Energy company that won $21m in grants paid for Liberal party fundraiser s trip to Beetaloo fracking site | Northern Territory theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Empire Energy Group Ltd (ASX:EEG) Quarterly Activities Report
Quarterly Activities ReportSydney, July 30, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The second Quarter has been productive for Empire Energy Group Limited (
Major highlights of the Quarter:
- Transformational acquisition of Pangaea and EMG NT, Beetaloo Sub-basin assets, nearly doubling Empire s NT acreage focused on the highly prospective Beetaloo Sub-basin
- Post-acquisition, Empire s best estimate Prospective Resources (2U) will total ~47 Tcfe comprising 42 Tcf gas and 791 MMbbls liquids (condensate and oil) while 2C Contingent Resources will be 220 Bcfe comprising 199 BCF gas and 3.5 MMbbls of liquids
- The Board and management team of Empire has been strengthened with Mr Louis Rozman completing his first full Quarter as a Director and Mr Paul Fudge and Ms Jacqui Clarke (his alternate) will join the Board once the acquisition completes
According to court documents, it will be alleged that the minister failed to ensure the expenditure was a “proper” use of money and “efficient, effective, economical and ethical”, as required under public governance laws.
The case will argue the minister failed to consider the potential increased risk of climate change if the Beetaloo Basin is opened up to gas companies. It also argues the minister failed to examine the risk of publicly-funding gas projects, when the world is reducing fossil fuel use.
ECNT co-director Dr Kirsty Howey said the groups wanted to see “taxpayers money used wisely and with all the consequences being fully considered”.
Environmental groups 350.org Australia and Lock the Gate immediately condemned the awarding of the grants to Empire, saying the firm is linked to the Liberal party and has made significant donations to both sides of Northern Territory politics before the territory’s last election.
Empire is chaired by Paul Espie, who has been described in parliament as a doyen of the Liberal party. Espie is the current chair of the Liberal-aligned Menzies Research Centre. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Espie.
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350.org Australia also released freedom of information documents showing correspondence and interaction between Empire and the office of energy minister Angus Taylor about its fracking plans in Beetaloo and the Coalition’s grant program.
Empire Energy Group Ltd (ASX:EEG) $21 million Beetaloo Drilling Grants Approved
$21 million Beetaloo Drilling Grants ApprovedSydney, July 8, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Ltd (
Highlights:
- The Federal Government has approved up to $21 million in grant funding to Empire under the Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program
- The funding will support the drilling and flow testing of up to 3 fracture stimulated horizontal appraisal wells in Empire s 100% owned EP187 tenement, additional seismic acquisition and other associated costs
- Empire s planning for its first fracture stimulated horizontal appraisal well later this year is well advanced and fully funded
- Empire expects to commence drilling its first horizontal appraisal well, which will benefit from the grant funding, in Q4 this year (subject to NT Government approvals which are well advanced)