Thanks for that WmTrevor.

I note that 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).

No hint of what I was looking for. My next move is to research what Minister Rex O'Connor did .

A report last year in the Economist noted:

'The old continent [Europe] has nearly as much technically recoverable shale gas (natural gas trapped in shale formations) as America. Europe's reserves are 639 trillion cubic feet, compared with America's 862, according to America's Energy Information Administration, a government agency...

'Costs are higher in Europe, for several reasons. First, European geology is less favourable: its shale deposits tend to be deeper underground and harder to extract.

'Second, America has a long history of drilling for oil and gas, which has spawned a huge and competitive oil-services industry bristling with equipment and know-how. Europe has nothing to compare with that. In 2008, at the height of the gas boom in America, 1,600 rigs were in operation. In Europe now there are only 100. America's more cut-throat market drives costs down. A single gas well in Europe might cost as much as $14m to sink, three-and-a-half times more than an American one, estimates Deutsche Bank.

'Third, America's gas industry faces fewer and friendlier regulations than Europe's. Call it the Dick Cheney effect. And fourth, in America wildcat drillers, if they strike it rich, enjoy access to a spider's web of existing pipelines, so they can get their gas to market. Europe has no such network nor open-access rules.'

There is a problem with shale gas wells. The depletion from the first
year is high, typically 15% to 20% which means they seldom last more
than two years, so another well has to be drilled.
It seems that they have to have a continuous drilling operation.
This of course is expensive and because of the low price many are
going broke.
This might be why there is not much interest in Europe.

From what I have read coal seam gas is different as coal is naturally
fractured. It would be interesting to hear how long coal seam wells last.

Cohenite, do I really need to labour a simple point, AGW is not what I have been talking about..........I support the premise that climate change is now clearly an Anthropogenic issue....big difference, perhaps you should update your mental process on what climate change really means....DH.

As to energy, explain to me why the Saudi Minister for Energy, who gave a very uninformative speech at the recent Adelaide Energy Forum, stated "Saudi Arabia is now investing heavily in searching the Red Sea for possible oil reserves, pretty much states that Saudi oil (land backed) is cactus.

I recently released a peer reviewed paper on warm water trends in a marine embayment that show clear signs of Anthropogenic emergence, perhaps when you get enough time you could read the paper and make some 'scientific comment' on the findings.

Given your so-called expertise in climate change, I am sure it won't take you too long to find it on the web.........here's hoping....fool.

Pest, I just read yesterday that the number of shale gas drilling rigs
in operation has fallen to 600 in the last year for economic reasons.
The US shale gas is having difficulty making a profit.
Contrary to what of optimists are saying the US will not be an oil
exporter anytime.