There is an oft-quoted adage in business which goes: “be careful who you step on on the way up because you are sure to meet them on the way down”. That seems to be particularly applicable in the oil industry, which has an employment cycle that sees new graduates initially employed by large companies, which then lay them off when the inevitable downturn or 'rationalisation' occurs. Those who don't turn to taxi driving then move on to a more senior position in a smaller company and slowly work their way higher and higher in smaller and smaller companies (not uncommonly propelled forwards through several more takeovers, mergers and layoffs), until they decide that corporate life is all too much and it is time to become a consultant (or, alternatively, corporate life decides they are too much). That is when the fun really begins, as the by-now grey-haired old consultant finds him or her self working for the latest round of up-and coming graduates and aspiring managers. Inevitably, the consultant finds that the useless well-site geologist they used to holler at over the satellite phone is now Exploration Manager of the firm which is giving them all the jobs no-one else wants to do. Or even worse: the lowly accountants they hassled mercilessly for not paying the bills on time (or for paying the bills on time, depending on the cash-flow situation) now comprise the board of the new float they have just been engaged to stake their technical reputation on.

So, tread gently on those fingers gripping the rungs of the corporate ladder – the guy they belong to may have size twelve feet. (Hey, it has just occurred to me that is why most chief executives are above average size. Us small guys [and that includes most women] just don't stand a chance!)

Maybe you could compensate for your small stature by writing a big article for PESA News – like some of these…

PESA and its funding model

Maybe you don't always read your president's report, but this edition's is a corker. You can't accuse Dave Cliff of not taking the bit between his teeth or shying away from the big issues. With talk about us 'Cleaning up our act', '...removing some of the turf wars' and 'No geoscientist will be responsible for MYOB accounting or BAS statement preparation'.

CABS

By the time you open up this edition of PESA News August will be upon us and there will only be 21 weeks (146 days) before Christmas is upon us. More importantly, there will only be a matter of days before the Central Australian Basins Symposium (CABS) kicks off, in Alice Springs, on August 16th. To coincide with CABS, this edition of PESA News takes a look at what is big in Australia's central basins.

Rags to riches

Beach Petroleum is no newcomer to Australia's central basins, having been founded in 1962 by one of the pioneering Australian petroleum geologists, Reg Sprigg. After a brush with the 'evil empire' in the mid 1980s, it wasn't really back on its feet until the mid to late 90s. It made its first big step in June this year when its annual oil production broke through the 1 MMbbl threshold for the first time. Turn to page 26 to read more about this big little company.

Growth for juniors
There are a number of junior explorers and producers in Australia's central basins that have plans of getting much bigger. These include (but are not limited to):

South Australia
Sundance Energy
Cooper Energy
Stuart Petroleum
Centrex Resources

Northern Territory
Central Petroleum

Queensland
Queensland Gas

Latest government program no help to juniors

Unless your company is at the cutting-edge of renewable energy technology development, you won't be eligible for any of the DITR's latest $1 million support fund. Although the call for petroleum-based energy isn't likely to abate in the near term, a big $5 million grant may be a good reason to take a look at the renewables.

Is wind a big problem?

With Australia's latest (and biggest) wind farm recently starting up in South Australia, we take a look at some of the pros and cons for this renewable energy and compare it to coal and gas.

Earth: Greenhouse planet

In his own words, Dr Ian Plimer, from the University of Melbourne, is a big sceptic and troublemaker. As a professor of geology, he has been promoting his profession all around the world for more than 30 years - and has 'realised that people know bugger all about how the planet works'. If you have ever been just the slightest bit interested in the greenhouse debate, read what the professor has to say.

Big is the new small

By now you will have come to realise that this edition of PESA News is all about big: big issues, big debates and big promises (of growth). So just to wrap up what is big in this edition, here are a few more:

• BP's statistical review of world
  energy 2005;
• The impending world oil shortage; and
• Deep sea rhythm

Adrian Williams