Session 5. Oral Presentation for: Northern Territory gas development – how access to technology is unlocking resources

Presented on 27 May 2025: Session 5 The Beetaloo Sub-basin is a gas-rich part of the Northern Territory, Australia. In this work, the impact of technology in unlocking the resources in this basin will be considered. The Beetaloo Sub-basin has been the locus of unconventional shale gas development activity in Australia. Local operators have capitalised on technological advancements in North America, leading to a significant increase in estimated ultimate recovery per well compared to the production levels seen at the onset of the unconventional shale industry in the mid-2000s. Specifically, the implementation of state-of-the-art drilling and fracturing technology in the most recent wells has improved the gas recovery factor in the vicinity of the well from ~5% to 20–25%. This improvement in recovery factor per well is a step-change in unconventional well performance. This improvement upgrades possible recoverable resource across the Beetaloo Sub-basin. To economically develop this resource an increase in scale and pace of activity is necessary. To access the Oral Presentation click the link below. To read the full paper click here