7 research outputs found
Exploration highlights for 2007
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Record-high oil prices along with on-going development of infrastructure, increasing domestic demand and international LNG sales continued to drive significant investment in exploration in onshore and offshore Australia during 2007. These trends are reflected nationally by strong uptake of acreage and continued high levels of drilling activity and seismic acquisition. Overall, drilling and discovery trends were similar to 2006 which showed significant exploration activity focussed on proven hydrocarbon basins (Carnarvon, Browse, Perth and Cooper basins). Most petroleum discoveries made in 2007 were located within 10 to 15 km of existing fields.
In terms of number of exploration wells, the offshore Carnarvon continued to dominate with over 20 new field wildcats drilled. Discoveries include a major deep-water gas find for BHP-Billiton at Thebe-1 on the outer Exmouth Plateau, Apache’s gas finds at Brunello–1, Julimar–1 and Julimar East–1, oil for Santos at Fletcher–1 and gas at Lady Nora–1 for Woodside. The Browse Basin saw a significant increase in drilling activity with some success. Exploration in the offshore southwest margin received a major boost with a series of shallow-water discoveries for ROC Oil in the Perth Basin with gas at Frankland–1 395and Perseverance–1 and gas and oil at Dunsborough–1.
Onshore, the Cooper/Eromanga basins continued to experience the highest level of drilling activity and seismic acquisition. This activity resulted in numerous small to moderate oil discoveries for Santos, Beach Petroleum, Eagle Bay Resources, Stuart Petroleum and Victoria Petroleum. There were a few notable exceptions to near-field exploration in 2007 with several wildcats drilled in frontier regions including PetroHunter Energy and Sweetpea Petroleum’s Shanendoah–1 in the Georgina/Betaloo basins, Austin’s Gravestock–1 in the onshore Stansbury Basin and the onshore drilling campaign by ARC Energy in the Canning Basin. In Queensland, CSM exploration and discovery continued to experience strong positive growth underpinned by delivery to local markets.
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Linking Permian magmatic activity in the southern New England Orogen with ash-fall tuff horizons in the Bowen, Gunnedah and Sydney Basins
No full textThe late Permian Wandsworth Volcanic Group (WVG) in the southern New England Orogen (SNEO) is dominated by amalgamated rhyodacitic to felsic eruptives. Field relationships indicate a broadly contemporaneous (though not necessarily genetic) relationship with late Permian granite magmatism. Zircon SHRIMP studies show the youngest preserved member of the WVG (Dundee Rhyodacite) is 254.1 ± 2.2 Ma while the dating of the currently exposed base of the WVG indicate ages typically around 256.4 ± 1.6 Ma. A short period of substantial intermediate to acid eruptive volcanism is indicated. The compositionally unevolved Drake Volcanics to the north east are older (264.4 ± 2.5 Ma). Late Permian granites of the SNEO are dominantly 256-251 Ma (including many formally regarded as Triassic), with younger Triassic plutons (Mole, Stanthorpe, Ruby Creek, Dumboy Gragin) typically in the range 246-243 Ma. Granite magmatism youngs towards the east of the SNEO with episodic emplacement at ~240 Ma, ~230 Ma and ~220 Ma and 212 Ma, rather than a single, terminal flourish. Associated volcanism for much of this activity (except the last) has not been preserved. Of note in this study is the coincidence of mid to late Permian to Lower Triassic ages of granite magmatism and volcanism in the SNEO with ID-TIMS dating of zircons from the adjacent Sydney, Gunnedah and Bowen Basins, strongly suggesting the SNEO as the dominant source of volcanic material into these adjacent basins. The basins thus probably retain a detailed record of magmatic activity in the adjacent orogen
Difficult tracheal intubation in neonates and infants. NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE): a prospective European multicentre observational study
No full textBackground: Neonates and infants are susceptible to hypoxaemia in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to analyse interventions related to anaesthesia tracheal intubations in this European cohort and identify their clinical consequences.
Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of tracheal intubations of the European multicentre observational trial (NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe [NECTARINE]) in neonates and small infants with difficult tracheal intubation. The primary endpoint was the incidence of difficult intubation and the related complications. The secondary endpoints were the risk factors for severe hypoxaemia attributed to difficult airway management, and 30 and 90 day outcomes.
Results: Tracheal intubation was planned in 4683 procedures. Difficult tracheal intubation, defined as two failed attempts of direct laryngoscopy, occurred in 266 children (271 procedures) with an incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 5.8% (95% CI, 5.1-6.5). Bradycardia occurred in 8% of the cases with difficult intubation, whereas a significant decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2<90% for 60 s) was reported in 40%. No associated risk factors could be identified among co-morbidities, surgical, or anaesthesia management. Using propensity scoring to adjust for confounders, difficult anaesthesia tracheal intubation did not lead to an increase in 30 and 90 day morbidity or mortality.
Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate a high incidence of difficult tracheal intubation in children less than 60 weeks post-conceptual age commonly resulting in severe hypoxaemia. Reassuringly, the morbidity and mortality at 30 and 90 days was not increased by the occurrence of a difficult intubation event
Morbidity and mortality after anaesthesia in early life: results of the European prospective multicentre observational study, neonate and children audit of anaesthesia practice in Europe (NECTARINE)
No full textBackground: Neonates and infants requiring anaesthesia are at risk of physiological instability and complications, but triggers for peri-anaesthetic interventions and associations with subsequent outcome are unknown.
