Santos makes Australasia progress
New discovery bolsters frontier WA basin’s prospects, while a PNG project also inches forward
ASX-listed Santos has made another “significant oil discovery” near its Dorado development off the coast of Western Australia (WA), which should further improve the viability of the Bedout basin for wider development. And it has also advanced a previously stalled Papua New Guinea (PNG) gas project, albeit the lead time for its realisation still looks concerningly long in an energy transition world. The Australian independent found success with its Pavo-1 exploration well, which is located around 46km east of the Dorado field. Santos says the new discovery is “similar” and “de-risks” the ongoing Dorado development. Pavo-1’s 2C resource is assessed at 43mn bl. The operator expects Pavo-1 “to s
Also in this section
11 February 2026
Panellists from three LNG buyers at LNG2026 in Doha outlined their evolving procurement strategies as they navigate heightened market volatility
11 February 2026
North African producer plans to boost output by early 2030, with Europe its number one priority as export destination
11 February 2026
Maritime leaders at LNG2026 warned of the dangers of over-regulation on competitiveness, sustainability and innovation
10 February 2026
The country has opened bidding on 50 blocks in a new licensing round but will face competition for attention and will need to address concerns about security and legislation






