Are you an ethical investor?

Since April I have been tracking the share prices of some of the companies involved in coal seam gas extraction in Australia. To find out more about these companies and other companies involved in coal seam gas see below.

Company	15/04/11	10/05/11	20/05/11	07/06/11	23/06/11
AGL Energy Ltd	$14.260	14.680	14.640	14.250	14.250
Bow Energy Ltd	$0.935	0.810	0.825	0.825	.895
Dart Energy Ltd	$0.860	0.745	0.705	0.700	.575
Eastern Star Gas Ltd	$0.725	0.715	0.700	0.645	.600
Metgasco	$0.320	0.315	0.325	0.330	.250
Origin Energy Ltd	$16.710	16.050	16.110	15.800	15.260
Planet Gas Ltd	$0.057	0.048	0.040	0.035	.036
Red Sky Energy Ltd	$0.016	0.014	0.011	0.011	.006
Santos	$15.720	14.520	14.300	14.090	13.370

 

As mining companies tend not to use well known place names to describe the area of their Petroleum Exploration Licences (PEL) I have done some research on licences in NSW to give these areas familiar names.

Companies with international interests, involvement in Queensland’s LNG plant at Gladstone and the connections between companies and multinationals are noted to show the size and scope of these companies.

Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive list of companies involved, or of areas affected by coal seam gas extraction. Please check company websites and NSW Minerals and Petroleum TAS Map at for up to date information.

AGL ENERGY LTD

Area of operation: Camden, Southern Highlands, western Sydney, Hunter Valley, Muswellbrook, Scone, Merriwa, Putty Valley, Tuggarah, Munmorah, Morisset, Coorumbung, Gloucester.

Web: http://www.agl.com.au/

BOW ENERGY LTD
Area of operation: Queensland, Western Australia and northern NSW

Associated companies: Part of Arrow Energy assets not sold to Royal Dutch Shell

Web: www.bowenergy.com.au

DART ENERGY LTD
Area of operation: Putty Valley, Sydney from Sutherland to Gosford, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and Port Stephen, Upper Hunter, Gunnedah, northwest of Tamworth, Lithgow, Gulgong. Interests in South East Asia, India, China, Europe and UK.

Associated companies: Part of Arrow Energy assets not sold to Royal Dutch Shell. On 15 June 2011 Dart reported having access to an undrawn loan facility of US$25m from Shell. Dart's executive leaders were previously with Arrow.

Web: www.dartenergy.com.au

EASTERN STAR GAS LTD
Area of operation: Narrabri, Moree, Gilgandra, Coonamble, The Pilliga Scrub

Associated companies: Santos, Hitachi, Toyo Engineering

Web: www.easternstar.com.au

                       

METGASCO LTD
Area of operation: Casino and north eastern NSW

Web: www.metgasco.com.au

ORIGIN ENERGY LTD

Area of operation: Cooper Basin, Beharra Springs WA, Moomba SA, Bass Strait, Surat and Bowen Basin Queensland. Head office is located in Sydney and they retail natural gas, electricity and LPG in NSW but do not own Petroleum Exploration Licences (PEL) in NSW. International interests in New Zealand, Pacific Islands, South East Asia, Kenya.

Associated companies: Part owner of Australian Pacific LNG Pty Ltd (APLNG) with ConocoPHillips (USA) and Sinopec Corp (China) a buyer of LNG. APLNG was established to deliver CSG to proposed LNG plant at Gladstone

Web: www.originenergy.com.au

PLANET GAS LTD

Area of operation: Mooki, between Moree and Narabri, Musselbrook, Bylong to the north and west of Putty, Kiama, Nowra, Shoalhaven south of Wollongong

Associated companies: New Hope Corporation Limited

Web: www.planetgas.com

RED SKY ENERGY LTD

Area of operation: Clarence Moreton Basin NSW and the Eromanga Basin in Queensland.

Associated companies: Clarence Moreton Resources Pty Ltd

Web: www.redskyenergy.com.au

SANTOS LTD
Area of operation: Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah Basin, LNG projects in Gladstone and Darwin. International interests PNG, South East Asia, India

Associated companies: Petronas - Malaysia

Web: www.santos.com

MULTINATIONALS

Two companies that are prominent in coal seam gas extraction in Queensland are owned by international companies. ARROW ENERGY is a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and QUEENSLAND GAS COMPANY (QGC) is now owned by BG Group and QCLNG also listed on the London Stock Exchange.

THIS WEEKS LINKS

18/6/11 - SMH - Fertile plains under frack attack

21/6/11 – Singleton Argus – No Point in Moratorium