The Honourable Justice Rachel Ann Pepper, the Chair of the NT Fracking Inquiry, “emphasised that it was not the role of the Inquiry to recommend whether or not the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in the Northern Territory be lifted.”
“Today the Inquiry delivered its Final Report to the Government and in doing so fulfilled its Terms of Reference. The decision whether or not to retain the ban on hydraulic fracturing in the Northern Territory is a political decision that rests with the Government alone,” Pepper sprayed when she released the Final Report.
Justice Pepper made it clear that the Terms of Reference limited the Inquiry to asking “How can the gas industry proceed?” and not “Should the Northern Territory start hydraulic fracturing (fracking)?”.
Similarly, NSW Chief Scientist Mary O’Kane faced bewildered farmers and scientists who were giving credible evidence against the gas industry during her Inquiry in NSW – and she was not accepting it, or devising ways to overcome the obstacle with recommended regulations.
The Independent Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing of Onshore Unconventional Reservoirs in the Northern Territory (Inquiry) heard evidence concerning the environmental, social and economic risks of the extraction process known as fracking which was invented in 1998 by George Mitchell.
On 14 September 2016 the Northern Territory Government announced a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing of onshore unconventional reservoirs including the use of hydraulic fracturing for exploration, extraction, production and including Diagnostic Fracture Injection Testing (DFITs) – and announced the Inquiry would take place to placate public concerns.
On April 17, 2018 Northern Territory lifted their moratorium on fracking to extract gas and reopened shale gas reserves in the Beetaloo and McArthur basins for development. Shale gas requires fracking to release the methane gas trapped underground.
The NT government said it would tightly regulate the industry after lifting the ban. Almost half the Northern Territory will remain “frack-free”, including national parks and reserves.
Drillers must make their gas wells compliant with new design codes and include plans for their decommissioning and rehabilitation before production begins.
Summary of the Final Report PDF (1.4 MB) (External Link) or mirrored on 1EarthMedia
Activist groups opposing fracking the Northern Territory include:
° Protect Country Alliance NT ° Environment Centre NT ° Arid Lands Environment Centre °
° Australian Youth Climate Coalition ° Original Power ° Lock The Gate ° Environs Kimberley
Oil and gas industry subsidised by the Territory Government.
The NT Fracking Inquiry showed that costs of administering the industry are not recovered by the fees paid according to the Territory’s budget papers. Costs of administering the applications, fees and titles of the industry average $2.7 million while fees paid are almost certain to be less than $500,000 per year.
NT budget papers (pdf from The Australia Institute) show that $94 million has been directed at assistance for the onshore oil and gas industry over the last decade
Gas Exploration commences in the Northern Territory
In April 2019, Santos QNT Ltd McArthur Basin EP 161 Drilling Program 2019 was the first Environmental Management Plan (EMP) application after the moratorium was lifted to be accepted for comment and consideration.
As at end 2022, the following Environment Management Plans have been approved in the Northern Territory:
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | ORI11-3: Amungee NW Delineation Program EMP Exploration Permit 98, dated 14 October 2022 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | ORI10-3: Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd Beetaloo Sub-basin Multi-well Drilling, Stimulation and Well Testing Program Exploration Permit (EP) 98 & 76 Environment Management Plan | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Sub-basin Kalala S Environment Management Plan EP98 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo W-1 Exploration Permit (EP) 117 ORI8-2, dated 25 August 2021 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Amungee NW-1H Exploration Permit (EP) 98 ORI7-2, dated 14 May 2021 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Sub-basin Kyalla 117 N2 Multi-well Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Well Testing Program (ORI6-3), dated 11 February 2021, Rev 1.1 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Sub-basin Velkerri 2019-2024 Drilling, Hydraulic fracturing and well testing Exploration Permit, EP76 NT-2050-15-MP-032 Revision 1.3, 16 December 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin Velkerri, Civil Construction