CAP for: Bushfire Emergency Warning : SAMPSON FLAT

Bushfire claims already pass $13 million Jan 7, 2015 Insurance losses from a bushfire burning on the outskirts of Adelaide have already passed $13 million, with more claims expected to be lodged over the coming days and weeks. The fire, which began at Sampson Flat on Friday, has burnt through 12,500 hectares and destroyed or badly damaged 38 homes, as well as 125 other structures such as farm sheds and outhouses. Four businesses have also been destroyed or badly damaged. The town of Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills was the worst hit after 12 homes were razed by the fire. SEE ALSO: INSIDE THE ADELAIDE HILLS FIRE The Insurance Council of Australia on Wednesday said that 350 claims had already been lodged, with insured losses of $13 million. ICA chief Rob Whelan said the bushfire situation in South Australia remained uncertain with emergency services preparing for deteriorating weather conditions. "More properties may be potentially vulnerable at this time, and it is critical for residents in bushfire-affected areas to ensure they follow the advice of emergency services," Mr Whelan said. The ICA was liaising with the state government, emergency services and local governments to provide support and help resolve issues. People affected by the bushfires have been advised by the ICA to take a number of steps to help with their claims, including taking pictures of damage to property and possessions as evidence for assessors. An inventory of damaged possessions should be compiled to help insurers process claims. The ICA said policy holders should not be concerned if insurance documents are not readily at hand as insurance companies keep records electronically and require only the policy holders' name and address to find a policy. But the council also advises that people should speak to their insurer before authorising repairs. Emergency repairs should only be undertaken in the first instance to make the property safe. The ICA said primary producers with livestock injured in the fires should urgently contact their insurer to notify them that livestock will need to be destroyed. - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/bushfire-claims-already-pass-13-million-dollars#sthash.4JG6Pm0h.dpuf =============================================== More than 12,000 hectares ravaged by bushfire since Friday. By Karlis Salna Authorities battling a blaze that has destroyed or severely damaged up to 38 homes on Adelaide's fringe say they are confident the threat from the massive fire is waning. The homes and 125 other buildings such as farm sheds have been destroyed or badly damaged by the fire, which has ravaged more than 12,000 hectares since Friday. The town of Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills was the worst hit after 12 homes were razed by the fire, which on Tuesday night continued to burn across a 240km perimeter. Premier Jay Weatherill, at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon, said there had been 134 "episodes of treatment" attended to by the SA Ambulance Service, but mostly for minor problems. Of the 23 people hospitalised, 21 have been discharged. One man is in a serious condition after he was struck by a falling tree. Country Fire Service chief Greg Nettleton said more favourable conditions on Monday night and on Tuesday had allowed firefighters to make significant progress in securing the perimeter, as well as "islands" within the fireground that had escaped the fire's initial assault. "At this stage I'm feeling more and more confident that as the weather comes in tomorrow, based on some briefings I've had from the bureau, with the resources at hand at the moment ... I'm increasingly confident that tomorrow is posing a lesser threat than it was yesterday," Mr Nettleton said. "We still have to secure that outer perimeter before we can claim total victory." While the 38C heat on Tuesday was expected to resume on Wednesday, increased humidity and the chance of rain could work in the fire crews' favour. The Bureau of Meteorology says a strong intrusion of tropical air from the Pilbara, combined with a Southern Ocean disturbance, could provide up to 200mm in the northwest of the state and smaller falls near the capital over Thursday, Friday and into the weekend. The bureau's South Australian regional director, John Nairn, said winds would turn more northerly on Wednesday and would freshen, with a fairly high likelihood of thunderstorms. "They can produce erratic, gusty wind conditions," he told AAP. "If the thunderstorms come close to the fireground, that may give them some grief occasionally but overall the rising humidity is a good story and they may indeed get some light rain from those thunderstorms." But the storms are expected to turn into a rain band, bringing falls that should increase steadily later in the day. - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/twenty-six-homes-lost-in-sa-fires#sthash.9UAAAXpt.dpuf ============== Sampson Flat Fire Information