Australia awards 12 offshore permits

Offshore staff

CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia has awarded 12 offshore exploration permits on winning bids exceeding $270 million.

The winning bids were as follows:

• One permit to Shell Development (Australia) Pty. Ltd. and Chevron Australia Pty. Ltd., in the Carnarvon basin off Western Australia, near Scarborough gas field;


• Two permits to Octanex NL and Strata Resources NL, in the Southern Exmouth sub-basin, southwest of the Enfield oil production area;


• One permit to Oilex NL, Gujarat State Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Videocon Industries Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd., and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Litd, in deepwater in the Northern Exmouth plateau;


• One permit to Gascorp Australia Ltd., in the Outer Exmouth plateau in a deepwater extension of Australia's major hydrocarbon producing basin;


• One permit in the Northern Exmouth plateau, northwest of the Mutineer/Exeter oil field, to Cue Exploration Pty. Ltd.;


• One permit to Gascorp Australia Ltd., in the Northern Exmouth plateau, northeast of the Janz/Io gas discovery;


• Two permits to Westralian Petroleum Ltdd., Lempika Pty. Ltd., and Emphazise Pty. Ltd., within a proven petroleum system in the Perth basin off Western Australia;


• One permit to Exoil Ltd., Gascorp Australia Litd., Moby Oil and Gas Ltd., and National Energy Pty. Ltd., in the Otway basin off South Australia; and


• Two permits to Oil and Gas Pty. Ltd., Australian Natural Gas Pty. Ltd., and Nations Natural Gas Pty. Ltd., in the Bonaparte basin off the Northern Territory.