EP76 S2 NT-2050-15-MP-31 Rev 1.1, 6 September 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin Kyalla drilling hydraulic fracture stimulation and well testing program EP117 N2 NT-2050-15-MP-025 Rev 1, 5 August 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin groundwater monitoring bore installation program Velkerri 76 EP76 NT-2050-15-MP-0017 Rev 1.2, 10 June 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin Kyalla, Civil Construction EP117 N2 NT-2050-15-MP-34 Rev 0, 8 April 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Variation: Beetaloo Basin groundwater monitoring bore installation program, Kyalla EP117 N2 19 February 2019 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin groundwater monitoring bore installation Program, Kyalla EP117 NT-2050-15-MP-0017 22 November 2018 | |
| Origin Energy B2 Pty Ltd | Beetaloo Basin groundwater monitoring bore installation program, EP98 NT-2050-15-MP-0014 31 October 2018 | |
| Origin Energy Resources Limited | 2016 Hydraulic Stimulation and Well Testing EP Summary Amungee NW‑1H CDN/ID NT-2050-35-PH-0018 17 August 2016 | |
| Sweetpea Petroleum Pty Ltd | SWP4-3: Well Drilling, Hydraulic Fracture Stimulation and Well Testing Environment Management Plan Exploration Permit 136 11 August 2022 | |
| Sweetpea Petroleum Pty Ltd | SWP2: Civil and Water Bore Drilling EP 136 Environment Management Plan 12 January 2022 | |
| Sweetpea Petroleum Pty Ltd | Seismic Exploration Program EMP EP136 SWP1-04 Revision 4, dated 20 October 2020 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | Zevon Test Line – Seismic Program, EP115 (CTP5-2), dated 19 October 2021 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | 2020-21 Northern Territory Drilling Campaign EMP 1000-630-PLN-0003-CTP3-4 Revision 4, dated 16 November 2020 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | Mereenie Field Workover and Wellhead Equipment, Safety Systems and Gathering Line EMP 9900-630-PLN-0001 – CTP4-3 Revision 3, dated September 2020 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | Field Environment Management Plan Dingo Gas Field and Surprise Oil Field Operations and Maintenance Activities DIN and SUP630-PLN-0001-CTP2-2 Revision 2, March 2020 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | PV-13 Connection and PV-02 reinjection skid upgrade Palm Valley NT PVL-650-PLN-0002 January 2019 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | Executive Summary Palm Valley gas field FEMP January 2019 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | Mereenie Oil and Gas Field Central Treatment Plant maintenance upgrades, version 1 20 September 2018 | |
| Central Petroleum Pty Ltd | EP115 Surprise Field Development Project Field Environment Management Plan Works Program March 2014 (Amadeus Basin) | |
| Central Petroleum Mereenie Pty Ltd | Palm Valley Gas Field Proposed PV-13 well site ENV-PVL-PLN-0001-Rev 6D 4 July 2018 Exploration drilling | |
| Central Petroleum Mereenie Pty Ltd | Mereenie Oil and Gas Field Proposed Well Sites WM-25 and WM-26 ENV-9950-PLN-Final V6 23 March 2018 Exploration drilling | |
| Central Petroleum Mereenie Pty Ltd | Mereenie Oil and Gas Field FEMP December 2017 | |
| Central Petroleum (NT) Pty Ltd | Dingo Gas Field Development Project – Dingo #2 and Dingo #3 well sites June 2014 |
| Peak Helium Pty Ltd | 2021 Seismic Exploration, Exploration Permit (EP) 134 (PKH1-6), dated 7 December 2021 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | 2021-2025 EP187 Work Program IMP4-3, dated 20 July 2021 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | 2021 Carpentaria-1 Work Program NT Exploration Permit (EP) 187 IMP3-4, dated November 2020 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | 2020-21 Drilling Program NT Exploration Permit (EP) 187 (Revision) IMP2-6.1, dated August 2020 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | Imperial 2020 Drilling Program NT Exploration Permit, EP187 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | 2D Seismic Work Program EP187 EP187-EMP-XPN-REP-007 Rev 3.0, 31 July 2019 | |
