University Of Western Australia News

Future Energy Exports CRC, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation, Low Emission Technology Australia, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Osaka Gas have executed a project agreement for the "LP Technology R&D Project" to conduct research and development to demonstrate the technical feasibility and operability of low-pressure and low temperature solutions for the bulk transport of CO2 by ships.The LP Technology R&D Project will involve studying behaviour and boil off characteristics of liquid CO2 under dynamic operating conditions and the impact of non-CO2 components.

Largest known plant on earth discovered at Shark Bay, and it's 4,500 years old.Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Flinders University have located what is believed to be the largest plant in the world – an ancient and incredibly resilient seagrass stretching across 180km that is estimated to be at least 4,500 years old.The discovery of the single plant or ‘clone’ of the seagrass Posidonia australis in the shallow, sun-drenched waters of the World Heritage Area of Shark Bay in WA…

Sri Lankan fishermen say they feel helpless after a cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals and plastics caught fire and later sank, resulting in a ban on fishing along an 80 km (50 mile) stretch of the island nation's west coast.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid along with other chemicals and cosmetics, was anchored offshore when a fire erupted after an explosion on May 20.Flaming containers filled with billions…

Scientists circumnavigate and map the seafloor of the entire mesophotic (deep water) zone in Ashmore Reef Marine Park.Scientists discovered a sea snake thought to be locally extinct and saw several species such as the great spotted cowrie (Perissersoa guttata) for the first time in the Ashmore Reef Marine Park, off Australia, during Schmidt Ocean Institute's 18-day expedition that concluded this week.A team of scientists, led by Dr. Karen Miller of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)…

Suba Sivandran has been appointed the new Head of Asia for BMT based in Singapore, a move that coincides with the organization’s growth initiative in the region launched this month. He will oversee all commercial operations with a focus on driving new business into more complex, emerging markets including defense, offshore renewable energy and marine infrastructure engineering and advisory offerings.With more than a decade of consulting experience throughout Europe and the APAC region…

A U.S.-based company has begun searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, Malaysia said on Tuesday, as it tries to solve one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries. Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people, mostly Chinese, on board. Investigators believe someone may have deliberately switched off MH370's transponder before diverting it over the Indian Ocean. Debris has been collected from Indian Ocean islands and Africa's east coast and at least three pieces have been confirmed as coming from the missing plane.

BMT WBM (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has announced that the Hawkesbury-Nepean River and South Creek model, developed for Sydney Water has been awarded the Program Innovation Award at this year’s Australian Water Association’s (AWA) New South Wales (NSW) Awards. BMT developed the TUFLOW FV (estuarine and riverine) component of the model, a core modelling tool which is used in many environmental modelling projects. Sydney Water is Australia's largest water utility, supplying water, wastewater, recycled water and some stormwater services to over 4.6 million people. As part of its operations, Sydney Water releases tertiary treated wastewater from several locations to the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system…

The first deep-sea exploration of the Perth Canyon, Australia's largest undersea valley, will launch today, Phys.org is reporting. The 12-day expedition is backed by Google billionaire Eric Schmidt and will study the conditions and marine life inside the canyon, which researchers hope will provide new information about the effects of climate change. A team of researchers from the University of Western Australia led by Professor Malcolm McCulloch will collaborate with researchers from the Western Australia Museum…

New Zealand decides this week whether to approve an underwater iron-ore operation that would likely become the world's first commercial metals mine at the bottom of the sea. A green light to allow New Zealand's Trans Tasman Resources Ltd to start iron-ore dredging off the country's west coast will encourage others looking to mine copper, cobalt, manganese and other metals deeper on the ocean floor but worried about regulatory hurdles. Along the Pacific Rim of Fire, as deep as 6,000 metres underwater, volcano crusts, "black smoker" chimneys and vast beds of manganese nodules hold promise for economic powers like China and Japan as well as many poor island states busy pegging stakes on the ocean floor.

Marine and coastal environment specialists, BMT Oceanica (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, announced today its appointment as Lead Consultant for the Western Australia Department of Fisheries (DoF) in a project to establish an aquaculture development zone. BMT Oceanica, in partnership with BMT WBM and the University of Western Australia, will play a key role in the strategic assessment of the proposed Mid West aquaculture development zone in the southern Abrolhos Islands, off the west coast of Australia. As part of the Western Australia Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, a number of technical studies need to be conducted.

The organizers of the Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference (AOG) say that the demand for labour is so high that by 2018 the oil and gas workforce is expected to increase by 57 percent, according to the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency. On 21, February 2014 over 1000 graduates and tertiary students meet with major employers at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre  to learn about job opportunities, graduate programs and vacation work available in the oil and gas sector.

A world leading collaborative research project between the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), the University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia will investigate the safety culture of shipping operations over a three-year period. AMSA, and UQ have obtained a linkage grant through the Australian Research Council (ARC) to examine the predictors and outcomes of safety culture in the Australian maritime industry. Ship Safety Division general manager Allan Schwartz said the findings from the project would be used to improve safety policies, regulations and practices that aim to reduce the number of accidents and incidents in Australian waters.

International classification society Bureau Veritas has agreed a technical co-operation deal with COPPE/UFRJ, the Ocean Engineering department of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, to set up a joint development centre. The move builds on co-operation agreements with nineteen universities in China, Russia, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Taiwan and France and is intended to speed the development of tools and technical requirements needed to facilitate Brazil’s expansion into deep offshore oil exploitation. Pierre Besse, Vice-President Research and Development for Bureau Veritas said, “We will initially have four people working full time on the Rio university development group…

Divex, an international diving equipment technology company, announced that Daniel DiTullio (pictured) is now General Manager for Divex’s Asia Pacific region. DiTullio brings with him engineering and commercial experience in the oil and gas, and mining sectors gained in Western Australia and Queensland. He has extensive knowledge of plant management, and production processes including experience in the manufacture of equipment for explosion proof and hazardous environments. DiTullio’s…