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
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
8 January 2026
The next five years will be critical for the North Sea, and it will be policy not geology that will decide the basin’s future
