makas and Paua gas fields in Papua New Guinea. 1996 Woodside finds a new oil field with Lambert 2 appraisal that is separate from

1970s Lambert 1 discovery. 1996 Queensland Government selects Pacific Gas Transmission Company as the

preferred bidder for the State's Surat to Rockhampton gas pipeline. 1996 Discovery Petroleum finds Wye gas field onshore Perth Basin in Western

Australia. 1996 Cultus Petroleum finds Skull Creek gas field in Otway Basin onshore Victoria. 1996 Mobil Oil clinches takeover of Ampolex for $1.8 billion. 1996 BHPP finds oil in Jahal prospect in Timor Sea. 1996 Woodside gives green light for development of the Laminaria/Corallina oil fields

in Timor Sea. 1996 Novus finds Agincourt oil field in Carnarvon Basin off Western Australia. 1996 Goldfields pipeline from Carnarvon Basin fields to Kalgoorlie/Kambalda via the

Pilbara comes on stream. 1996 ICI's Moomba Sydney ethane pipeline comes on stream. 1996 The concrete base for Ampolex's Wandoo platform is floated out from Bunbury

fabrication site and up to the field location.

1996 Apache Energy gives green light for development of Stag oil field off Western Australia.

1996 BHP brings its coal bed methane project at Moura coal mine in Queensland on stream.

1996 Chevron Niugini finds Moran oil field in Papua New Guinea. 1996 Santos signs contract to supply up to 375 petajoules of south west Queensland

gas to MIM Holdings to power Mt Isa. 1996 Santos finds Chiron gas field in south west Queensland. 1996 Western Mining (WMC) decides to sell out of the oil and gas business. 1996 Santos buys virtually the whole of MIM Holding's petroleum interests in

Australia and Papua New Guinea. 1996 Esso/BHPP's Bream B and West Tuna field concrete gravity base platforms

installed in Bass Strait after tow from Port Kembla construction site. 1996 BHPP finds Buffalo oil field in Timor Sea. 1996 International Petroleum Corporation and Chevron Asiatic groups join forces to

plan a major gas pipeline link between Papua New Guinea and Queensland. 1996 BHPP gives green light to Elang/Kakatua oil field development in Timor Gap. 1996 Esso/BHPPreach agreement resolving petroleum resource rent tax dispute over

Bass Strait gas production. 1996 East Spar gas field comes on stream in Western Australia. 1996 Conoco brings its Bowen Basin coal bed methane project on stream with

deliveries via pipeline to Gas Corporation of Queensland. 1996 UK firm Premier Oil takes over Discovery Petroleum. 1996 UK firm Cairn Energy takes over Command Petroleum. 1996 Shell finds Cornea oil field in Browse Basin off Western Australia. 1996 BHPP finds Kakatua North oil field in Timor Gap. 1996 Wapet finds Dionysus gas field near Gorgon in Carnarvon Basin off Western

Australia.