Industry News

Santos says Barossa remains on track for first gas by Q3 2025, just two days after Middle East O&G giant ADNOC lobbed its $32 billion takeover bid — as the BW Opal FPSO sails into position 285km north of Darwin. 

The Barossa field is considered a strategic prize for ADNOC, offering 3.7 million tonnes a year of LNG and a cost-competitive gateway into Asia-Pacific export markets. 

Santos and joint venture partners SK E&S and JERA have invested more than US$3.95 billion (A$6.07 billion) in the project to date.  

Now with drilling delays behind it, Santos reports five of six production wells are complete, the fifth is undergoing flow testing, and final completion is due this quarter.  

Meanwhile, 262km Gas Export Pipeline and 123km Darwin Pipeline Duplication, is in place. 

Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher described the FPSO's arrival as a "significant milestone" for the long-delayed project, which received final investment approval in 2018.  

"Barossa is a world-class asset and, together with Pikka Phase 1 in Alaska, is expected to deliver a 30% production uplift over the next 18 months," he said. 

The Barossa LNG volumes are largely contracted, with offtakers including Mitsubishi's Diamond Gas, Hokkaido Gas, Shizuoka Gas, TotalEnergies and mining giant Glencore. Gallagher has reiterated that Barossa remains on track to be delivered within its US $4.6–5.8 billion cost guidance, despite legal challenges and earlier delays. 

A $1 billion life extension of the Darwin LNG plant, required to process Barossa gas, is 90% complete.  

The upgrade has supported about 300 jobs and is expected to deliver $100 million annually in supply and service opportunities to Northern Territory businesses. 

Source: Energy News Bulletin 

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is driving development in Central Australia, with the first shipment of Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) from Avenira Limited’s Wonarah Phosphate Project set to proceed following the grant of a Deemed Environmental Mining Licence, commonly known as a Mining Management Plan.

This approval will enable Avenira to advance development at Wonarah to produce up to 1.3 million tonnes of DSO, and the first shipment is expected later this year.

Phosphate is primarily used in the agriculture and fertiliser industries, but demand is growing as it becomes a key feedstock in electric vehicle battery and energy storage facilities.

The initial phosphate DSO will support agricultural productivity, while the future project phases will create opportunities for high-value downstream processing, manufacturing, and investment.

The CLP Government promised 2025 would be a year of action, certainty and security – and this milestone is a clear example of delivering on that commitment.

Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley said the project would deliver long-term economic benefits for the Barkly region.

“The NT Government is laser-focussed on growing the Territory economy and promoting mining and attracting investment is a top priority,” Mr Maley said.

“We want to see more mining projects Avenira’s, move into production, which is why we are providing a regulatory and investment environment that helps get projects off the ground quickly and successfully.

“This project is expected to create up to 100 direct local jobs in Central Australia, with further indirect employment and infrastructure investments flowing from it.”

Located around 245km east of Tennant Creek, Wonarah Project is one of Australia’s largest undeveloped phosphate resources, with a potential mine life of 30-plus years.

Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Joshua Burgoyne said the project is a strong example of balanced and responsible development.

“This is a great example of our government working with industry to streamline approvals while maintaining strong environmental protections,” he said.

“Projects like Wonarah are critical for the sustainable growth of our regions, and the approval reflects our commitment to efficient, transparent and responsible environmental regulation.”

Avenira Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Stephanie Yuan welcomed the milestone approval.

“We are pleased to receive approval of the Mine Management Plan supporting the Company’s proposed mining activities at Wonarah. This approval is a key step toward unlocking our plans to commence operations by Q4 2025,” she said.

“The DSO operations are an important step in the development of a downstream beneficiation plant and Yellow Phosphorus processing facility in the Northern Territory.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the Northern Territory Government for their support and we look forward to continuing our work together.”

Avenira Limited’s Deemed Environmental Mining Licence includes open pit designs and supporting roads and infrastructure.

Under the Environment Protection Act 2019 and the Environment Protection Regulations 2020, an environmental (mining) licence is required before mining activities can commence.

