Petratherm Limited was again in the news on Friday 16th announcing another trading halt, this time pending an announcement “regarding funds.”

Geothermal was certainly a popular topic this month with the ABC, which ran a couple of stories on ABC radio’s current affairs program “PM”. 

The first, on Friday 9th February, aired support for the industry from Tim Flannery (Australian of the Year), Brad Page (Energy Supply Association of Australia), Tony Mohr (Australian Conservation Foundation), Tony Wood (Origin Energy) and Iain MacGill (UNSW Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets). 

The second, on Wednesday 14th February, covered Tim Flannery’s address to the Australian Workers’ Union national conference, during which Tim urged the unions to concentrate on developing Australia’s untapped geothermal (and solar thermal) resources.

On Friday 9th, Green Rock Energy Ltd announced that their recent Private Placement and Rights Issue was successfully completed, adding $4,024,380 to their coffers to finance their Hungarian and Australian projects. They also announced a new significant shareholder; Australian Ethical Investments Ltd, now holds 9.1% of GRK.

On Friday 9th February, Green Rock Energy Ltd announced that their recent Private Placement and Rights Issue was successfully completed, adding $4,024,380 to their coffers to finance their Hungarian and Australian projects. They also announced a new significant shareholder; Australian Ethical Investments Ltd, now holds 9.1% of GRK.

News emerged that financial services firm JP Morgan has launched an Australian product to allow retail investors to invest in a range of global alternative energy companies in sectors including geothermal. They say that the Alternative Energy Strategic Asset Security (STRATAS) is the first of its kind in Australia.

On Thursday 8th February, the Business Review Weekly carried a story that Scopenergy Limited is on the market, along with its GELs in the Otway Basin in southeast South Australia. Roger Massy-Greene has presumably decided to risk early retirement, hoping that his “retrenchment” package from Excel Coal can stretch through his twilight years. (Good luck Roger!)

Thursday 8th February was turning out to be a very busy day. The Federal Government’s Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, debated Australian Labor Party Environment Spokesman, Peter Garrett, about climate change on the ABC TV’s “7:30 Report”. 

In terms of number of times geothermal energy was mentioned, Peter Garrett convincingly won the debate 2:0.

The Western Australian Government released a report by the Greenhouse and Energy Taskforce,