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ARRC Australian Resources Research Centre University of Technology ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08

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Page 1: ANNUALREPORT - ARRC

ARRC Australian Resources Research Centre

University of Technology

ANNUAL REPORT2007-08

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� ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

ARRC, a state-of-the-art technology hub, bringing together research institutions, universities, industry and government to deliver innovative solutions for the petroleum and minerals sector.

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�ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

CONTENTS

FOREWORD 4

CHAIRMAN’SREPORT 5

GENERALHIGHLIGHTS 7

RESEARCHHIGHLIGHTS- 15

Mineral Exploration 15

Petroleum Exploration & Production 20

Environment 24

Exploration Geophysics 26

Petroleum Engineering 27

National Measurement Institute 28CLIENTS �0

AWARDSANDRECOGNITION ��

OUTREACHANDENGAGEMENTS �7

FINANCIALREPORT 40

ARRCMETRICS 4�

ARRCADVISORYCOMMITTEE 44

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4 ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

The Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC) is a major initiative of the Western Australian State Government, CSIRO and Curtin University of Technology, developed in conjunction with the petroleum and mining industries.

ARRC’s research capacity continues to grow as the Centre continues to host and expand its pool of leading researchers from CSIRO’s Petroleum Resources and Exploration and Mining Divisions, Curtin’s Departments of Exploration Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering as well as from industry and other government research collaborators.

The location of this leading global research institution in Western Australia is fitting, given that the State produces two-thirds of Australia’s non-fuel minerals and about half of its petroleum.

Western Australia is one of the great mineral provinces of the world and our thriving resources sector continues to drive the Australian economy.

Record levels of mineral and petroleum exploration expenditure were experienced in 2007-08, resulting in Western Australia attracting 51 per cent of all mineral exploration expenditure and 72 per cent of all petroleum exploration expenditure in Australia.

The mineral and petroleum sectors remain the pillars of Western Australia’s economy, with quantity and value rising by 9.14 per cent to reach $58.6 billion in 2007-08.

Many exciting research projects were initiated at ARRC in 2007-08, some of which are highlighted in this Annual Report.

Additional funding boosted research into the development of CSIRO gas-to-liquids technology. This important research is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to Australia, improving the financial viability of converting natural gas into liquid fuels, thus reducing our dependency on imported oil.

A new flow loop was commissioned by CSIRO at ARRC in 2008 to help researchers improve understanding of the design and operation of offshore oil and gas production pipelines. Australia’s top universities also began work with CSIRO during the year to improve pipeline technology to help unlock Australia’s stranded offshore oil and gas resources. It is thought that improved pipeline performance will eventually enable platform-free fields to replace traditional oil and gas facilities.

Several collaborative research projects progressed at ARRC in 2007-08. During the year, CSIRO entered a strategic alliance with the national petroleum company of Malaysia, PETRONAS Group, formalising a long standing collaborative relationship and facilitating further cooperative research into petroleum exploration and production, as well as advanced materials, clean coal technology and renewable energy.

These examples are only a small fraction of the research that is taking place at ARRC to enhance the effectiveness of petroleum and mineral exploration and extraction in Western Australia and around the world.

Demand for new petroleum and mineral exploration and extraction technologies continues to grow. With access to a vast global research network, scientists at ARRC can interact, exchange information and explore new ideas in partnership with industry and research collaborators to ensure the ongoing sustainability of our resources industry, our environment and our way of life.

ARRC research is meeting industry expectations, providing greater efficiencies and increasing environmental and safety standards.

The broad leadership presence at ARRC is helping to make the Centre an internationally-recognised focal point for research and development in Australia. I congratulate all of the staff at ARRC for their efforts in lifting the research profile of Western Australia and on delivering outcomes that will greatly benefit the industry in general.

TheHonNormanMooreMLC Minister for Mines and Petroleum

FOREWORD

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5ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

It has been another year of tremendous growth and accomplishment for ARRC. As the mining and resources sector continues to expand, so too does the wealth of skills and expertise at ARRC. The 2007-08 financial year saw a large intake of science recruits, drawing in professionals from around the world to create a unique international community with global networks.

As a technology hub and representing a successful integration of university, government and industry, ARRC attracts high profile visitors to the centre on a regular basis, including the President of China, Hu Jintao, last year. These visits are testimony to ARRC’s international reputation as a source of innovative research and leading edge technologies in the petroleum geosciences and geoengineering areas.

With concerns over global warming and demands for cleaner energy, research at ARRC has delved into more efficient and environmentally sustainable ways to explore and recover energy resources.

Research efforts have been invested in geothermal energy, geological storage of carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and methods for converting natural gas to liquid fuels and chemicals.

2009-10 will see the development of Australia’s largest gas-to-liquids facility at ARRC to improve the efficiency of natural gas recovery and use. Additional efforts are being made to develop technologies enabling the recovery of deep offshore oil and gas reserves that have been previously inaccessible. The hydrates flow loop is another nationally unique facility commissioned this year to enhance research into flow assurance of gas in subsea pipelines.

ARRC is fast proving to be a nucleus for resources in the energy sector, combining expertise with unique state-of-the-art facilities, and providing a model for the integration and collaboration of university, industry and government in research to address the challenges faced nationally.

DavidAgostini Chairman, ARRC Advisory Committee

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

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� ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

Partnering to create impact for industry

GENERAl HIGHlIGHTS

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7ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

ARRChostsChinesePresidentThe co-location of research facilities at ARRC generated great interest from the President of the People’s Republic of China, Hu Jintao, who visited CSIRO’s laboratories at the Centre in September 2007.

The Chinese President and his official party were accompanied by the then Western Australia Premier The Hon. Alan Carpenter as they toured the shared CSIRO and BHP Billiton facilities with CSIRO Chairman Dr John Stocker AO and BHP Billiton CEO Designate Marius Kloppers.

With research co-location currently being pursued in China, President Hu was particularly interested in the co-location of the research facilities of CSIRO, BHP Billiton and Curtin University of Technology.

CSIRO Group Executive for Energy Dr Beverley Ronalds escorted the Chinese President on the research tour, which featured a geomechanics laboratory demonstration of a CSIRO-designed drilling rig aimed at improving the efficiency of drilling ‘hard to drill’ rocks.

The tour also included a 3D presentation on geological modelling of a gold mineralisation process using ARRC’s high-resolution stereo-projection facility.

CSIRO has collaborated with China over the past 32 years on research from agriculture to mining, including clean coal technology and environmental research.

Since the 1980s, over A$24 million has been invested in research projects between CSIRO and more than 170 Chinese organisations. China is the third-highest collaborator of joint publications with CSIRO, with more than 50 students and scientists from China currently working alongside CSIRO staff. G

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CSIROentersstrategicalliancewithPETRONASIn January 2008, CSIRO signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement with the national petroleum company of Malaysia, PETRONAS Group, to formalise the long standing collaborative relationship between the two organisations.

The agreement facilitates continued collaboration between CSIRO and PETRONAS Group on petroleum exploration and production, as well as further cooperative research into advanced materials, clean coal technology and renewable energy.

CSIRO has identified a number of areas for potential collaboration under this new agreement, including training and development opportunities with Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, a wholly owned subsidiary of PETRONAS Group.

Educational partnership opportunities could involve the co-supervision of post-graduate students, sharing of facilities and collaborative research.

PETRONAS Group has so far committed to four new projects, with a number of investment proposals currently under consideration in petroleum exploration and production and polymers research.

The Group is also working with CSIRO’s Energy Transformed National Research Flagship to research clean coal technologies and solar energy, contributing additional investment in alternative energy.

This strategic alliance enhances CSIRO’s collaborative activities with PETRONAS Group and will ensure that large-scale multidisciplinary research can continue to deliver practical, economical, environmental and social benefits to both Australia and Malaysia.

CentreofExcellenceforGeothermalEnergyThe Western Australian Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy was awarded State Government funding in February 2008 to develop low-heat geothermal energy technology in Perth for a clean and cheap energy source.

The Centre will receive a total of $2.3 million over three years under the State Government’s Western Australian Centres of Excellence in Science and Innovation program.

The WA Geothermal Centre of Excellence is a collaborative venture between CSIRO, Curtin University of Technology and The University of Western Australia that aims to make Australia a global leader in geothermal exploration and exploitation.

