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Fracking exploration in NT to begin in 'coming days, if not weeks'
By Jane Bardon
Posted 7 minutes ago

The Northern Territory Government has lifted its three-year moratorium on exploration fracking for onshore shale gas in the Beetaloo Basin, and expects engineering works could resume within days.

Key points:
The NT Government expects gas fracking exploration to resume "in the coming days, if not weeks"
The Environment Minister says the final hurdles for commercial production to resume are almost cleared
Green groups criticise the go-ahead before water studies are complete
The Gunner Government imposed the moratorium on the Territory's fledging industry on its election in 2016, after just a few test wells were drilled in the Beetaloo Basin, south of Mataranka, because of widespread public concern about environmental risks.

The Territory Government approved Origin Energy's environmental management plan for civil engineering works to resume on its Kyalla test well on the Hayfield Shenandoah Station near Daly Waters, and one for Santos to undertake civil engineering works and seismic testing on Tanumbirini Station north of Elliott.

Chris Shaw from the Territory Environment Department said work was expected to start on the two sites "in the coming days, if not weeks".

cont...........

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-12/nt-fracking-exploration-could-begin-within-days-gas-wells/11204340

http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/30124

Creating Jobs, Protecting the Environment: Code of Practice Finalised

12 June 2019

The Territory Labor Government has finalised the Code of Practice, further strengthening protections for the environment and delivering an accountable and transparent onshore gas industry, which will support Territory jobs.

The Northern Territory Government is implementing all 135 recommendations from the Independent Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing. The establishment of the Code means the majority of the recommendations required for exploration to commence this year have been implemented.

The Code was developed by the Northern Territory Government, working closely with the CSIRO, and peer reviewed by scientific experts from around the world.

A total of 29 substantive public submissions were received while the draft Code was available for public comment.

In response to public submissions, the Code has been revised to make it clear that enclosed tanks are required to be used to store wastewater. The Code has also been made clearer regarding wastewater treatment, evaporation, transport and disposal requirements.

The Code mandates enforceable standards and requirements for the onshore gas industry on key issues, including:

Well operations

Surface activities

Wastewater management; and

Methane emissions.

Development of the Territory’s onshore petroleum industry has the potential to generate significant investment in the local economy and create local jobs.

Following the approval of environment management plans, civil works are commencing in the Beetaloo basin, in accordance with the Code of Practice. Copies of approved environment management plans will be available to be viewed here: https://denr.nt.gov.au/environment-information/onshore-gas-in-the-northern-territory/environment-management-plan

Quotes from Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, Paul Kirby:

“With this new Code of Practice, our Government is delivering strong and clear regulation to protect the environment, give certainty for investment, and meet community demands.

“Our Government has a clear plan to protect our environment, create local jobs and ensure the actions of Government and industry are transparent and accountable.

“We expect to see exploration this dry season – so long as the companies have met all the requirements that they need to meet.”

Quotes from the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory’s natural environment is one of our best assets and a huge part of what makes living here so special. Protecting the environment creates jobs — good environmental policy, is smart economic policy.

Roy is orgasmic over SEE' DMS though I suspect he doesn't know it's SEE's technology

'Driver Monitoring System

This is GM's triumph, and Tesla's major weakness. Given the low and declining state of driver education in this and other countries, it simply isn't possible to guarantee the safety of a semi-autonomous system without a driver monitoring system (DMS). If it were, Tesla wouldn't have had to shorten Autopilot's hands-on time interval, or add the three-strikes rule, for the second generation system.

To be fair, you can't guarantee safety even with a DMS. But it sure helps in a big way. In fact, camera-based driver-monitoring systems should be standard on all cars, even those lacking semi-autonomous features.

This is what Cadillac's brilliant DMS looks like:

photo

The driver's face is illuminated by six infrared lamps positioned on the steering wheel at 11 and 1 o'clock, while an infrared camera on top of the steering column monitors the driver's face. Turn your head or take your eyes off the road for too long—which is not that long at all—and disengagement warnings will begin.

I tried to trick it. I held my phone and began texting, first in front of the steering wheel, then off to the side. I wore four different pairs of sunglasses. No matter what I did, the disengagement warning went off. I even tried something innocent and reached for something I'd dropped on the floor of the passenger footwell. No go. The system knew. The red bar on the steering wheel started to flash, and I grabbed the wheel to keep the system engaged—though I didn't actually have to go that far. If the driver simply refocuses his attention to where it's supposed to be, the warnings stop and the system remains engaged, with no need to make contact with the steering wheel.

And, to be clear, I don't want to be able to trick the system—it should absolutely know if I'm not holding up my end of the bargain. That's why it's there.

Meanwhile, with Autopilot, if you keep your hand gently on the wheel you can pretty much text away. Autopilot has been the state-of-the-art since its release a little over two years ago, but its driver-monitoring system is one of the few areas where Tesla isn't light years ahead of the competition.

Winner: GM SuperCruise, by a mile

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/17083/the-battle-for-best-semi-autonomous-system-tesla-autopilot-vs-gm-supercruise-head-to-head

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