State officials, PMA president visit Australia to offer advice on natural gas development

Pennsylvania state officials and Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association (PMA) President and CEO David N. Taylor recently visited Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) to offer help and advice related to how to best use a newly-discovered onshore natural gas play to drive economic growth.

“The Beetaloo Basin play is believed to be as large as the Marcellus, and of similar composition,” Taylor said. “But there are numerous obstacles to overcome to get the gas and gas by-products to the domestic market where they are needed most.”

Taylor was invited as a member of the steering committee of Forge the Future, an initiative by Pennsylvania businesses that aims to capitalize on the potential of the state’s energy assets.

Taylor and others, including Denise Brinley, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Energy, met with NT cabinet officials, members of Territorial parliament and business members of the Energy Club of the Northern Territory at the capital port city of Darwin.

“Just as we are seeing with the Shell facility in Beaver County, an energy-enabled economy can drive prosperity across the board,” Taylor said. “The energy from natural gas and the value added through petrochemical manufacturing create wealth and economic dynamism that can transform our economy. Our continuing efforts with Forge the Future are focused on making that happen here, and, in the same way, I hope our friends in Australia can achieve that brighter future too.”