| Imperial Oil and Gas Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin EP184 Core hole drilling at BCFSC02 – BCFSC05 EP184-BCFSC02-05-XPN-EMP-SUM-001-Rev03 3 July 2014 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin Hydraulic Fracturing Program NT Exploration Permit (EP) 161 (revision) STO3-8, dated 1 September 2021 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin Drilling Program NT Exploration Permit (EP)161 Revision STO2-7, dated 1 February 2021 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin Hydraulic Fracturing 2019-20 Program Exploration Permit, EP161 Revision 4, dated 14 October 2019 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin 2019 drilling program NT Exploration Permit, EP161 Rev 5, 15 July 2019 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin Civil and Seismic program, EP161 Rev 4, 12 June 2019 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | Dukas-1 – Conventional gas well, EP 112 and 125 MAB-PLN-006 24 January 2019 Exploration drilling | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | Water bore monitoring program, EP161 MAB-PLN-004 10 December 2018 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | Tanumbirini North water bore monitoring program, EP161 MAB-PLN-005 20 November 2018 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | 2D Seismic Survey Southern Amadeus SAB-PLN-001, Rev I 12 September 2017 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | 2D Seismic Survey Southern Amadeus 28 October 2016 | |
| Santos QNT Pty Ltd | EP161, 2D Seismic Exploration Survey, 2013 ENV-EP161-STO-0002 22 July 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | McArthur River Basin, EP161 2016 Stratigraphic Corehole Program | |
| Santos Ltd | McArthur Basin 2016 core hole program EP162 and EP189 | |
| Santos Ltd | EP 161 Tanumbirini 1 Exploration Well Drilling ENV-EP161 TAN 0003, Rev 0 2 June 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | Mereenie Oil Field Oil Lease 4 and 5 – 2014 fracture stimulation, completion, work over and re-completion Rev 1, May 2014 | |
| Santos Ltd | McArthur Basin EP161, 2D Seismic Exploration Survey, 2013 ENV-EP161-STO-0002, Rev 0 22 July 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | Southern Amadeus Basin 2D seismic survey, EPs 82, 105, 106, 107, 112 and 125 12 July 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | Exploration drilling Mt Kitty Exploration Well, EP125 Amadeus Basin 15 July 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | Mereenie Field Development Appraisal and development drilling 1 July 2013 | |
| Santos Ltd | Mereenie Oil Field Oil Lease 4 and 5 2014 Fracture Stimulation, Completion, Workover and Recompletion Rev 1, May 2014 |
And finally some exploration wells drilled before the moratorium came into effect.
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | Birdum Creek‐1 and Wyworrie‐1 Appraisal Wells Stimulation and testing 22 September 2015 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | Birdum Creek‐1 and Wyworrie‐1 Seismic tiltmeter survey 12 August 2015 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | McArthur Basin, EP167 and EP168 2015 Avago 2D seismic survey 16 July 2015 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | Birdum Creek‐1, Tarlee‐1, Tarlee‐2 and Wyworrie‐1 Appraisal Wells exploration drilling – EP167 and EP168 8 May 2015 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | Tarlee-S3 Stratigraphic drill hole – Exploration well drilling, EP167 McArthur Basin 14 August 2014 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | Manbulloo-S1 Stratigraphic Drill Hole, EP167 McArthur Basin 2 July 2014 | |
| Pangaea (NT) Pty Ltd | 2013 Hidden Valley 2D Seismic Survey, EP167, EP168, EP198 (Beetaloo and Victoria-Birrindudu Basins) 15 May 2014 | |
| Mosman Oil and Gas Limited | EP145 Geological and geophysical surveys west-south-west of Alice Springs 15 June 2015 | |
| Armour Energy Ltd | Acquisition of 3D DCIP survey data work program 2014 EP171 and EP190 Glyde Sub-basin EP171-190-ENV-GEN-PLN-003 11 August 2014 | |
| Armour Energy Ltd | Lamont Pass-3 Exploration well drilling NT-ENV-GEN-REP-002, Rev 0 26 September 2013 | |
| Beach Energy Ltd | Cullen-1 Exploration Well Drilling, EP126 Legune Station 01185A_2_v2 May 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzDelta-1 Exploration Well Addendum for Stimulation and Testing, EP128 South Georgina Basin 29 August 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzAlpha-1 Exploration Well Addendum for Stimulation and Testing, EP104 Georgina Basin 18 July 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzBeta-1 Exploration Well Addendum for Stimulation and Testing, EP127 Georgina Basin 11 July 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzEpsilon-1 Exploration Well Drilling, EP187 Georgina Basin 19 June 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzGamma-1 Exploration Well Drilling, EP 103 Georgina Basin 7 May 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | OzBeta-1 Exploration Well Drilling, EP 127 Georgina Basin 24 March 2014 | |
| Statoil Australia | EP104 OzAlpha-1 Exploration Well Drilling 2014, Georgina Basin 25 February 2014 | |
| Tri-Star Energy Company | New Crown 1, exploration well drilling 19 December 2013 | |
| PetroFrontier (Australia) Pty Ltd | Amy 2D Seismic Survey 2013 EP103, 104, 127 and 128 Southern Georgina Basin 27 June 2013 | |
| PetroFrontier (Australia) Pty Ltd | Exploration drilling 9 August 2012 |
