Australia's one man show
Queensland remains the country's capital of unconventional gas, with bans in force in some other states
It's down there and it's staying there. Much of Australia's abundant reserves of unconventional gas remain locked in the rock because of opposition from environmental groups. This has pretty much shut down exploration in most states other than Queensland, the unofficial capital of coal-seam gas, and South Australia. At the end of 2017, a permanent ban on the exploration and development of all onshore unconventional gas was imposed in Victoria. Indeed, another moratorium, this one on the exploration and development of conventional onshore gas, has been extended until mid-2020. In New South Wales, no additional wells have been drilled in the past three years because of a blanket ban on develop
Also in this section
2 April 2026
Alongside a rapid continued build-out of renewables, China’s latest five-year plan stresses the value of domestic hydrocarbon production for energy security and calls for increased Russian gas imports
2 April 2026
The government is taking important steps to revive domestic production, lift investment and benefit from the geopolitical crisis even if more needs to be done in the longer term
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices