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

Top End Energy is advancing its Northern Territory portfolio as the Beetaloo Sub-basin enters a new phase of multi-well development. The Company is positioning its exploration permits to align with the region’s emerging commercial activity.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Updated EP Work programs: Through its wholly owned subsidiary McArthur Energy Pty Ltd, TEE has updated work programs designed to capitalise on the growing momentum from ongoing appraisal and development activity
• Record Flow Testing in Beetaloo: Tamboran Resources has reported the highest 30-day initial production flow rate in the basin, on par with U.S. Marcellus shale benchmarks 1
• Key Position in Beetaloo: EP 153 and EP 154 are immediately north of Tamboran Resources’ EP98, with a strategic infrastructure advantage, being positioned adjacent to the Amadeus Gas Pipeline
• Beetaloo Enters Development: A decade on from its first unconventional discovery, Tamboran’s dual-rig drilling campaign and Beetaloo Energy’s (formerly Empire Energy) hydraulic stimulation program mark a pivotal shift - signalling the transition from appraisal to full-scale development

Source: Top End Energy

• Hydraulic stimulation has commenced on Beetaloo Energy’s Carpentaria-5H well in Beetaloo Basin permit EP 187
• Carpentaria-5H is the longest horizontal well in the Beetaloo Basin
• Over 60 stimulation stages are planned across the 3,310 metre (10,860 feet), 5 ½” cased horizontal section within the Velkerri B Shale
• The campaign is being conducted by Halliburton with a 42,000 hydraulic horsepower spread to implement a stimulation design with the following enhanced benchmarks:
• • ~100 bbl/minute pump rate
  • >50 bbl/ft slickwater stimulation fluid intensity
  • >2,400 lb/ft proppant (sand) intensity
• The stimulation is expected to take approximately four weeks to complete
• Following completion, Beetaloo Energy will undertake a ~30-day period of cleanup and soak, followed by a 30-day production test Beetaloo Energy expects to release IP30 flow rate results in late Q3 2025
• Carpentaria-5H forms part of the Carpentaria Pilot Project along with Carpentaria-2H and Carpentaria-3H wells that have been previously drilled and stimulated from the same well pad
• Beetaloo Energy’s cash at bank is $40.5 million

“The stimulation of Carpentaria-5H is an historic moment in the development of the Beetaloo Basin. This is the first well in the basin targeting a stimulation across a 3km (2 mile) horizontal section.

Horizontal drilling and hydraulic stimulation revolutionized the United States’ energy system, driving down energy prices and emissions intensity while stimulating economic activity. This is an opportunity that Australia now shares through the development of the Beetaloo Basin.

The Beetaloo Energy team is committed to playing a key role in providing increased gas supply to the Northern Territory market, then the Australian East Coast market, and ultimately the broader region. This, in the success case, will increase the reliability of our energy system, put downward pressure on energy prices and facilitate increased economic growth.

We look forward to sharing the results of the program with shareholders over the coming months.” Alex Underwood, Managing Director

Highlights

• The Shenandoah South 2H sidetrack (SS-2H ST1) well achieved a Beetaloo Basin record average 30-day initial production (IP30) flow rate of 7.2 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) over a 5,483-foot (1,671-metre), 35 stage stimulated length within the Mid Velkerri B Shale.
• The flow rate of 13.2 MMcf/d over an extrapolated 10,000-foot horizontal section is in-line with the average of more than 11,000 wells in the Marcellus Shale dry gas area with production for over a 12-month period. The result demonstrates Tamboran’s view of commercial deliverability of gas from the Mid Velkerri B Shale to the East Coast gas market that typically sells at a premium to Henry Hub.
• The exit rate trajectory maintains a steady, low-declining curve at 6.7 MMcf/d (normalized at 12.2 MMcf/d per 10,000-feet) with a flowing wellhead pressure of ~910 psi. The steady state decline curve on SS-2H ST1 is consistent with that achieved from the SS-1H well.
• The Shenandoah South drilling campaign is planned to commence in 2H 2025, targeting up to three 10,000-foot horizontal wells from the SS2 well pad, subject to final joint venture approval.
• Once completed, the five wells on the SS2 pad are planned to be tied into the Sturt Plateau Compression Facility (SPCF) to feed into the 40 MMcf/d Gas Sales Agreement with the Northern Territory Government. Production remains on track to commence in mid-2026, subject to standard regulatory and stakeholder approvals and favourable weather conditions.

Source: Tamboran Resources Website

Empire Energy Group Limited (“Empire” or “the Company”) (ABN 29 002 148 361) is pleased to advise a new Company name and ASX Code.

At the 2025 Annual General Meeting held on 29 May 2025, a special resolution was passed by Shareholders to change the name of the Company to Beetaloo Energy Australia Limited.

