"Australia & Britain share a remarkable two hundred year old cultural heritage, with many contemporary Australian having been born in the United Kingdom. Our economic and commercial relationship transcends the challenge of geographic distance - Britain is the second largest investor in Australia and Australia now ranks among the top 5 investors into the UK"
             "Australia's energy future has never been brighter - she has more than doubled her energy exports in the last decade and the North West Shelf and Timor Sea are already the most active exploration acerages in the world for many operators. Her proximity to the "tiger economies" of South-East Asia holds substantial strategic significance.
             In recent years, Australia has admired the many technological and logistical innovations made in the North Sea, which have transformed the prospects of marginal and frontier development. Many of these advances have come from young, specialist energy companies in Britain who are now ready to take their technological expertise to new markets in joint venture with indigenous like-minded local companies.
             To all of them I send this message - Australia is ready and willing to do business with the British oil and gas industry."
             And that - in a Nutshell, is really why I'm here. Before finally getting started on my story it may be a useful benchmark to give you a very brief statement on the British Governments energy policy.:
             The British Government's Energy Policy
             "The cost and certainty of energy supplies are important factors in the nations competitiveness. The UK Government's Department of Trade & Industry policy is ensure secure, diverse and sustainable energy reserves in the forms that people and business want and at competitive prices. This is best achieved through the mechanisms of the market. It is within competitive markets that prices are best determined, cost can be expo...