Sources of geothermal energy have been identified close to population centres in Western Australia. The location of these geothermal hot-spots reduces the potential costs associated with energy transmission, making them well suited for power generation.

Headed by 2005 Premier’s Fellow, Professor Klaus Regenauer-Lieb from CSIRO and UWA, scientists at the WA Geothermal Centre of Excellence will assist Western Australia’s clean energy industry to tap into these geothermal hot-spots to meet the State’s future energy needs.

Geothermal energy is one of the cleanest methods of power generation available. Work being conducted under the Centres of Excellence initiative enhances Australia’s position as a world leader in the development and application of sustainable and emissions-free energy technology.

GENERAl HIGHlIGHTS

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Both the iVEC high computing facility and the AUSCOPE-Grid program based at ARRC are vital to achieving this outcome.

The main scientific challenge for C3DMM is the development of methods that enable accurate mapping of 3D mineral abundances and mineral physicochemistries, as this requires the removal of the complicating effects of vegetation and the regolith from the remote sensing data.

If successful, the resultant 3D mineral volumes of primary rock mineralogy and superimposed metasomatic alteration will be used by researchers from CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship and the Centre for Exploration Targeting to test new methods for analysing mineral systems in Western Australia.

C3DMM researchers are working with government and industry to assess the spectral-mineralogy of sites in Western Australia, using multi-element geochemistry and available geological and geophysical data to better understand the processes of ore formation.

The work of the Centre will empower geoscientists with 3D mineral mapping capabilities to better equip them for the challenges of sustainable exploration and mining, in particular, the recognition of spectral-mineralogical vectors to new mineral deposits.

It is also hoped that this Centre will be the basis for a national initiative taken up by the government geoscience agencies across Australia, leading to the development of a 3D mineral map of the Australian continent.

CentreofExcellencefor�DMineralMappingIn February 2008, the Centre of Excellence for 3D Mineral Mapping (C3DMM) was awarded a share of almost $10 million in State Government funding as one of five new major research facilities in Western Australia.

Under the State’s Centres of Excellence in Science and Innovation program, the C3DMM received $1.5 million to strengthen research and development capabilities in the emerging area of hyperspectral sensing technologies for the resources industry of Western Australia.

Led by Dr Thomas Cudahy and hosted by CSIRO Exploration and Mining at ARRC, C3DMM researchers are integrating surface and sub-surface mineralogy to generate 3D mineral maps (volumes) for selected test sites across Western Australia.

A key outcome of the research is the development of data processing capabilities that can handle large volumes of data and deliver high level products to the public via the web.

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Both Professor Beazley and Mr Carpenter commented on Western Australia’s exciting bid to host the $2 billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio astronomy project, with Professor Beazley stating that WA has the potential to be at the forefront of science.

Curtin Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hacket was met with loud applause when she called for continued support for science educators at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Mr Carpenter used the successful Science Week launch to announce a ten-fold increase to the prize money for the Premier’s Science Awards. The prize pool for these awards now totals $350,000.

Gas-to-liquidsresearchrevsupinPerthReserves of liquid transport fuels are becoming limited with growing demand and the conversion of natural gas to diesel or gasoline is an obvious solution; however, there are significant technological hurdles that must be overcome to establish a viable synfuels industry in Australia.

Research into the development of gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology by the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA) received a boost this financial year with the addition of new equipment and the appointment of new CSIRO staff.

The new equipment gives the facility the flexibility to take gas from a range of feedstocks, including biological feedstocks, coal, solar gas and natural gas, and convert these into liquid products.

Once fully commissioned, the CSIRO facility will be the largest of its kind in Australia. With up to three reactors – two commissioned in the 2008-09 financial year and the third to be commissioned in 2009-10 – the facility will be capable of processing a significant throughput of gas.

CSIRO is using the new GTL rig to investigate and validate the preliminary work of research partner, the University of New

PremierlaunchesNationalScienceWeekatARRCScience and technology took centre stage in August 2007 for National Science Week, which was officially launched in Western Australia at ARRC by the State’s former Premier and Minister for Science and Innovation, the Honourable Alan Carpenter MLA.

The official launch of National Science Week, a formal breakfast banquet, was attended by esteemed guests from Western Australian universities, industry, state government, and education and health sectors.

CSIRO Group Executive of Energy and Chief of CSIRO Petroleum Resources, Dr Beverley Ronalds welcomed guests to ARRC and spoke about the great success the Centre has maintained over the past six years.

Dr Ronalds outlined exciting plans for the future of ARRC, as the Centre’s innovative science and technology projects continue to play a key role in Western Australia’s resources boom.

Other keynote addresses were delivered throughout the morning by Western Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Lyn Beazley, and Curtin University of Technology Vice Chancellor, Professor Jeanette Hacket.

Professor Beazley demonstrated her enthusiasm for science in her address, delivering an inspirational talk on the importance of science in schools.

GENERAl HIGHlIGHTS

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South Wales, which achieved improved product distribution of liquids through a modification of the GTL process.

Research has been focused on improving the efficiency of syngas production (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) from methane, which is the first step in the two-step GTL process. The modified process is more energy efficient than the conventional method of syngas production, known as reforming.

CSIRO has established a highly regarded research team dedicated to improving the economic viability of converting natural gas to more easily transportable liquid fuels and chemicals, and developing technologies that will reduce the cost of gas production, recovery, transportation and processing.

The Federal Government has allocated $A60 million to CSIRO to increase research into alternative fuels. Producing synthetic fuels from gas, coal and biomass has continued to be a key focus for the organisation’s Energy Transformed National Research Flagship, through the additional funding.

CSIRO’s research into gas-to-liquids technology is also a primary objective of the new AusGas initiative. AusGas is a national collaboration of research centres, with industry and government that aims to address the technology challenges facing the Australian gas industry.

Even a small improvement in Australia’s liquid fuel self sufficiency will deliver significant economic benefits to the country, reducing its dependency on expensive imported oil.

CSIROleadershipgroupenhancesARRCWorld-class research was a primary focus at ARRC throughout 2007-08, with strong CSIRO leadership facilitating new initiatives and development efforts in minerals and petroleum exploration, extraction, processing and sustainability research.

CSIRO’s broad leadership is making ARRC an internationally-recognised focal point for research and development in Australia, with many major CSIRO initiatives now led from Perth.

CSIRO leaders at ARRC represent the Energy Group, the National Research Flagships, Minerals Down Under and Wealth from Oceans, and the Divisions of Exploration and Mining and Petroleum Resources.

Through alliances with research and industry organisations, CSIRO Petroleum Resources Chief and Group Executive for Energy, Dr Beverley Ronalds, is facilitating research and development efforts for clean energy, energy security and wealth creation to meet oil and gas resource challenges with technology-based industrial solutions. Newly appointed Deputy Chief, Ms Dale Collins is helping to underpin these efforts with a special focus on Western Australian alliances and operations.

New CSIRO Exploration and Mining Chief, Dr Michael McWilliams is developing effective operational relationships with members of the CSIRO Executive and with other divisional Chiefs and Flagship Directors. With close support from Deputy Chief Dr Steve Harvey, Dr McWilliams is enabling Exploration and Mining leaders to pursue their research goals and better develop the Division’s capabilities.

Highly regarded for his work in wells and subsea technologies, Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship Blue GDP Theme Leader, Dr Edson Nakagawa leads CSIRO’s offshore oil and gas research, focusing on technologies that reduce exploration and production costs for stranded gas in deepwater areas around the world.

Director of the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship, Dr Peter Lilly has established an ongoing dialogue between CSIRO, government, industry and relevant university research groups to identify issues for research and development and to provide direction for the future of the industry.

The broad expertise and strong leadership provided at ARRC by CSIRO has enabled continuation of strategic and pre-commercial research in priority areas of the resources industry.

‘CSIRO’sbroadleadershipismakingARRCaninternationally-

recognisedfocalpointforresearchanddevelopmentinAustralia,withmanyCSIRO

majorinitiativesnowledfromPerth.’

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ARRCatfullcapacitywithnewsciencerecruitsARRC reached full capacity in 2007-08, with the appointment of 20 new science recruits to CSIRO’s Petroleum Resources Division, further increasing the international flavour of the Centre’s research environment.

ARRC’s research capacity has continued to grow since its inception in 2001, providing scientists with unparalleled access to a vast global research network.