The change of name process is now complete.

The change of name will take effect on the ASX from commencement of trading on Wednesday 18^th June 2025 at which time the ASX code will migrate from EEG to BTL.

In accordance with ASX Listing Rule 15.4, shareholder approval will be sought at the General Meeting to be held in July 2025 on a date to be announced to update the Company’s Constitution for the change of name.

There will be no change to the Company’s ABN.

The Company will migrate to a new website beetalooenergy.com in the coming days.

Source: Beetaloo Energy Australia

The Finocchiaro CLP Government is injecting $3.9 million into NT resource exploration, awarding 38 grants to 30 companies through the latest Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations (GDC) program.

Round 18 of the program is supporting 38 projects through the $9.5 million Resourcing the Territory initiative, which accelerates exploration, discovery and local jobs.

Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley said the grants demonstrate the Territory Government’s strong commitment to rebuilding the economy through responsible resource development.

The Territory’s value of mineral production in 2023/24 was $4.32 billion.

The mining sector forms the greatest contributor to the Territory’s own-sourced revenue from eight operating mines, and millions of dollars spent annually on mineral exploration.

“This flagship program gives companies a clear incentive to invest in exploration here in the Territory, rather than interstate,” said Mr Maley.

“It also rewards those willing to innovate and test new techniques to unlock the Territory’s vast mineral potential and bring forward the next wave of discoveries.”

The successful applicants include 14 greenfields drilling programs, 6 brownfields diamond drilling programs, 10 regional geophysical surveys, 7 innovative targeting projects, and one project under the advancing critical minerals category.

Eleven of the successful companies have never received co-funding before.

More than half of the co-funded projects are targeting critical minerals, including copper, rare earth elements, lithium, and fluorite, which places the Territory in a strong position to support the global transition to low-emissions economy through green technology.

“It’s encouraging to see the majority of these co-funded programs focusing on the critical minerals that are essential to the global energy transition,” said Mr Maley.

“These projects will help build the Territory’s critical minerals pipeline, support local jobs, and drive long-term economic growth.”

Nine of the co-funded projects will provide work for locally based contractors providing services such as earthworks, drilling, and laboratory analysis, with approximately $88,900 awarded for the Territory Supplier Incentive (TSI) funding.

The Territory Suppler Incentive provides up to $10,000 per project in additional funding to support service and supply by Territory-based companies.

Copper was the most commonly targeted commodity, featuring in nearly one-third of successful applications.

Other projects are targeting gold, uranium, diamonds and hydrocarbons, highlighting the diverse resource potential of the Territory.

The Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies consistently ranks the Northern Territory among the world’s top jurisdictions for mineral potential, something the Finocchiaro CLP Government is actively working to leverage for the benefit of all Territorians.

“We are committed to making the Northern Territory the best place in Australia for exploration, private investment, and job creation,” said Mr Maley.

More information and the full list of successful grant recipients is available at: https://resourcingtheterritory.nt.gov.au/exploration-grants.

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

Empire Energy Group Limited (“Empire” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Alexander Hunter as Chief Financial Officer effective 3 June 2025.

Mr Hunter has 20 years’ experience in the energy and resources sector with a focus on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and corporate financial management. He has worked for the past six years providing corporate finance and M&A consulting services to listed and unlisted energy and mining companies. He has held senior executive roles in ASX listed companies including Chief Financial Officer of Elk Petroleum and General Manager of Business Development for Drillsearch Energy.

In these roles he was instrumental in rationalising and growing the businesses through successful asset sales and acquisitions, equity and debt capital raisings, public market mergers and takeovers, post-merger integration and growth of the business finance teams & financial management capabilities.

Mr Hunter was previously a senior executive at RFC Ambrian where he specialised in resources, energy and industrial company mergers and acquisitions and capital raising. Prior to his career in finance, he held engineering and project management roles in civil construction and infrastructure development projects in Australia.

He has a Bachelor of Engineering, an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and holds postgraduate qualifications in applied finance business law.

The deep experience and skills that Mr Hunter brings to the company will be critical as Empire transitions to Beetaloo Basin gas producer. Robin Polson has retired from the role of Chief Financial Officer. Mr Polson joined Empire as a commercial advisor to the Company in September 2021 and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in July 2022.

