Perth, Australia
Dr. Peter Nattrass
Lord Mayor - City of Perth
Perth is the world's fourth best city in which to live and work, according to a 2004 survey of expatriates by The Economist magazine. Set on the banks of the majestic Swan River, Perth has the look and feel of a big city, yet is renowned for its easy lifestyle. It is a bustling business centre, the capital of the State of Western Australia and the business centre for the energy and resources industry in the Asia Pacific region.
Located on the coast of Western Australia, the state's capital Perth is home to approximately 1.9 million people. The population is growing by around 1.3% every year. The total area of Western Australia is a staggering 2.5 million square kilometres whilst Perth covers just over 5,000 square kilometres.
Western Australia is a national and internationally significant hydrocarbon-baring province. It's daily oil, condensate, gas and LNG production lead the nation. In 2002-2003 the State's petroleum production was worth $10.6 billion out of a total mineral and energy production of $27.6 billion.
Of the seven major sedimentary basins in the State, five have produced significant hydrocarbon shows. In 2003 there were 44 production fields. Of these, 14 fields are onshore, and 30 offshore.
Western Australia has an expanding oil and gas sector. Gas reserves of 140 trillion cubic feet in large to giant gas fields underpin the states current LNG production of 7% of global LNG sales. The northwest offshore region is now recognised as a world class natural gas province, one of the 10 largest in the world. It also contains large oil fields.