Australia’s next energy frontiers will be in the country’s north with the Beetaloo sub-basin in the Northern Territory, new gas-fired generation and the Taroom Trough in Queensland attracting significant government support, private investment and industry attention.
At the Australian Energy Producers conference last month, we heard from industry leaders and international energy companies and industry leaders speak positively about these two regions.
INPEX Managing Director, Country Chair Australia Tetsu Murayama said recently as INPEX announced their a farm-in agreement and a 20.00% interest in the Beetaloo Central Development acreage in the Beetaloo Sub-basin,
“Beetaloo has the potential and scale to also provide a pathway to long-term energy security for the Northern Territory and Australia's east ….The Middle East conflict and the resultant loss of LNG supply from the Persian Gulf highlights Australia’s valued position as one of the world’s most reliable suppliers of energy to key trading partners such as Japan and Taiwan.”
As the Northern Territory’s Minister for Mining and Energy, Gerard Maley penned recently in the national media, “In less than 100 days, gas is expected to flow from the Beetaloo Sub-basin into the Territory gas market for electricity generation….This is a watershed moment for the Northern Territory and for Australia’s energy future.
As the NT Minister rightly states, “For years, the Beetaloo has been talked about as a transformational opportunity….we are now seeing that transformation become reality.”
The gas resource available in the Beetaloo Sub-Basin may be enough to supply Australians for the next 150 years, but critical pieces of infrastructure are required before it can occur.
APGA members and leading national gas pipeline companies APA, Jemena and AGIG are either advancing or considering plans for new and expanded networks to support development of the Beetaloo and transport gas to the east coast and Darwin. Other members like Santos, Baker Hughes, Fyfe and SLB are all already working and have operations in the Beetaloo.
In a meeting in early June with APGA and the CEO of the NT Department of Mining and Energy, the removal of barriers to investment in infrastructure and unbalance regulation was one of the key topics discussed and will be important for governments and industry to work together to address to ensure investment proceeds in a timely manner.
Although not as advanced as the Beetaloo sub-basin, the Taroom Trough is another energy rich region attracting investor and industry interest.
As reported in the Australian Financial Review earlier this year, analyst Saul Kavonic described the Taroom Trough as ‘the most watched exploration play of 2026 in Australia’ and that Taroom ‘could result in a new oil and gas province, attracting billions in new investment this decade’.
Shell Australia and former BHP Billiton CEO, Andrew McKenzie said in a recent Australian Financial Review article said there was scope for further investment in Shell’s Queensland coal seam gas business, including by pushing into a new production province... the Taroom Trough.
In ratifying the new Taroom Trough Development Plan in April this year, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the Taroom Trough represented a generational opportunity for Queensland and the nation.
APGA recently met with the Queensland Coordinator-General, who in addition to having worked in the gas pipeline sector, is engaging with APGA and our members on the planning of new energy infrastructure in Queensland. Coordinator-General Gerard Coggan said his office is prioritising the governance and delivery framework for the Taroom Trough Development Plan without delay and that engagement with local governments and industry is a vital first step to ensure development is timely, considered and delivered in a way that maximises investment.
Other promising gas related developments in Queensland include QIC’s market sounding process for new gas-fired generation capacity aimed at identifying 400 megawatts of additional gas fired capacity in Central Queensland by 2032.
With the federal government’s domestic gas reservation scheme to commence in 2027, the next few years will be an exciting time for the gas pipelines sector and we look forward to hearing more about the new projects in northern Australia at September’s APGA Convention in Darwin.