ARRC houses a unique international research community, almost two-thirds of CSIRO’s Petroleum Resources Division hailing from outside of Australia, including nearly all of the Division’s newest recruits.

The young and dynamic research community at ARRC has continued to attract bright new talent, with 40 per cent of the science staff at the Centre aged 35 years or younger.

WA:ERA–AyearinreviewThe Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA) significantly progressed its front line projects in 2007, establishing a new standard for industry interaction in Western Australia.

In a push to reduce the environmental impact of gas recovery in Australia, WA:ERA directed the majority of its funding in 2007 into research enabling more efficient recovery and use of natural gas.

Throughout the year, the Alliance conducted significant research into gas-to-liquid technologies, including the optimisation of established techniques and exploration of other techniques such as pyrolysis and cold plasma. Alliance researchers also examined a suite of processes that significantly increase the efficiency of LNG production and could profoundly reduce the production of greenhouse gases.

WA:ERA continued to develop strong working relationships with its industry partners Chevron and Woodside in 2007. These companies have supported the Alliance’s energy research capabilities to address the specific challenges facing Australia’s oil and gas sector.

2007 also saw the reinvigoration of the WA:ERA Education and Training Program, which recognises the potential of collaboration, combining the teaching capabilities of Curtin University of Technology and The University of Western Australia, while reaching out to other organisations across Western Australia.

WA:ERA’s recruitment increased six-fold in 2007, compared to the previous year, to match a similar increase in industry funding.

During the year, the Alliance made preparations for the inception of a number of new projects, including novel floating and subsea structures that could break established norms for field developments.

GENERAl HIGHlIGHTS

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WA:ERA’s major thrust in 2008 will be to focus on natural gas research across a broad range of engineering aspects. The foundation of this research will be gas-to-liquids technology and the development of new technologies to synthesise fuels from Western Australia’s abundant natural gas reserves.

WA:ERA researchers will focus on innovative development to safely optimise the recovery of Western Australia’s remote gas reserves, while safeguarding the natural environment.

ArnoSchaafappointmentfacilitatingAusGasgrowthCSIRO Business Development Operations Manager, Arno Schaaf has been appointed as Business Coordinator for the Australian Gas Centre (AusGas) in 2008 to further drive, coordinate and develop CSIRO’s gas industry engagement.

AusGas is a major CSIRO research and development initiative directed at overcoming technology hurdles and reducing the fragmentation of gas research programs being undertaken across Australia today. Its main hub is at ARRC in Perth.

AusGas aims to run its programs using strong collaborative engagement with other research institutions and industry. AusGas gains from CSIRO’s experience in the Flagship program and WA:ERA, and will operate at a national and regional scale. The organisation draws capability from large, multi-disciplinary teams across state based, national and international institutions to address the complex challenges and opportunities facing the energy sector.

Research programs will focus on the important aspects that underpin scenarios which have the most positive impact for

Australia, such as:

Availability of gas at competitive prices, in sufficient quantities, at the right time, for domestic and export markets.

Timely introduction of cost effective carbon capture and storage technologies for gas as well as coal based operations, including power stations.

Cost effective development and operation of gas processing facilities.

Technologies for the competitive production of transport fuels from gas.

Arno has over 20 years experience in various business development and management roles. His work with virtual teams across various lines of businesses in multi-national organisations and external parties will bring together successful value propositions for clients.

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Delivering great science and innovative solutions for industry, society and the environment.

RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS

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GoldnuggetsrevealtheirrichesA CSIRO study conducted in October 2007 has overturned years of accepted scientific wisdom on the formation of gold nuggets.

It was previously assumed that gold nuggets formed where they were found, either precipitated from fluids or grown from microbial action. However, after analysing the characteristics of nuggets from around Australia, CSIRO researchers determined that they are formed deep underground and at high temperatures.

Researchers examined the external and internal characteristics of more than 30 nuggets, ranging from one gram to more than eight kilograms, from different locations in Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria.

All of the nuggets in the study were found to have a crystalline structure and silver content that indicates they formed at high temperatures.

The study concluded that nuggets originate deep underground and are present near the surface as a result of geological processes and weathering over time.

A better understanding of how gold nuggets form will help explorers decide where to search for gold mineralisation. If nuggets are not formed where they are found, but weathered from gold-rich ore, the original source may still be nearby.

This research was conducted in association with the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration, involving scientists from CSIRO Exploration and Mining and Curtin University of Technology.

With the recent formation of the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship, this gold research will continue with partners in the minerals industry.

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RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Mineral Exploration

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A glass of wine can help find mineral depositsCSIRO Exploration and Mining scientists have found that chemical ingredients found in wine and soft drinks have the ability to dissolve weakly-bound metals into solution.

Research lead by Dr Ryan Noble identified that the chemical composition of wine and soft drinks makes them highly suitable for use as a cheap extraction tool that could be applied to mineral exploration.

Results from the study found that when soil is mixed with wine or soft drink, the weak organic acids in the drinks dissolve some of the metals into solution, which can then be detected in routine laboratory analysis.

The drinks were found to be particularly good for discovering elevated levels of metals such as zinc and copper. In many cases, the comparison of metals extracted using wine and soft drink were superior to those extracted using more expensive conventional solvents.

The scientists tested red wine, although white wine is likely to be just as effective, and a number of popular soft drinks, with diet drinks found to be just as effective as those containing sugar.

This new and unconventional technique was presented to the exploration industry at the 2007 Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environmental and Mineral Exploration Seminar in Perth and the International Applied Geochemistry Symposium in Oviedo, Spain.

NextgenerationmineralmappingAdvanced mineral mapping of large parts of Australia became available to mineral explorers in Queensland in 2007-08, through new methods developed by CSIRO for processing multi-scene remote sensing data from operational sensors, such as the airborne Australian HyMap™ and the satellite-borne Japanese ASTER systems.

CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship Next Generation Mineral Mapping project is developing the capability to extract the mineralogy from hyperspectral data to enable geologists to better understand what they are seeing.

Next Generation Mineral Mapping is designed to empower the exploration industry with mineralogy data and to better equip companies for sustainable exploration and mining.

More than 20 mineral abundance and mineral chemistry maps have been generated based on airborne hyperspectral HyMap™ data covering 25,000 square kilometres over mineralised structures in northern Queensland.

Ten satellite mineral group maps have been created to cover an additional 150,000 square kilometres of the greater Mount Isa region. The mapping is supported by chemical analyses of samples collected during field validation.

RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Mineral Exploration cont.

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These new maps will enable exploration companies to more efficiently evaluate their tenements through improved prospect targeting. The mineral maps also support the development and evaluation of mineral emplacement models, which will lead to greater understanding of mineralisation systems.

CSIRO’s final vision is a mineral map of Australia which, when combined with the HyLogging™ of every drill core’s mineralogy, will provide a 3D mineral map of the continent.

Next Generation Mineral Mapping is the result of scientific collaboration between the Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre and the Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environment and Mineral Exploration, Geoscience Australia, Geological Survey of Queensland, HyVista Corporation and James Cook University.

NewtechniquesforGawlerCratondrilltargetingCollaborative research undertaken in 2007- 08 by CSIRO, the Predictive Mineral Discovery Cooperative Research Centre, Department of Primary Industry and Resources South Australia and Monax Mining has identified new drill targeting techniques for exploration in the extensive Gawler Craton region of South Australia.

Researchers conducted a series of numerical, mechanical deformation-fluid flow simulations to help identify potential sites of high fluid flow associated with Mesoproterozoic copper-gold mineralisation in the Punt Hill region of the eastern Gawler Craton.

The project, conducted at ARRC, was designed to establish criteria for ranking potential copper-gold targets in the eastern Gawler Craton based on fault relationships identified through geophysics.

Researchers examined fluid movement around fault intersections, which may aid in determining lateral proximity to major fluid conduits during exploration drilling.

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The simulations tested several intersections between a series of northwest and northeast-striking faults that are interpreted to form a northwest-trending basin underlain by granites of the Hiltiba Suite and capped by the Gawler Range Volcanics.

Researchers identified that some intersections on the northwest-striking, basin-bounding faults were more likely to localise high fluid flow than others during reactivation under dextral transpression, depending on their geometric relationship.

The research demonstrates that any form of transpressive kinematics on the northwest-trending faults at Punt Hill will localise fluids at fault intersections and within some basin corners, in preference to other regions.

