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
9 April 2026
The April 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
9 April 2026
Offshore operators are working through an FID backlog as the rig market consolidates, helped by improving project economics and a renewed security drive
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