Methods: This prospective, observational study recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. The primary aim was to identify thresholds of pre-determined physiological variables that triggered a medical intervention. The secondary aims were to evaluate morbidities, mortality at 30 and 90 days, or both, and associations with critical events.
Results: Infants (n=5609) born at mean (standard deviation [sd]) 36.2 (4.4) weeks postmenstrual age (35.7% preterm) underwent 6542 procedures within 63 (48) days of birth. Critical event(s) requiring intervention occurred in 35.2% of cases, mainly hypotension (>30% decrease in blood pressure) or reduced oxygenation (SpO2 <85%). Postmenstrual age influenced the incidence and thresholds for intervention. Risk of critical events was increased by prior neonatal medical conditions, congenital anomalies, or both (relative risk [RR]=1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.28) and in those requiring preoperative intensive support (RR=1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.41). Additional complications occurred in 16.3% of patients by 30 days, and overall 90-day mortality was 3.2% (95% CI, 2.7-3.7%). Co-occurrence of intraoperative hypotension, hypoxaemia, and anaemia was associated with increased risk of morbidity (RR=3.56; 95% CI, 1.64-7.71) and mortality (RR=19.80; 95% CI, 5.87-66.7).
Conclusions: Variability in physiological thresholds that triggered an intervention, and the impact of poor tissue oxygenation on patient's outcome, highlight the need for more standardised perioperative management guidelines for neonates and infants
Ventilation strategies and risk factors for intraoperative respiratory critical events and postoperative pulmonary complications in neonates and small infants: a secondary analysis of the NECTARINE cohort☆
No full textBackground: Optimal ventilation strategies and use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in neonates and small infants undergoing anaesthesia remain unclear. We examined the association of perioperative ventilation strategies and administration of NMBAs on respiratory adverse events in the NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) cohort. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of NECTARINE, which included infants up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures. The primary endpoint was the association between ventilation mode and intraoperative respiratory adverse events. Secondary endpoints were use of NMBA, and 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Results: The dataset comprised 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Pressure-controlled ventilation was the primary ventilation modality, accounting for 52.4% (n=3428) of cases. The incidence of intraoperative respiratory critical events was 20.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.7–21.7%), while PPCs were observed in 17% of cases (95% CI 16.0–18.1%). Preanaesthesia respiratory conditions and NMBA use after tracheal intubation were associated with higher incidence of PPCs. Of the children receiving NMBAs, reversal was reported in 29.8%. The absence of reversal was associated with a higher incidence of PPCs, with a relative risk of 1.50 (95% CI 1.17–1.93). Conversely, NMBA reversal was associated with a reduced relative risk of 0.43 (95% CI 0.26–0.70). Conclusions: Regardless of ventilation strategy used, mechanical ventilation and baseline respiratory conditions were risk factors for a greater incidence of adverse respiratory events and PPCs. Reversal of NMBAs before tracheal extubation was significantly associated with reduced PPCs in neonates and should be routine clinical practice. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02350348)
Peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and infants: NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe: A prospective European multicentre observational study
No full textBACKGROUND: Little is known about current clinical practice concerning peri-operative red blood cell transfusion in neonates and small infants. Guidelines suggest transfusions based on haemoglobin thresholds ranging from 8.5 to 12 g dl-1, distinguishing between children from birth to day 7 (week 1), from day 8 to day 14 (week 2) or from day 15 (≥week 3) onwards. OBJECTIVE: To observe peri-operative red blood cell transfusion practice according to guidelines in relation to patient outcome. DESIGN: A multicentre observational study. SETTING: The NEonate-Children sTudy of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE) trial recruited patients up to 60 weeks' postmenstrual age undergoing anaesthesia for surgical or diagnostic procedures from 165 centres in 31 European countries between March 2016 and January 2017. PATIENTS: The data included 5609 patients undergoing 6542 procedures. Inclusion criteria was a peri-operative red blood cell transfusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the haemoglobin level triggering a transfusion for neonates in week 1, week 2 and week 3. Secondary endpoints were transfusion volumes, 'delta haemoglobin' (preprocedure - transfusion-triggering) and 30-day and 90-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Peri-operative red blood cell transfusions were recorded during 447 procedures (6.9%). The median haemoglobin levels triggering a transfusion were 9.6 [IQR 8.7 to 10.9] g dl-1 for neonates in week 1, 9.6 [7.7 to 10.4] g dl-1 in week 2 and 8.0 [7.3 to 9.0] g dl-1 in week 3. The median transfusion volume was 17.1 [11.1 to 26.4] ml kg-1 with a median delta haemoglobin of 1.8 [0.0 to 3.6] g dl-1. Thirty-day morbidity was 47.8% with an overall mortality of 11.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate lower transfusion-triggering haemoglobin thresholds in clinical practice than suggested by current guidelines. The high morbidity and mortality of this NECTARINE sub-cohort calls for investigative action and evidence-based guidelines addressing peri-operative red blood cell transfusions strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02350348