The deformation regime associated with mineralisation at Punt Hill is assumed to be similar to that at the nearby Olympic Dam deposit and equivalent age events in the Central Gawler Gold Province, resulting in dextral transpression on the northwest-trending faults.

‘NextGenerationMineralMappingisdesignedtoempower

theexplorationindustrywithmineralogydataandtobetter

equipcompaniesforsustainableexplorationandmining.’

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‘Theresearchdeliveredimportantresultsforgold

exploration,indicatingthatthemineralsystemsusedtoidentifygolddepositsareconsiderably

largerthanwaspreviouslybelieved.’

Tracing deep fluids in mineral systemsMineral systems researchers have identified new evidence indicating that the gold-bearing fluids responsible for crustal gold deposits originate some 50-300 kilometres below surface, deep in the Earth’s mantle.

Led by CSIRO Exploration and Mining Computational Geosciences Research Group Leader, Dr James Cleverley, the project incorporated research efforts from the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship, James Cook University, Melbourne University and AngloGold Ashanti.

The research project was initiated to identify the origins and specific chemistry of gold-bearing fluids. Researchers aimed to discern which pathways these fluids had travelled to further develop their understanding of how mineral systems operate.

It was traditionally thought that Western Australia’s gold deposits were formed when fluids derived from local rocks were heated and transported, resulting in deposited gold.

RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Mineral Exploration cont.

The collaborative research team used cutting-edge electron and laser microprobe techniques, along with radiogenic Sr isotopes (86Sr/87Sr), to examine the trace element chemistry in apatite, a calcium phosphate mineral, which revealed the source and chemistry of the gold precipitating fluids.

The research delivered important results for gold exploration, indicating that the mineral systems used to identify gold deposits are considerably larger than was previously believed.

GroundwaterpinpointsmineralrichesCSIRO scientists with the Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship are using groundwater to locate gold and other high value resources over a vast area of the northern Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia.

As part of this new project with the WA Geological Survey, Department of Water and Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia, and Geoscience Australia, CSIRO scientists are analysing groundwater samples from this highly prospective region of Western Australia to pinpoint areas for mineral explorers to further investigate.

Also known as hydrogeochemical exploration, groundwater sampling is a new cost-effective technique for locating promising areas of gold, nickel, copper, zinc and uranium mineralisation and has

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‘Groundwatersamplingisanewcost-effectivetechniqueforlocatingpromisingareasofgold,nickel,copper,zincanduraniummineralisationandmappingacrossmany

areasofWA.’

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the potential to enhance mineral exploration and mapping across many areas of Western Australia, especially outside recognised mineralisation belts. This novel technique also has great potential to assist mineral explorers to establish regional environmental backgrounds.

CSIRO is experienced in locating and sampling suitable sites in remote areas, using windmills and bores to access groundwater without drilling at various locations throughout the northern Yilgarn.

CSIRO researchers have developed advanced techniques for obtaining mineral saturation data and other valuable exploration geochemical data.

This project follows closely on the heels of a similar successful hydrogeochemical exploration project along the Leonora-Wiluna belt in 2006.

With more than 25 industry sponsors for the project, Australia’s mineral explorers are confident that this research will point to undiscovered mineral deposits.

CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship aims to deliver technologies and capabilities that will enable Australian mineral explorers to understand the evolution of the continent and to target their exploration efforts with greater effect.

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RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Petroleum Exploration & Production

Gas hydrates flow loop commissioned and launchedA new flow loop commissioned in May 2008 by CSIRO will help researchers to improve the understanding of the design and operation of offshore gas production pipelines with solutions to predict and control gas hydrates formation.

Gas hydrates pose a major risk to offshore oil and gas transportation, blocking flow and interrupting production. In the worst case scenario, these ‘ice-like’ crystals can cause flow lines to burst, leading to costly, time-consuming and potentially dangerous repair operations.

Located at ARRC in Perth, the new flow loop is the only one of its kind in Australia and can simulate gas dominant flows at high pressures and low temperatures – conditions that oil and gas pipelines are subjected to in deep-sea environments. The flow loop is being used to study the conditions leading to gas hydrates formation, growth and transportability.

Researchers will be using the flow loop to test different hydrates inhibitors to analyse how they affect the formation of hydrates under different conditions. Their aim is to develop new materials, such as low dosage hydrates inhibitors, and technologies to substantially reduce the required volumes and costs of these inhibitors.

The flow loop is being used in a flow assurance project that forms part of CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship Platform-Free Fields program. The Flagship’s aim is to better understand the formation of hydrates in gas pipelines and to develop cost effective technologies to avoid flow disruptions.

The project is an international collaboration between the Flagship, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Curtin University of Technology, Institute Francais du Pétrole, the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance and industry.

SubseaPipelineClusterAustralia’s top universities are working together with CSIRO to develop new, safe, economically viable and environmentally sound transportation technologies to help unlock Australia’s stranded offshore oil and gas resources.

Launched in October 2007, the Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship’s A$11 million Collaboration Cluster on Subsea Pipelines (CCSP) unites the research capabilities of The University of Western Australia, Curtin University of Technology, The University of Queensland, Monash University, The University of Sydney, Flinders University and CSIRO.

‘The new hydrates flow loopistheonlyoneofitskindinAustraliaandcan

simulate gas dominant flows athighpressuresandlowtemperatures–conditionsthatoilandgaspipelines

aresubjectedtoindeep-seaenvironments.’

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More than 80 per cent of Australia’s gas resources exist in remote offshore areas, potentially as far as 300 kilometres offshore and at water depths greater than one kilometre. Realising the full potential of these resources requires improved subsea pipeline design.

The collaborative research cluster was formed to improve pipeline technology by harnessing expertise from across Australia. The cluster is undertaking projects to investigate seabed characterisation and morphology, structural integrity, pipeline monitoring, geo-hazards and full-life reliability.

Several factors impact the stability of extra-long pipeline structures, such as the effect of strong currents over a period of decades, shifting seabeds, steep seabed slopes and potential geo-hazards such as submarine landslides.

The cluster’s research program spans the spectrum of pipeline design and will involve everything from sophisticated computer modelling and sea-floor movement prediction, to understanding tsunami effects and exploring the use of autonomous underwater and remotely operated vehicles.

CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship envisions that improved pipeline technology will eventually enable platform-free fields to replace traditional offshore production platforms.

Funding for the cluster comprises a A$3.6 million grant through the Flagship Collaboration Fund and in-kind contributions totalling A$7.4 million from the participating universities.

The Flagship Collaboration Fund enables the skills of the wider Australian research community to be applied to the major national challenges targeted by the National Research Flagship Program.

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‘FundingfortheclustercomprisesaA$�.�milliongrantthroughtheFlagship

CollaborationFundandin-kindcontributionstotallingA$7.4millionfromtheparticipating

universities.’

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‘TheShaleResearchCentreintendstobeaworldwidehub

forclayandshaleresearchinrelationtothepetroleumindustry,deliveryknowledge,

understandingandsolutionsforindustry-relatedproblems

inshales.’shale gas, carbon dioxoide-shale interaction, seal integrity, 4D seismic and seismic imaging. This research has the potential to save the petroleum industry billions of dollars through enhanced understanding and prediction of shale properties.

SHARC, a joint industry project under the auspices of the Shale Research Centre, is currently seeking funding to investigate the links between geomechanical, petrophysical and elastic properties of shales for application to hydrocarbon exploration, development and production scenarios.

CSIRO Petroleum Resources has a long history of working with clay-rich rocks, utilising world-class laboratories to pursue its research on these materials. Current work in the IPETS Consortium (Integrated Predictive Evaluation of Traps and Seals) is investigating the prediction of mechanical properties of shales.

Previous work by researchers now associated with the Centre include an Australian Petroleum CRC abnormal geopressure program, which investigated the experimental and theoretical rock physics basis for the effect of pore pressure on the dynamic elastic response of sandstones and shales. Wellbore stability in shales has also been an extensive line of research over many years.

The Shale Research Centre intends to be a worldwide hub for clay and shale research in relation to the petroleum industry, delivering knowledge, understanding and solutions for industry-related problems in shales.

