Australian shale gathers steam
The sector may still be in its infancy, but the industry’s prospects have improved rapidly over the last six months
Sydney-based Empire Energy is the latest developer to announce positive news from the Northern Territory’s (NT’s) Beetaloo sub-basin, revealing in mid-February a significantly increased resource estimate at its wholly owned exploration permit (EP) 187, following fresh analysis of data from the Carpentaria-1 well. The three drilling programmes in the Beetaloo, the focus of Australia’s shale oil and gas development efforts, have each yielded promising results so far, potentially justifying the federal government’s faith in the region. Empire says a review of the well data by consultancy Netherland, Sewell & Associates found that reservoir properties and shale pay thickness exceeded pre-dr
Also in this section
19 May 2025
The two Gulf states are combining fossil fuel production with ambitions to become leaders in low-carbon energy
15 May 2025
Financial problems, lack of exploration success and political dogma cause uncertainty across much of the region
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