The CFS advises that the Sampson Flat bushfire continues to burn out of control on all flanks. Strengthening winds are swinging from north to north westerly and will gradually turn westerly prior to trending south westerly later this afternoon. Wind speeds are predicted to be 40-45 KPH, with gusts to 70 KPH. Thunderstorms may produce gusts in excess of 90 KPH. These changing winds will cause the fire to continue to burn out of control in a South/South Easterly direction initially and later to burn, potentially, East to North Eastwards. Due to the uncertain nature and impact of the fire behaviour it is imperative that people within these vicinities take appropriate action now. The CFS urges anyone within the Mount Pleasant, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Mount Torrens, Woodside, Lobethal, Inglewood, Upper Hermitage, Breakneck Hill, One Tree Hill township, Little Para Reservoir, Chain of Ponds, Houghton, Cudlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Charleston, Birdwood, Lenswood, and Williamstown to LEAVE THE AREA NOW, AS THERE IS A HEIGHTENED RISK TO LIVES AND HOMES. The CFS advises that Relief Centres have been opened at Golden Grove Recreation Centre (The Golden Way, Golden Grove) and at Sandy Creek (Curdatta Cricket Club, corner of Williamstown Road and Davies Road Sandy Creek). Depending where you are in relation to the various firefronts, remember to relocate safely and be cautious on the roads. Determine the safest route out of your area if you haven't done so already, and be aware that roads may be closed, but that does not stop you leaving the area – road closures are to stop people entering the fire danger area. Check for road closures, safe routes, and safe precincts by going to the CFS website, www.cfs.sa.gov.au, or by tuning in to the ABC, 5AA and local radio, or by checking the CFS FireApp and/or the CFS Facebook page for further information. Affected residents or others can also call the Bushfire Information Hotline on 1300 362 361 . Remember, it is critical for people to stay informed of the changing conditions throughout the day. Also be aware that significant smoke and fallen trees could make safe travel difficult and residents should be well aware of their safest exit route. Do not drive into smoke. --------------------------------------- RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for publishing frequently updated news and other content on the internet. RSS feeds provide free updates to your computer at designated intervals when content is updated on a website. At present, the CFS provides RSS feeds for Current Incidents and Warnings. To receive CFS RSS feeds you need a feed reader and must also subscribe to CFS feeds. Select the CFS RSS feeds of your choice above. Once you have successfully subscribed to a feed, information is sent to you after it is published on the website. Important Note: Some third party readers will not refresh as frequently as is required for live updates. It is recommended that if your reader cannot be set to update at least every 5 minutes that you bookmark and check CFS Current Incidents (http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/mobile/current_incidents.jsp) regularly for the most up to date information. Warning Details transmitted using the Common Alerting Protocol The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is a standardised system that allows consistent and easy to understand emergency messages to be broadcast across a variety of communication systems. CAP can be used to alert and inform emergency response agencies, media and the general public. CAP ensures that messages remain consistent and clearly indicate to the recipient the severity of the threat and best response. The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) file below provided by the SA Country Fire Service is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergency information between alerting and warning systems. http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/custom/criimson/CFS_CAP_Incidents.xml CAP for: Bushfire Emergency Warning : SAMPSON FLAT Message ID: 10853002015-01-03T18:55:55+10:30 from South Australian Country Fire Service Actual: Actionable by all targeted recipients. Sent: 18:55 on 2015-01-03 ACDT (+10:30) Language: English (Australian) Event: Fire: Grass Fire Response Type: Execute Levels: Immediate - Extreme - Observed Urgency: For immediate action! Severity: Extraordinary threat to life or property. Certainty: Incident is still going or has definitely occurred. Code: urn:oasis:names:tc:emergency:cap:1.2:profile:CAP-AU:1.0:AUeventLIST:1.0 = grassFire Expires: 20:51 on 2015-01-03 ACDT (+10:30) From: South Australian Country Fire Service Description: CFS advises that a serious bushfire is burning out of control at Sampson Flat in the Mount Lofty Ranges near One Tree Hill, Humbug Scrub, Millbrook Reservoir, Kersbrook, Gumeracha, Birdwood and Mount Crawford Forrest. The SAMPSON FLAT fire is travelling in a very erratic manner and is burning freely in all direction towards Upper Hermitage, Chain of Ponds, the Warren and Cromer areas and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cuddlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Forreston, Lobethal, Mount Torrens, Charleston, Williamstown, Woodside, Lenswood, Mt Pleasant. There is a risk to lives and homes. The uncontrolled fire is burning in Scrub. Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan. Take shelter before the fire arrives as radiant heat can kill you well before the flames reach you. Only leave if the path is clear to a safe place. You should not enter this area as the roads may not be safe. Well prepared and actively defended homes can offer safety. Stay tuned to our emergency broadcast partners on a battery-powered radio for updates. For information about bushfires, check the CFS website http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au or call the Bushfire Information Hotline 1300 362 361 . Instructions: Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan. Take shelter before the fire arrives. Leave now if the path is clear. You should not enter this area as the roads may not be safe. Web: http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/custom/criimson/1085300.html Target Area: Description: Sampson Flat in the Mount Lofty Ranges Lat,Long Radius(km): -34.7447115840715,138.795319609269 0.0 =============================== Key facts about the Sampson Flat bushfire Jan 3, 2015 THE SAMPSON FLAT BUSHFIRE: WHERE Risk to lives and homes in: Upper Hermitage, Chain of Ponds, the Warren and Cromer areas and the Townships of Inglewood, Houghton, Cudlee Creek, Lower Hermitage, Forreston, Lobethal, Mount Torrens, Charleston, Williamstown, Woodside, Lenswood, Mt Pleasant. Relief centres at Golden Grove Recreation Centre and Curdatta Cricket Club (Sandy Creek). DAMAGE 5 homes confirmed destroyed 6-7 firefighters injured 3-4 sheds lost 10,000+ hectares of land burnt out RESOURCES 500+ firefighters 100 appliances 14 aircraft 2 air cranes WARNINGS Severe thunderstorm warning for nine districts Saturday: Total fire bans in 13 districts (all except Kangaroo Island, Lower Eyre Peninsula) Sunday: Total fire bans in Northwest Pastoral, Flinders districts CONDITIONS Hot temperatures easing but gusty winds causing danger Isolated rain and storms in parts of the fire zone Clear in Adelaide, 28.4C just after 5pm FORECAST Winds up to 40km/h in Mount Lofty Ranges and Adelaide metro area on Sunday. Chance of thunderstorm in Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower South East regions. 31C and mostly clear in Adelaide ==================================== SA bushfire still burning out of control Jan 4, 2015 Share South Australia fire By Tim Dornin and Michael Ramsey More than 30 homes are believed ruined as a major bushfire continues to burn out of control in the Adelaide Hills. Twenty-two people, mostly fire fighters, have also been injured and one fire truck destroyed as a number communities remain under threat. The Country Fire Service downgraded its emergency warning to a watch-and-act message on Sunday, but said the blaze continued to burn freely in all directions. SEE ALSO: BOARDING KENNEL DESTROYED "The entire perimeter of the fire has pockets of free-burning fuel," the CFS said in its latest advice. "Crews are actively patrolling and dealing with the fire edge." Among the communities still considered at risk were those at One Tree Hill, Humbug Scrub, Mount Crawford, Kersbrook, Birdwood, Gumeracha, Kenton Valley, Cudlee Creek and Inglewood. More than 1000 properties in those areas were also without power because of the fire. Premier Jay Weatherill said 12 homes had been confirmed destroyed and there were fears for 20 others. "This is obviously enormously distressing to the people concerned," the premier said. "We'll take every effort to try to reach those people before they become aware and witness the destruction of their homes." Police Commissioner Gary Burns said it was hoped some locals would be allowed to return to their properties on Sunday, but safety would remain the top priority. The fire started on Friday at Sampson Flat, about 30 kilometres northeast of Adelaide. Police are investigating if it was sparked by an incinerator on a local property, though the tenant has denied the suggestion. The man told the Sunday Mail he has not used the incinerator since moving onto the land four months ago. By Sunday afternoon the blaze had destroyed more than 12,778 hectares of scrub and was being described as the worst in the Adelaide Hills since the devastating Ash Wednesday fires of 1983. After temperatures in the mid-40s and high 30s on Friday and Saturday, conditions were milder with a top of 31C forecast for Adelaide. The premier said it was vital for authorities to contain the fire's active edges in the cooler weather, with another hot day forecast for Wednesday. More than 400 firefighters, 80 fire trucks and 14 trucks were involved in fighting the fire, with strike teams and aerial support also coming from NSW and Victoria. Damage assessment teams have moved into the fire zone and the state government is offering emergency relief grants of up to $700 for families who have been affected by the fire as well as help with short-term accommodation. A Bushfire Recovery Hotline has been established on 1800 302 787 . - See more at: http://www.fiveaa.com.au/news/sa-bushfire-still-burning-out-of-control#sthash.QeXcUlrU.dpuf ========================