ShaleResearchCentreThe CSIRO Shale Research Centre was founded in 2008 to conduct experimental and theoretical research to further develop understanding of clay and shale behaviour. The Centre involves a number of CSIRO Divisions and their associated laboratories performing clay and shale characterisation.

Research carried out at the Centre is aimed at critical issues relating to clay-rich sediments and rocks, including wellbore stability, pore pressure prediction,

RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Petroleum Exploration & Production cont.

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‘CSIROhasdevelopedpredictivenumericaltoolstoassessthestabilityof

thewellbore.’

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MeasuringthestrengthandsafetyofoilwellsinhydratebearingsedimentsIn the past, CSIRO Petroleum Resources has developed world leading technology for wellbore stability and drilling fluid optimisation for shale stability. Instability in wellbores is an industry-wide problem, with collapsed holes, sidetrack holes, lost tools and well abandonment affecting oil and gas companies from exploration through to development drilling.

More recently, CSIRO Petroleum Resources researchers Dr Reem Freij-Ayoub and Dr Ben Clennell have been applying their expertise towards understanding the mechanical behavior of hydrate bearing sediments and defining hydrate growth patterns in marine sediments. In this project, CSIRO has developed predictive numerical tools to assess the stability of the wellbore, using coupled mechanical-thermal-fluid-thermodynamic modelling, and the integrity of the conductor/casing when circulating hot fluid through the HBS.

This new innovative model captures the interaction between the rock formations surrounding oil wells, cement and the cement-casing interfaces, enabling wellbore stability to be evaluated in light of in-situ stresses, formation pressure and material properties.

Resulting simulations using the new model demonstrate that the safety factor of the casing is highly dependent on both the quality of the cement and the in-situ horizontal-to-vertical stress ratio.

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RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Environment

OtwayProjectmakesCCSarealityThe Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) has undertaken one of the most innovative greenhouse projects in Australia, taking carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Australia from concept to reality through the geological storage of carbon dioxide at a commercially significant scale in south-western Victoria.

The CO2CRC Otway Project is the first geological carbon dioxide storage project in the southern hemisphere and is one of the few projects currently underway around the world to safely and securely store carbon dioxide.

Geological carbon dioxide storage is a low-emission technology that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal.

CO2CRC’s Otway Project involves compressing and transporting in the vicinity of 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and then sequestering it in a depleted natural gas reservoir two kilometres underground.

The project includes an environmental monitoring program, which both national and international scientists believe to be the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. It was designed, developed and implemented by CO2CRC researchers from Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.

The project demonstrates that CCS has great potential to dramatically reduce carbon emission from major stationary sources in Australia, such as power stations.

CO2CRC’s research and demonstration activities in both the capture and storage of carbon dioxide have put Australia at the forefront of international CCS research, development and deployment.

Research organisations supporting and participating in the CO2CRC Otway Project include CSIRO; Geoscience Australia; the Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and NSW; Curtin University of Technology; Monash University; the Alberta Research Council in Canada; and the US Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. A significant proportion of the research team is based at ARRC.

The Otway Project was also supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, and the WA Department of Industry and Resources. The CO2CRC received financial support for the project through the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program.

CO2CRC’s core industry partners are ACARP, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, BP Australia, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, KIGAM, NZ Resource Consortium, Rio Tinto, Schlumberger, Shell, Foundation for Research Science and Technology (NZ), Solid Energy, Stanwell, Woodside and Xstrata.

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Led by CSIRO Petroleum Resources Scientists Dr Reem Freij-Ayoub and James Underschultz, CSIRO researchers developed a coastal inundation risk map for Victoria’s south-eastern Gippsland coastline.

The study investigated Gippsland hydrodynamic systems, coastal subsidence, extreme wave conditions and sea level predictions and inundation risk mapping over the next 50 years.

The study revealed that there is a relatively small risk of coastal inundation due to subsidence in this area, especially when compared to the risk of water rising from a storm tide or extreme wave event.

In delivering the study, CSIRO researchers considered surface settlement due to aquifer-pressure depletion, as well as predictions relating to extreme storm surges and tide and wave conditions within various climate-change scenarios, such as a global-warming-induced sea-level rise.

The results from the study predict subsidence at specific points along the coastline and include simulations of expected extreme wave heights, storm tides and sea level heights across the Gippsland coast.

The CSIRO research concluded that parts of the Gippsland coastline will be inundated due to the modelled 50-year return storm tide and extreme wave, with the risk of inundation set to increase from the present time to the year 2056. The risk map produced in this study could indicate areas at highest risk of inundation.

GippslandBasinReportIn 2007, scientists with CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship completed a study, entitled “Simulation of coastal subsidence and storm wave inundation risk in the Gippsland Basin”, which investigated the likelihood of coastal waters rising as a result of the gradual sinking of the Gippsland Basin.

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RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS -Exploration Geophysics

CurtinReservoirGeophysicsConsortiumResearch undertaken by the Curtin Reservoir Geophysics Consortium (CRGC) in 2007-08 focused on enhancing geophysical data acquisition, processing and quantitative interpretation to improve petroleum resource exploration across Australia.

The primary function of the CRGC is to conduct geophysical research and develop new technologies to benefit the petroleum industry.

In 2007-08, CRGC researchers addressed problems associated with geophysical imaging in complex heterogeneous reservoirs to deliver enhanced imaging capabilities to industry. This research will enable drilling programs to be better directed, increasing recovery from known reservoirs.

The research was structured around the concept of improved seismic imaging of reservoirs, using methods of signal analysis that enhance the processing of existing data.

Led by CRGC Director and Professor of Petroleum Geophysics at Curtin University of Technology, Boris Gurevich, researchers investigated the potential for understanding the effects of anisotropy using multi-component processing, and obtained comprehensive knowledge of the effects that variations in rock physics have on transmitted and reflected seismic energy.

The CRGC is a partnership between industry and academia and is the first industrial consortium in the southern hemisphere directed at exploration geophysics research. Current CRGC sponsors include ExxonMobil, Chevron, Saudi Aramco, Woodside, Santos, Apache, BHP Billiton and DownUnder Geosolutions.

TimereversalacousticsandphysicalmodellingResearchers at Curtin University of Technology’s Department of Exploration Geophysics have successfully applied methods of time reversed acoustics to enhance seismic imaging in physical modelling of regions that exhibit complex heterogeneity in the subsurface.

Multi-scattering layers such as carbonate reefs, sea-floor limestones, karst topography, near-surface basalts, rugose structures and salt intrusions often occur in areas associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs and present significant problems for conventional reflection seismology.

Led by Associate Professor Bruce Harley and Professor Brian Evans, the Curtin research team aimed to increase the quality of seismic data acquisition by virtually removing the severe scattering and wavefront distortion effects encountered in environments with heterogeneous subsurface.

The researchers used the Virtual Source Method (VSM) as an effective way of imaging beneath the complex overburden environments. The method involves VSM-style acquisition with sources on the surface and receivers in a horizontal line below the heterogeneous scattering overburden.

The project utilised the time reversal principle to create a downward continued dataset with virtual sources at the subsurface receiver locations. The major benefit of this methodology is that it requires no knowledge of the velocity model between the surface sources and subsurface receivers.

The research team concluded that the Virtual Source Method holds great promise for seismic acquisition and physical modelling as it considerably improves the precision of seismic measurements in complex subsurface environments. ‘Theprimaryfunctionof

theCRGCistoconductgeophysicalresearchanddevelopnewtechnologiesto benefit the petroleum

industry’

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Facility and has established linkages with UWA, The University of Adelaide and The University of New South Wales to develop future joint research projects.

During 2009, a new two-year ‘Masters in Engineering Science in Petroleum Engineering’ will provide students with research projects directly linked to industry. The department is currently establishing joint ventures with companies that will allow researchers to work alongside their industry colleagues on real industry problems.

In June 2008, Petroleum Engineering PhD student Charlie Gao had his PhD, entitled ‘Down-hole separation and produced water re-injection’, approved and received an award from the Chinese Embassy in Canberra for his contribution to engineering. PhD student Reza Taheri, whose thesis is entitled ‘Remote sensing, fuzzy logic and GIS in petroleum exploration’, won the SPE Best Postgraduate Student Award at the 2008 Muscat regional conference. These awards demonstrate the calibre of students and the impact of the projects to industry.

