https://www.miningweekly.com

Govt invests in Beetaloo exploration

17th December 2020

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

Font size: - +

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Australian government on Thursday announced plans to accelerate gas exploration and development in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo sub-basin, providing up to A$50-million for exploration taking place before the end of June 2022.

Federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt said that the push for exploration was hoped to create thousands of jobs, provide significant economic benefits to the region and ensure Australia remains a world leader in the production of natural gas.

Pitt said the government’s approach would speed up exploration and production in the Beetaloo by around two years.

“The funding will fast track drilling by providing grants to cover 25% of eligible exploration costs, capped at A$7.5-million per well and three wells per exploration venture.

“The Beetaloo Basin has been described as the ‘hottest play on the planet’ with the potential to be a world-class gas resource, transform the Northern Territory economy and generate 6 000 jobs by 2040.

“The Northern Territory’s Geological Survey estimates the sub-basin could hold more than 200 000 petajoules of gas. Even if only a very conservative 10% of that gas was recovered, it could still supply Australia’s domestic gas demand for more than 10 years,” Pitt said.

“Industry analysis estimates the development of the sub-basin could increase economic activity by between A$18-billion and A$36.8-billion over the next 20 years,” he added.

The Beetaloo Strategic Basin Plan is a key early step in the gas-fired recovery agenda, and is the first of five plans to be delivered under the A$28.3-million Strategic Basins Plan program announced in the October Budget.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION