However, Woodside responded by saying domestic gas and LNG customers will now be approached for their firm and final positions on Sunrise supply and any talk about the closure is "potentially grossly misleading". The company anticipates a decision late November/early December.
The Australian Pipeline Industry Association held its annual gabfest in Hobart this week and as you would expect gas industry regulators came under intense criticism from the industry lobby group.
APIA president, Jim McDonald, called them "gorillas" who are "highly territorial, engaged in some very loud chest beating and determined to be the central element in policy development."
Another executive not holding back was AGL boss John Phillips who launch a stinging attack on greedy executives, directors holding more than two posts and too much government regulation.
Clearly, it had little impact with the Essential Services Commission in SA, which trimmed AGL's planned price rise next year.
It was a busy week for the markets as they digest the latest quarterly figures. Shares in alternative power company Energy Development fell for two days running after it reported delays in testing its new energy-from-waste technology.
Despite a drop in oil production, PNG-focused Oil Search saw its share price spike as it recorded a more than 50% increase in revenue for the September quarter compared to the corresponding period last year.
Novus posted slightly softer third quarter sales revenue as it announced its return to Australian exploration.
Colourful Perth entrepreneur Danny Hill is looking to get in on the booming Northern Perth Basin by buying a stake in Arc Energy.
Out in the field, the WA Government is looking to take advantage of the interest shown by explorers in the Northern Perth Basin and released more acreage.
After an extensive seismic shoot, Drillsearch has significantly upgraded the potential of the southern section of the Bonaparte Basin.
Voyager Energy reached an agreement with Bounty Oil & Gas to acquire a stake in the shallow water block sandwiched between offshore Cliff Head and Jingemia.
Petsec announced another successful Gulf of Mexico gas discovery and told the market it plans to start producing from its two discoveries (drilled last month) early in the new year.
Amadeus Energy completed a consolidation of property and production around its Knox City Unit leases in Texas by way of two transactions.
Overseas, angry over what they perceive as a raw deal, tribal villagers in PNG shut down a vital oil terminal.
The first shipment of PNG-bound refinery equipment from Texas has departed according to InterOil, who is building that nation's first oil refinery.
BP boss, Lord Browne, warned the Americans not to get too greedy if there is "regime change" in Iraq by ensuring a level playing field for all foreign oil companies when Saddam is finally history.
State-owned Norwegian company Statoil has signed its first Middle-East contract by getting into an offshore Iranian oilfield.
Meanwhile in Asia, China has finally agreed on a restructuring plan for the electricity industry after decades of mismanagement and corruption. The Tangguh LNG project in Irian Jaya has received environmental approval from the Indonesia Government.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, two new well head platforms have come onstream for operator ConocoPhillips in the Ran Dong oil field, offshore Vietnam, courtesy of Worley Engineers.
Finally, thanks to the fury of Mother Nature, BP and Royal Dutch/Shell saw their earnings slashed after storms in the Gulf of Mexico shut down rigs and trimmed production.