Australia's Santos reports 2 pct dip in Q1 production

Australia's Santos reports 2 pct dip in Q1 production Thu, Apr 18 20:07 PM EDT SYDNEY, April 19 (Reuters) - Australia's Santos Ltd , the country's No.2 energy firm, said on Thursday its production dipped 2 percent to 12.1 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) in the first quarter. Santos maintained production guidance of between 53 and 57 mmboe for 2013 and said its capital expenditure for the year would remain at $4 billion. Gas production of 9.1 mmboe was in line with the same period a year ago, with higher Otway Basin production offset by lower production from the Cooper Basin due to major planned shutdowns. Quarterly crude oil production of 2 million barrels was down 19 percent, partly due to lower production from Stag and the Cooper Basin. Santos said its $19 billion Exxon Mobil -led PNG LNG project and its flagship $18.5 billion Gladstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) project are on track for first LNG in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Moomba-191 unconventional shale well, which became the country's first commercially producing shale gas well in September, was flowing at an average rate of 2.3 standard cubic feet per day as at the end of the quarter, the company said. That is slightly below the average 2.5 million standard cubic feet per day it reported at the end of the year. Four new exploration wells are planned for 2013. (Reporting by Rebekah Kebede; Editing by Richard Pullin) =============== Chevron Corp latest oil major to make Australian shale bet Sun, Feb 24 21:05 PM EST PERTH, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The U.S.-based Chevron Corp became the latest in a string of oil majors that have decided to invest in Australian shale, announcing on Monday that it has bought interest in two gas blocks in the Cooper Basin from Beach Energy. Chevron said it will initially acquire a 30 percent working interest in block PEL 218 in South Australia, and 18 percent working interest in block ATP 855 in Queensland. The deal gives Chevron the option of later increasing its interest in PEL 218 to 60 percent and the interest in ATP 855 to 36 percent. Beach Energy will receive up to $349 million over two stages spanning several years for interest in the two gas blocks, Beach Energy said in a statement. "The Cooper Basin is an established petroleum producing basin and provides the opportunity to leverage our expertise in tight gas," Roy Krzywosinski, Chevron Australia managing director, said, adding that it could also add to the company's natural gas portfolio. The Cooper Basin is considered to be one of Australia's best prospects for commercially producing shale gas given its proximity to the country's eastern population centres and export infrastructure at the port of Gladstone. Santos became the first to commercially produce shale gas from the Cooper Basin late last year from its Moomba-191 well, in which Beach Energy holds an interest. Chevron is currently building two of Australia's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, Gorgon and Wheatstone, with a combined capacity of nearly 25 million tonnes per annum, in Western Australia. Chevron is already a large player in natural gas on Australia's west coast. It is new both to unconventional gas development in Australia as well as to the country's east coast natural gas industry. With the new acquisition, Chevron may also be looking to partner with other gas developers on the east coast, including those developing LNG plants at Queensland state's Gladstone port, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note to clients Monday. ====================== Australia's Santos underlying profit up by a third Thu, Feb 21 17:25 PM EST SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Australian oil and gas producer Santos reported a 34 percent rise in annual profit after lifting gas production and said its major LNG development projects remained on track. Santos, the country's No. 2 energy firm, posted an underlying profit of A$606 million ($621 million) for 2012, up from A$453 million in 2011 and compared with consensus analysts' forecast of about A$600 million. Santos maintained its 2013 production target at 53-57 million barrels of oil equivalent. Like other gas producers, Santos has been grappling with cost increases on development projects, with the strong Australian dollar a major factor. Rival Origin Energy on Thursday announced a 7 percent hike in costs at its Australia Pacific LNG project. Santos said its $18.5 billion Gladstone coal seam gas to LNG (GLNG) project in