‘ThenewinitiativewillenableCurtinUniversityofTechnologyandTheUniversityofWesternAustraliastudentstoattendthesameclasses,regardless

oflocation.’

RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - Petroleum Engineering

CurtinPetroleumEngineeringSeveral new initiatives undertaken within the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Curtin University of Technology during 2007-08 will see major changes implemented from 2009 onward, delivering a technological edge and increased research capabilities.

Upgrades to the ARRC auditorium, delivered in 2007-08 with funding from iVEC and the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance, will enable Curtin to embark on a collaborative co-teaching initiative with The University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2009.

Cameras and microphones have been installed throughout the ARRC auditorium to facilitate the new co-teaching collaboration. The initiative will use Tele-teaching over the web ACCESS grid to enable Curtin and UWA students to attend the same classes, regardless of their location.

Curtin’s Petroleum Engineering Department will expand its research profile in 2009 and beyond to increase its research capabilities.

A new teaching lab will be constructed in 2009, along with two new research labs focused on geomechanics and wellbore fluid dynamics. The department’s three-phase core flooding laboratory will also be modified to enable sonic and resistivity data recording while flooding at high pressure, high temperature conditions.

Petroleum Engineering has already commenced weekly seminars with the Woodside Research

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RESEARCH HIGHlIGHTS - National Measurement Institute

ResearchforanenvironmentallyfriendlypetroleumindustryThe National Measurement Institute (NMI) is working in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Biology at Curtin University of Technology to develop environmentally friendly drilling muds for use in the oil and gas industry.

NMI researchers are focused on validating the effectiveness of the Closed Bottle Biodegradation Test in Australian conditions. Their research has identified that the quantities of drilling fluids used is significant in terms of environmental impact.

This project will assist the petroleum industry to improve the monitoring of drilling fluid biodegradation in drilling on the North West Shelf of Australia.

Acid sulphate soil profiling in WA soilsNMI, in collaboration with the Western Australian Department of Water, delivered a trial project in 2007-08 examining the leachability of a number of Acid Sulphate Soil (ASS) types currently found in Western Australia.

ASS is the common name given to soils and sediments containing iron sulfides, the most common being pyrite. Potential ASS are soils containing iron sulphides that have the potential to produce sulphuric

acid if drained or excavated, often releasing toxic quantities of iron, aluminium and heavy metals. This can have major environmental, health, engineering, and economic effects.

ASS are a major problem for development in Western Australia. The aim of the NMI trial project was to determine the effect of acid drainage on trace metal mobility in the Swan Coastal Plain.

Results from the trial project are being used to create a database of heavy metals leaching from ASS in the Swan Coastal Plain to assist with the future remediation and development of this land.

The findings of the trial have been presented at various technical working group meetings and are currently being assessed by researchers prior to publication.

Treatedwaste-waterfordrinkingpurposesNMI continued to work with the Western Australian Water Corporation and various other agencies in 2007-08 on a Premier’s Collaborative Research Project investigating the possible use of recycled water for drinking purposes.

The project involves characterising waste-water that has been treated by reverse osmosis and injected into the depleted aquifer of the Gnangara Mound.

Purified samples from an experimental reverse osmosis unit and membrane installed at the Water Corporation’s Beenyup Treatment Plant were tested during the period, along with samples from the Kwinana and Subiaco Treatment Plants, for the presence of any chemicals of concern.

As the Quality Manager for the project, NMI provided support in method development, validation, measurement uncertainty, and quality assurance and control.

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‘NMI’sWAstaffhaveconductedground-breaking

researchintheanalysisoffreshandseawater

combinations’

BringingnewcapabilitiesandmethodologiestoARRCNMI is experienced in the efficient development and validation of methodology prior to accreditation to international standards by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA). NMI’s Western Australian staff developed several new capabilities during 2007-08.

Throughout the year, NMI’s WA staff conducted ground-breaking research in the analysis of fresh and sea water combinations for the determination of total organic carbon and nutrients. The necessity for this analysis was made apparent when methodologies supplied by major instrument manufacturers in the US and Germany were found to be deficient for analysing fresh and sea water samples that were co-mixed.

Following advice from the American Water Works Association that it will shortly require the US Environmental Protection Agency to issue a regulation for perchlorate, NMI staff developed new capabilities in the analysis of low level perchlorate in water.

Institute staff also conducted an analysis of low level polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental soils and waters during the period, building their expertise in this area.

NMI staff developed further capabilities that minimise environmental impacts, such as proficiency in the replacement of mercury catalysts in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) determinations.

Other innovative techniques developed by NMI in the past year include inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques for low level metals analysis in the environment and high performance liquid chromatographic techniques for the determination of low level (0.5 µg/L) chlorophyll and phaeophytin in marine and other waters.

In 2007-08, NMI’s WA team also developed a new methodology for analysis of chlorite in seaweed polyps. This analysis provides a unique facility within Australia to measure and mitigate the impact of pulp mills and bleaching plants on the environment.

NMI’s efforts have ensured the availability of robust, accurate and precise methodologies for highly variable Australian sample matrices that can be adopted globally.

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Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)

Adelaide Resources

Alkane Resources

Anglo American Exploration (Australia)

Australian Scientific Instruments

Baker Hughes

Barrick Gold Corporation

BHP Billiton

Cameco Corporation

Chevron

Codelco

Corelab (Indonesia and United Kingdom)

Cia Vale do Rio Doce (Brazil)

De Beers

Department of Industry and Resources, Western Australia

Department of Mineral Resources, New South Wales

Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

ENI Australia

Falconbridge

Fugro Robertson (United Kingdom)

Geolnformatics

Geological Survey of Western Australia

Geoscience Australia

Goldfields

GNS Science (New Zealand)

Halcyon Resources

Helix Resources

Heron Resources

Independence Group

Icon Technologies

Institut Francaise du Petrole (IFP)

Inco Technical Services

INPEX

InterMet Resources

InterOil

Jabiru Metals

Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)

Japan Vietnam Petroleum Company (JVPC)

ClIENTS

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Johnson Matthey

Kerr-McGee

Leviathan Resources

LionOre Australia

Magellan Metals

Minara Resources

Mincor

Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia (MERIWA)

Minotaur Exploration

Multiplex

Murphy Oil

Nautilus Minerals

Neptune Resources

Newmont Australia

Northparkes

Oil Search

Oolithica (United Kingdom)

Origin

Patterson Instruments

Pilbara Iron

Placer Dome

PETROBRAS

PETRONAS

Petronas Research Sdn Bdh (PRSB)

PT Caltex

Regis Resources

Rio Tinto

ROC Oil

Santos

Schlumberger

SGS Minerals

Shell

Southern Gold

Stellar Resources

Sumitomo Metal Mining

Teck Cominco

Tethyan Copper

TOTAL

WMC Resources

Woodside Energy

Xstrata

Zinifex

CLIE

NTS

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Dedicated multi-disciplinary experts committed to achieving excellence in research.

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This technology could benefit the Australian resources industry by collecting real-time geochemical data in a safer way from sites that are isolated or in hazardous locations.

There is great potential for US-Australian collaboration in developing exploration technologies that would benefit both Australia’s minerals industry and planetary exploration, as demonstrated by the cooperative efforts of CSIRO, NASA and NASA-associated institutions such as LANL.

DrPeterLillyelectedtoATSELeading CSIRO engineer, Dr Peter Lilly was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) in November 2007.

ATSE is an independent, non-government organisation dedicated to the promotion and practical application of scientific and engineering knowledge in Australia. Each year scientists, judged by their peers to have made an exceptional contribution to knowledge in their field, are elected as Fellows of the Academy.

Dr Lilly’s election acknowledges his outstanding contributions to Australia’s minerals sector through scientific research, research management, tertiary education, engineering consultancies and service to professional associations.

As Director of the CSIRO Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship, Dr Lilly has worked to establish an ongoing dialogue between CSIRO, government, industry and relevant research groups to identify issues for research and development and to provide direction for the future of the industry.

Dr Lilly is internationally recognised for his expertise in the fields of geotechnical risk analysis, rock slope engineering, excavation and blast engineering, and mine planning and design.

EXTERNALAWARDS

BrentMcInnes–FulbrightvisitoutcomesDr Brent McInnes, a Chief Research Scientist with CSIRO Exploration and Mining, received the 2007 Fulbright Professional Business/Industry Scholarship, which allowed him to spend three months working with instrument scientists and engineers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland.

