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