Queensland, which is almost half complete, was still on track to start producing LNG in 2015. GLNG has had to purchase additional gas reserves from producers in the area, a move that some industry analysts have interpreted as a sign Santos has not been as successful as it had hoped in proving up gas reserves for its flagship development. Santos said the Exxon Mobil-led $19 billion Papua New Guinea LNG project was also on track to come online in 2014. Santos' Moomba-191 in South Australia's Cooper Basin became the country's first commercially producing shale gas well last year, and was producing at 2.5 million standard cubic feet per day at the end of the year. Four new exploration wells were planned for 2013, Santos said. Larger rival Woodside Petroleum beat analyst expectations with a record full-year net profit on Wednesday after its Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant boosted production. ($1 = 0.9754 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Rebekah Kebede and Lincoln Feast; Editing by John Mair) ================================ Australia's APA wins board backing for $1.5 bln HDF bid Mon, Aug 20 20:36 PM EDT SYDNEY, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Directors of Australia's Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund (HDF) on Tuesday recommended a A$1.4 billion ($1.46 billion) bid by rival gas distributor APA after an alternative suitor bowed out. APA had been fighting Pipeline Partners Australia for control of two key gas pipelines owned by HDF that serve Australia's main onshore gas hub, Moomba. Analysts say growth prospects are strong because of new coal-seam gas projects and huge liquefied natural gas export projects in Queensland state. On Monday, Pipeline Partners bowed out of the race, declining to match APA's higher offer. A subcommittee of HDF independent directors said it was dropping a recommendation of Pipeline Partner's lower bid and was now recommending APA's offer in the absence of a superior proposal. Securities in HDF last traded up 1.2 percent at A$2.59 compared with the implied value of APA's cash and scrip bid of A$2.60. APA shares were up 1.1 percent at A$4.67. Pipeline Partners, a consortium that includes Canadian fund manager Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Utilities Trust of Australia, a fund managed by HDF's manager Hastings Funds Management, had offered A$2.43 per HDF security ($1 = 0.9569 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Richard Pullin) ================ Chevron nod for more beds Peter Klinger September 25, 2015, 7:12 am Chevron nod for more beds The Wheatstone offloading facility breakwater takes shape. Chevron has received planning approval to enable it to increase its Wheatstone construction workforce near Onslow to more than 9000, which will further spark industry chatter the $US29 billion ($41.5 billion) LNG project is struggling to stick to its budget and schedule. Overcoming opposition from the Wheatstone project site’s billionaire neighbours Andrew and Nicola Forrest, Chevron convinced the Kimberley-Pilbara-Gascoyne Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) of the merits of allowing more than $30 million worth of new infrastructure such as carparks, mess and kitchen areas, exercise venues and toilet blocks to be built. The new infrastructure is necessary to enable Chevron to introduce double-bunking, which lets a day-shift worker and a night-shift colleague share sleeping quarters. Chevron wants a 2000-bed extension to its construction camp, which is being built to take Wheatstone’s accommodation capacity to 7194, to be available for the controversial donga-sharing strategy to effectively provide another 2000 beds. Double-bunking has been fiercely opposed by many workers and unions, which unsuccessfully argued their case before the JDAP on Wednesday. The Forrests, who own the nearby Minderoo station, say the Wheatstone camp has already caused environmental damage, light pollution and cattle to be trapped in temporary fencing and it has disrupted mustering activities. Chevron yesterday insisted no decision on double-bunking had been made. “The JDAP decision will allow us to respond quickly in the event additional accommodation capacity is required during our peak construction period,” a spokesman said. When Chevron and its partners sanctioned Wheatstone’s development in 2011 and flagged first LNG cargoes by the end of 2016, industry estimates for the peak construction workforce were about 5000. In line with every significant resources project in Australia in the past decade, including Chevron’s $US54 billion Gorgon and Inpex’s $US37 billion Ichthys LNG developments, Wheatstone is thought to be struggling to meet the targets set at the time of its development go-ahead. One of the few remedies is to beef up the onsite workforce, at significant cost to the project proponent. Chevron is sticking to its original budget and first-LNG target and points to Wheatstone being “more than 65 per cent complete”. =================================