Hartley's report, 14 August
http://www.arcenergy.com.au/files/brokerreports/Hartleys 14 Aug 07.pdf
See link for comparisons of players in the Canning basin.
Conclusions
The Canning Basin has received little attention from oil and gas companies over last few decades due to a
combination of perceived technical risk and a view that the Basin is too remote for discoveries to be commercial.
The tightening of the domestic gas supply market has changed this considerably. Hurdle sizes for commercial
discoveries are now lower, and the recent ARQ-Alcoa deal highlights the need for the Basin to be explored and
developed.
The Canning remains a prospective Basin and is likely to provide high value for companies willing to commit to
its exploration. It is one of the few Paleozoic petroleum systems in the world remaining relatively underexplored.
In our view this makes it prime real estate for oil and gas exploration and the ARQ-Alcoa deal gives greater
confidence in its future development. Of the companies with Canning Basin exposure, ARQ clearly has the
greatest leverage, with by far the dominant acreage holding. However, individual wells, such as Valentine-1,
highlight that there are opportunities for smaller players (such as FAR) to gain significantly from exploration in
the basin. Valentine-1 has potential to unlock significant value to its participants if successful. We think it will
mark the start of an active period of exploration in the Canning Basin.