Dr McInnes’ visit highlights the value that both Australia and NASA could gain from sharing technologies in a mutually beneficial partnership. Dr McInnes led the CSIRO team that developed the AlphachronTM (U-Th)/He geochronology instrument, technology that can provide an insight into when liquid water, and potentially life, was present on the surface of Mars.

CSIRO’s AlphachronTM technology has been used to determine the age of iron oxide minerals in laterite and iron ore deposits in Australia. As these minerals are also prevalent on Mars, it is possible that a miniaturised version of the instrument could be used to date Martian minerals.

NASA technology developed for the upcoming 2009 Mars Science Laboratory Mission also has mining industry applications. Dr McInnes also spent time at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, where a ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument is being developed for the Mars Science Laboratory.

CSIRO and LANL are currently discussing the opportunity to trial ChemCam technology to conduct remote geochemical analysis on mine sites in Western Australia.

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‘TheAlphachronTMinstrumentisthe first automated, integrated and

compactturnkeythermochronmetricsystemtobecomecommercially

available’

AlphachronTMtechnologyreceivesServicefromScienceAward

CSIRO’s AlphachronTM Instrument Commercialisation Team received the Service from Science Award in 2007 for its efforts in designing, developing and selling the innovative AlphachronTM technology to the world.

The AlphachronTM team consists of Dr Brent McInnes, Mr Brad McDonald, Dr Noreen Evans and Mr Tim McLennan of CSIRO Exploration & Mining, Dr Peter Crowhurst of CSIRO Petroleum Resources and Mr Des Patterson of Patterson Instruments. The team developed the instrument to provide rapid and

automated determination of helium in mineral samples for the purpose of helium thermochronology.

Helium thermochronometry is a relatively new, highly sensitive and cost-effective method of radiometric age dating that can be used to determine the thermal history of the Earth’s crust. The chief benefit to the resources industry is the ability to quantitatively determine the low temperature thermal histories of mineral belts and petroleum basins - data important in exploration for minerals, oil and gas.

The AlphachronTM instrument is the first automated, integrated and compact turnkey thermochronometric system to become commercially available.

The technology was licensed to Australian Scientific Instruments, implementing a new model for CSIRO engagement with the Australian small and medium enterprise sector. It is now being adopted by the market as a standard analytical platform, allowing an accurate determination of the thermal history of the Earth’s crust.

SPEDistinguishedLecturer–ReemFreij-AyoubCSIRO principal research scientist, Dr Reem Freij-Ayoub was selected to participate in the Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer Program in 2007-08, delivering her lecture entitled ‘Wellbore-Stability Issues in Shales or Hydrate-Bearing Sediments’.

The 2007-08 Distinguished Lecturer Program featured 28 speakers from various disciplines and professions within the petroleum industry. The lecture series emphasised current industry trends, challenges and technology, delving into diverse topics such as hydraulic fracturing, wellbore stability, improved oil recovery and field performance.

The Distinguished Lecturer Program aims to extend the knowledge and experience of the top experts in all aspects of the energy and petroleum industry.

A key member of CSIRO Petroleum Resource’s petrophysics team, Dr Freij-Ayoub was nominated by her international peers to participate in the program in recognition of her expertise in numerical modelling of coupled processes.

The main focus of Dr Freij-Ayoub’s presentation was the provision of tools to predict the stability of wellbores drilled in challenging formations, drawing on the application of numerical modelling, laboratory

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

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‘DrButtwillplayakeyroleinmentoringandsupportingprogramstoattractmoreyoung

scientists.’

in mineral exploration.

Dr Butt has received several prestigious awards throughout his career, including the Gold Medal of the Association of Exploration Geochemists and the Gibb Maitland Medal of the Geological Society of Australia (Western Australia).

In 2003-04, CRC for Landscape Environments and Mineral Exploration and CSIRO Exploration and Mining named a medal after Dr Butt and Dr Ray Smith for their achievements in regolith science. The Butt Smith medal has been awarded three times, in 2004, 2006, and 2008.

As a CSIRO Fellow, Dr Butt will have the opportunity to play a role in planning for enhanced high quality science in the organisation. He will also play a key role in mentoring and supporting programs to attract more young scientists.

rock testing and knowledge of the processes critical to shales and hydrate-bearing sediments.

During her lecture, Dr Freij-Ayoub also discussed applying geomechanical modelling and testing to sand-production prediction, an area of major concern to the oil industry.

Dr Freij-Ayoub is currently working on model development and application for problems in wellbore mechanics and coupled processes related to wellbore stability in hydrate bearing sediments and land subsidence.

DrCharlesButtappointedasCSIROFellow

Former Chief Scientist for CSIRO Exploration and Mining, Dr Charles Butt was honoured for his eminent scientific contribution to Australia, being appointed as a CSIRO Fellow in December 2007.

Selected by the CSIRO Chief Executive and Executive Committee, Fellowships are appointed to exceptional scientists who have displayed eminence in a significant field of science or engineering.

Already a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), Dr Butt is a geochemist whose concepts have been widely adopted by industry, making him an international authority on mineral exploration in deeply weathered terrain and ore deposits formed by weathering.

Research by Dr Butt and multi-disciplinary teams has demonstrated the importance of the geology and geochemistry of the regolith in mineral exploration, contributing to significant changes in the philosophy and practice of exploration by industry in Australia, Africa and South America. Once generally neglected, these are now widely recognised for their importance

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OuTREACH AND ENGAGEMENTS

Opening our doors to inspire next generation science and technology professionals

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VisitorsARRC staff hosted numerous international delegations and individual visits during 2007-08, strengthening ties with government and industry decision-makers, as well as with other international research institutions.

As part of a four-day Perth visit, British High Commissioner to Australia The Right Honourable Helen Liddell attended ARRC to meet with Acting Chief of CSIRO Exploration and Mining Dr Steve Harvey, representing CSIRO Petroleum Resource’s Dr Beverley Ronalds, and WA Energy Research Alliance Chief Executive Dr Ian Finnie. Following a presentation highlighting the current research activities at the Centre, Mrs Liddell inspected a number of research laboratories to see some current research projects first hand.

International representatives from China United Coalbed Methane Corporation (CUCBM), PetroChina and several Chinese universities visited CSIRO and ARRC as part of a study tour on coal bed methane research in Australia. Seventeen delegates, including CUCBM Vice President Aimei Hu and PetroChina Vice President Chengzao Jia, received a short presentation on ARRC and CSIRO Petroleum Resource’s work on exploration technologies, understanding and characterising oil and gas reservoirs, drilling and well construction projects, and sustainable development, followed by a tour of several ARRC laboratories.

The Indian Minister for Science and Technology toured the facilities at ARRC during his visit to Perth in 2008. This visit underlines the growing depth and breadth of the relationship between the research communities of India and Australia.

A delegation from China’s largest nickel, cobalt and precious metals producer, Jinchuan Group (JNMC), visited CSIRO Petroleum Resources and CSIRO Exploration and Minerals laboratories at ARRC as part of their study tour of CSIRO and BHP Billiton’s capabilities in mineral processing. Led by JNMC Chairman and President Mr Li Yongjun, the delegation visited CSIRO Petroleum Resource’s Rock Mechanics and Geomechanics and Drilling laboratories, discussing the various research activities with CSIRO staff.

ARRC hosted a visit from Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham during the year. Lord Jones holds overall responsibility for UK Trade and Investment and was received at the Centre by ARRC Advisory Committee Chairman David Agostini, CSIRO Petroleum Resources Commercial Manager Jeff McCulloch, Deputy Chief CSIRO Exploration and Minerals Dr Steve Harvey, WA:ERA Chief Executive Dr Ian Finnie and representatives from WA Department of Industry and Resources. Lord Jones and his entourage toured CSIRO and WA:ERA laboratories and received presentations on the significant projects being undertaken at ARRC.

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EventsAs a hub for resources research, ARRC is a natural meeting point for a range of industry activities, from workshops showcasing the latest technologies and techniques to seminars aimed at inspiring the next generation of science and technology professionals. Events hosted at ARRC or featuring research conducted at the Centre during 2007-08 included:

NWSJEMS launch – The North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study (NWSJEMS), a collaborative project by CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship and the Western Australian Government, was officially launched at ARRC in April by the Federal Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, the Hon Kim Carr, and the former Western Australian Minister for Environment, the Hon David Templeman MLA. The NWSJEMS project is developing practical tools to help planners manage potentially competing uses of Australia’s marine ecosystems.

