Australia rejoins road to shale riches
Shale gas developers are beginning to ramp up their exploration efforts following the end of a freeze on fracking approvals in the Northern Territory
Australia’s shale gas sector is showing its first true signs of activity since the Northern Territory (NT) decided to lift its two-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in 2018. The Darwin government’s ban on fracking, introduced in 2016, derailed Santos and Origin Energy’s exploration plans, with both companies having only drilled a handful of wells up to that point. The decision, prompted by growing environmental opposition to fracking, froze development on the federal territory’s estimated 500tn ft³ shale gas resource. The NT lifted its ban after a 15-month independent scientific inquiry reported in March 2018 that the risks surrounding fracking could be mitigated if its 135 recommendat
Also in this section
24 March 2026
It is an unusual story of out with the new and in with the old, as America First Refining shows the US going back to trusted energy security developments
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