During his tenure, Mr Polson played a critical role in the negotiation of Empire’s gas sales agreement with the Northern Territory Government, under which Empire will supply up to 25 TJ / day to the local NT market for up to 10 years. Mr Polson played an important role in negotiating and executing the $65 million credit facility with Macquarie Bank Limited which is supporting the development of the Carpentaria Pilot Project, and in the successful completion of our US asset divestiture program, as a result of which Empire is now a Beetaloo / McArthur Basin pure play.

Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood:

“We are delighted that Alex Hunter is joining Empire Energy at such a crucial time for the company. As we transition to gas production the company operations will continue to grow in both scale and complexity, and Alex brings the right mix of corporate and commercial experience to help the Empire team deliver that growth and create value for Empire shareholders. We thank Robin Polson for his dedicated service to the Company over the last 4 years, a period during which Empire has materially progressed from explorer towards the commencement of production. The entire Empire team wishes Robin well.”

Source: ASX ANNOUNCEMENT

The Finocchiaro CLP Government welcomes the growing petroleum investment and exploration activity in the Northern Territory’s gas sector, as a vote of confidence in the Territory’s attractive regulatory environment and world-class natural resources.

This week, Echelon Resources announced it had completed the acquisition of 100% interest and ownership of petroleum Exploration Permit (EP) 145, located in the Amadeus Basin in Central Australia.

Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley said the CLP Government’s year of action, certainty, and security is being realised, with strong momentum in the energy sector.

“Acquisitions like this show that industry has real confidence in the Northern Territory and the clear, consistent approach the CLP Government is delivering,” said Mr Maley.

“We’re providing the certainty investors and proponents need to back projects that create jobs, grow the economy, and bring real benefits to communities across the Territory.”

Echelon Resources, an agile Australasian-focused energy exploration and production company based in Wellington, New Zealand, acquired EP145 from London Stock Exchange-listed Mosman Oil & Gas.

Echelon is already a key partner in the Territory’s gas-producing Mereenie, Palm Valley, and Dingo fields, which underpin the local gas industry.

Situated near the Mereenie gas field, EP145 presents significant potential for new resource exploration and development, benefiting from proximity to existing infrastructure.

Echelon Resources has also announced that in 2026 it will acquire a geophysical survey over part of EP145, in the form of a 3-dimensional or 3D seismic survey.

 These surveys allow explorers to visualise the subsurface in three dimensions, making it easier to target and model potential accumulations of gas compared to conventional 2D seismic surveys.

Echelon’s intent is to tie any such gas resources into nearby existing infrastructure and supply it to the Northern Territory gas market as soon as possible.

This 3D survey will be the largest acquired to date in the Amadeus Basin, which has been producing gas consistently since the 1980’s.

“I look forward to seeing the outcomes of Echelon’s exploration efforts and wish them success as they continue to build on the Territory’s status as a leading energy hub in Central Australia,” said Minister Maley.

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit to be put to work by Santos is on its way from Singapore to the Barossa field. 

Fully commissioned and ready for offshore deployment, the BW Opal left Seatrium's Tuas Boulevard Yard on May 28 to be tugged to the waters off Australia's Northern Territory.

According to BW Offshore, hook-up operations are set to start as soon as the vessel arrives at the destination and will be followed by the start-up phase, which includes offshore commissioning, well clean-up, and preparation for gas export, targeted for Q3 2025.  

The BW Opal is set to have a 25-year offshore lifespan. 

The vessel is 358m long and 64m wide and has 230 MW of installed power, gas processing facilities of 850 million standard cubic feet per day, as well as the capacity to process 11,000 barrels per day of stabilised condensate. 

According to Seatrium, efficiencies and modern tech on the FPSO will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15% compared to traditional systems, translating to a reduction of up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the asset's life. 

In April this year, Santos finally secured a critical element of regulatory approval for its $5.8 billion Barossa gas project, as NOPSEMA signed off on a key pipeline production plan. The approval allowed Santos to begin final commissioning activities, bringing the long-delayed project a step closer to first gas.  

At the time a Santos spokesperson confirmed to Energy News Bulletin "Barossa remains on track for first gas in the third quarter of 2025 and within cost guidance."  

The environment plan for production operations accepted by NOPSEMA covers six subsea wells connected to the soon to arrive BW Opal vessel. 

Under its EP, gas will be piped 262 kilometres to the Darwin LNG facility, replacing supply from the aging Bayu-Undan field. At the same time, condensate will be offloaded by tanker. 

Source: Energy New Bulletin