OuTREACH AND ENGAGEMENTS

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Science Teachers Association (CONASTA) also visited ARRC during the year. The CONASTA group received an introductory talk on CSIRO Petroleum at ARRC and a presentation on ‘Unlocking the mystery of gold nuggets’ before touring the research facility.

Drilling technologies workshop – Held at ARRC, this workshop was designed to expose companies to new technologies developed by CSIRO’s Drilling Technologies Group. Workshop attendees viewed presentations on new technologies and participated in laboratory tours.

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Educational events – Students from Kent Street and Sacred Heart Senior High Schools visited ARRC to participate in the Schools Information Program, co-run by APPEA and The Petroleum Club of Western Australia. Twenty students from Murdoch University Science and Engineering Summer School also visited ARRC during the year as part of the school’s STAR program. The student groups toured ARRC’s research facilities, visiting the iVEC, Scanning Electron Microscope, Rock Mechanics and Microscope and Geophysics laboratories. A delegation from the CSIRO-sponsored Conference of the Australian

‘ARRCisanaturalmeetingpointforarange

ofindustryactivities.’

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FINANCIAl REPORT

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41ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

Non-appropriation funding sources(CSIRO Exploration and Mining and CSIRO Petroleum Resources at ARRC)

State Government Departments & UniversitiesCo-operative Research Centre (CRC) Program & Other Federal FundingPrivate Sector and other non-government sources

29%

23%48%

FIN

ANCI

AL R

EPO

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ARRC METRICS

Metrics

Metrics

2001-02

2001-02

2002-03

2002-03

2003-04

2003-04

2004-05

2004-05

2005-06

2005-06

2006-07

2006-07

2007-08

2007-08

Organisations at ARRC

Government CSIRO PRCSIRO E&M

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&M

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&M

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&M

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&M

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&MNMI

CSIRO PRCSIRO E&MNMI

University Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Curtin GeophysCurtin Pet Eng

Majorindustry

BHP Billiton BHP BillitonChevron

BHP BillitonChevron

Collaborative initiatives

CRCs CRC LEMEpmd* CRCAPCRC

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCAPCRC

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCCO2CRCCSRP

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCCO2CRCCSRP

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCCO2CRCCSRP

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCCO2CRCCSRP

CRC LEMEpmd* CRCCO2CRCCSRP

Flagships WfOETF

WfOETF

WfOETF

WfOETFMDU

WfOETFMDU

Other iVEC

CoE EPGWA PRC

CoE EPGWA PRC

CoE EPGWA PRC

iVECWA:ERA

iVECWA:ERAR2D3

iVECWA:ERAR2DAES:WAESWA

3

CoE EPG

iVECWA:ERAR2DAES:WAESWAAARNet

3

iVECWA:ERAR2DAES:WAESWAAARNet

3

iVECWA:ERAR2DAES:WAESWAAARNet

3

CoE HDGCurtin RGC

CoE HDGCurtin RGCGCEC3D MinMap

CoE HDGCurtin RGC

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CSIRO PR

CSIRO E&M

CSIRO Petroleum Resources

CSIRO Exploration and Mining

Curtin Geophys

Curtin Pet Eng

CoE EPG

WA PRC

CoE HDG

Curtin RGC

Curtin University of Technology Department of Exploration Geophysics

Curtin University of Technology Department of Petroleum Engineering

Centre of Excellence for Exploration and Production

Western Australian Petroleum Research Centre

Centre of Excellence for High Definition Geophysics

Curtin Reservoir Geophysics Consortium

NMI

BHP Billiton

Chevron

CRC LEME

pmd*CRC

APCRC

CO2CRC

CSRP

iVEC

WA:ERA

R2D

AES:WA

ESWA

AARNet

C3D MinMap

GCE

3

National Measurement Institute

BHP Billiton Perth Technology Centre

Perth Technology Centre, Chevron Energy Technology Company

Cooperative Research Centre for Landscape Environments and

Mineral Exploration

Cooperative Research Centre for Predictive Mineral Discovery

Australian Petroleum Cooperative Research Centre

Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies

Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Resource Processing

The hub of advanced computing in Western Australia

Western Australian Energy Research Alliance

Research to Discover, Develop and Deploy (WA:ERA and Woodside)

Western Australian Alliance for Advanced Energy Solutions

(WA:ERA and Chevron)

Earth Science Western Australia

Australia’s Academic and Research Network

Centre for 3D Mineral Mapping

The Geothermal Centre of Excellence

WfO

ETF

MDU

Wealth from Oceans National Research Flagship

Energy Transformed National Research Flagship

Minerals Down Under National Research FlagshipAR

RC M

ETRI

CS

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The role of the ARRC Advisory Committee is to provide focus and direction for ARRC’s activities, thus ensuring maximum benefit to Western Australian industry, research organisations and the community. Additionally, it oversees the research plans for the Centre and annually reviews the activities of the Centre against objectives. The ARRC Advisory Committee meets twice a year and comprises representatives from research institutions, government agencies and industry.

ARRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Adj.ProfessorDavidAgostiniChairARRC Advisory Committee

Australian Resources Research Centre26 Dick Perry AvenueKensington WA 6151T: 6436 8500F: 6436 8555E: [email protected]

DrBeverleyRonaldsGroup Executive Energy,Chief, CSIRO Petroleum ResourcesCSIRO Secretariat

Australian Resources Research Centre26 Dick Perry AvenueKensington WA 6151T: 6436 8700F: 6436 8578E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Mandy [email protected]

DrPeterLillyDirector,Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship, CSIRO

Australian Resources Research Centre26 Dick Perry AvenueKensington WA 6151T: 6436 8613F: 6436 8561E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Wendy [email protected]

DrMikeMcWilliamsChief, CSIRO Exploration and Mining,

Australian Resources Research Centre26 Pick Perry AvenueKensington WA 6151T: 6436 8953F: 6436 8561E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Jenny [email protected]

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DrSteveHarveyDeputy Chief, CSIRO Exploration and Mining

Australian Resources Research Centre26 Dick Perry AvenueKensington WA 6151T: 6436 8610F: 6436 8561E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Jenny [email protected]

JeffGreshamConsultant

Gresham Mineral Consulting ServicesSuite 6, 19 York StreetSubiaco WA 6008T: 6380 2111M: 0418 628 896F: 6380 1999E: [email protected]

DrJoeMcNuttVice President, Science and Technology

Woodside Energy LimitedWoodside Plaza240 St Georges TerracePerth WA 6000T: 9348 6586 F: 9214 2744E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Ambre [email protected]

AnneNolanDirector General

Department of Industry and Resources1 Adelaide TerraceEast Perth WA 6004T: 9222 0422F: 9222 6160E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Barbara [email protected] AR

RC A

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Dr Tim GriffinExecutive Director

Geological Survey of Western AustraliaWA Department of Mines and PetroleumMineral House100 Plain StreetEast Perth WA 6004T: 9222 3160F: 9222 3633E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Nell [email protected]

ProfessorDougMcEachernDeputy Vice-ChancellorResearch and Innovation

The University of Western AustraliaM46035 Stirling HighwayCrawley WA 6009T: 6488 2460F: 6488 1013E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Bernadette [email protected]

MrTonyTate,DirectorResearch and Development

Curtin University of TechnologyOffice of Research and DevelopmentBuilding 100Curtin University of TechnologyHayman RoadBentley WA 6102T: 9266 3854F: 9266 3045E: [email protected] Executive Assistant: Hanne [email protected]

ARRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

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47ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

Australian Resources Research Centre

26 Dick Perry Avenue

Technology Park

KENSINGTON WA 6151

Phone: +61 8 6436 8500

Fax: +61 8 6436 8555

Website: www.arrc.net.au

ARRC Annual Report 2007-08

Design and artwork by ARRC Visual Resources Unit.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney-General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at: http://www.ag.gov.au/cca

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ARRCAustralian Resources Research Centre

Phone: +61 8 6436 8500Fax: +61 8 6436 8555Web: www.arrc.net.au

26 Dick Perry AvenueTechnology Park

Kensington WA 6151

ANNUAL REPORT2007-08