Competition to build and operate the pipelines that will carry Beetaloo gas has become one of the most active infrastructure contests in Australia, with the national pipeline and gas industry bringing more than 300 delegates to Darwin next month as the basin prepares to deliver its first commercial gas.
The 2026 Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) Convention and Exhibition returns to Darwin from September 5-8 for the first time since 2018, bringing pipeline owners, operators, constructors and engineers from across Australia along with specialists from Europe, Asia, the United States and New Zealand.
APGA chief executive Steve Davies says the Northern Territory is home to Australia’s most significant new gas opportunity, which will bring work, investment and long-term opportunities to Territory businesses.
"There is a race underway to unlock the Beetaloo, and pipelines are key," Mr Davies said.
"Every major pipeline company in Australia is looking at the Territory right now. They are competing for the work of connecting this basin to customers across Australia, and that competition is a very good thing for the Territory. It means better prices, faster delivery and more economic opportunities for Territorians.”
“The Beetaloo is now producing, and the job from here is connecting a resource of this scale to Australian and global markets so the benefits flow back to Territorians.”
Mr Davies said the level of international interest was itself a marker of how the Territory is now viewed.
"More than 90 per cent of delegates will be flying into Darwin, many of them from Europe, the US and Asia. They’re bringing the equipment and the money to build things here, and they are looking for Territory partners. That means big opportunities for local businesses and long-term careers for Territory tradies.”
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who will be speaking at the convention, said hosting the convention in Darwin reflected the Territory’s leading role in supplying gas to meet Australia’s ongoing energy needs.
“The Beetaloo is among the world’s best onshore gas resources helping to secure the Territory’s and Australia’s energy future while creating jobs, investment and long-term economic opportunities for Territorians,” the Chief Minister said.
“Beetaloo has enough gas to meet the Territory and Australia’s energy needs for 200 years.”
“As the Beetaloo moves closer to full scale development, the infrastructure needed to connect gas to customers becomes increasingly important. Pipelines are critical to unlocking the full potential of this resource and delivering benefits across the Territory.
“The decision to bring Australia’s pipeline industry to Darwin reflects the growing national significance of the Beetaloo and the opportunities for Territory businesses to participate in the supply chains, services and infrastructure that will support this development for decades to come.”
Former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove will also address the convention.
The industry arrives with strong public backing for its work.
APGA's EnergyShift research, conducted by RedBridge, has tracked Australian attitudes to energy since 2024.
The most recent wave found more than 70 per cent of voters support a continuing role for gas in the energy transition, that support for setting gas aside for domestic use is close to universal, and that support for gas has risen across every region and demographic group surveyed.
"Australians have worked out what gas does," Mr Davies said. "They know it holds the system up when renewables are not generating, they know it keeps manufacturing going, and support has risen every quarter for two years. The Territory is about to show the rest of the country what that looks like in practice."