Meet the Frackers: Gas explorers in Australia

Our index of gas explorers in Australia

On this page we follow the share prices, market announcements, incidents and news on Australian Stock Exchange listed companies in the business of fracking, the gas explorers in Australia. Some non-listed private companies are included.

The state of fracking in Australia

Queensland allows fracking subject to government approvals.
Northern Territory allows fracking subject to government approvals.
Victoria has outlawed fracking but allows onshore conventional gas extraction.
New South Wales has approved the single gas field for Santos at Narrabri in the Pilliga Forest, Narrabri.
Moratoriums continue in Tasmania and Western Australia in its gas-rich Canning Basin.
In South Australia, the government has promised a ban on fracking in the state’s gas-rich southeast.

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Australian Gas Exploration Companies

Australia’s New Gas Megaprojects: A Climate Crossroads

Australia is witnessing a new wave of gas megaprojects, driven by industry players like Woodside, Santos, Shell, and foreign investors from China, Korea, and Japan. Together, these seven major developments represent billions in capital expenditure, hundreds of offshore and onshore wells, and thousands of kilometres of pipeline—stretching from the Timor Sea to the inland farming plains of Narrabri.

But prominent scientists, economists, and climate advocacy groups warn: fossil fuel projects like these should stay in the ground if Australia is to meet its net-zero commitments and protect sacred Indigenous heritage, water resources, and biodiversity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the UN have repeatedly stated that no new fossil fuel projects are compatible with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.

Below is a summary of each project. Each has its own detailed page linked for more information.

1. Barossa Gas Project – Northern Territory

• Operator: Santos
• Location: Offshore, Timor Sea
• Status: Approved
• Emissions: Among Australia’s most carbon-intensive projects
• Opposition: Tiwi Islanders, Environment Centre NT
• Purpose: Export via Darwin LNG
• Read more →

2. Scarborough & Pluto Train 2 – Western Australia

• Operator: Woodside
• Location: Offshore Carnarvon Basin to Karratha
• Status: 82% complete, first gas 2026
• Value: US$12.5 billion
• Concerns: Emissions, Murujuga rock art degradation
• Opposition: ACF, EDO, climate groups
• Read more →

3. Surat Gas Project Phase 2 – Queensland

• Operator: Arrow Energy (Shell/PetroChina JV)
• Location: Onshore Surat Basin
• Status: FID made, first gas 2026
• Value: A$500+ million
• Concerns: Groundwater impacts from coal seam gas
• Opposition: Pending – expected resistance from farmers and water protectors
• Read more →

4. Narrabri Gas Project – New South Wales

• Operator: Santos
• Location: Onshore, Gunnedah Basin
• Status: Approved by NSW and federal governments
• Wells: Up to 850 coal seam gas wells
• Use: 100% for domestic market
• Opposition: Gomeroi Nation, Lock the Gate, Wilderness Society
• Read more →

5. Beetaloo Basin – Northern Territory

• Operators: Santos, Tamboran, Empire, Falcon
• Location: Onshore, 500 km SE of Darwin
• Status: In pilot/exploration stage
• Emissions: Projected 7 Mt CO₂ per year at pilot stage
• Opposition: Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, Environment Centre NT
• Technique: Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
• Read more →

6. Browse Basin – Western Australia

• Operator: Woodside (BP, MIMI, PetroChina partners)
• Location: Offshore, 425 km north of Broome
• Status: FID delayed
• Value: US$30 billion
• Concerns: 6 billion tonnes lifetime emissions, damage to Murujuga rock art and Scott Reef
• Opposition: Environs Kimberley, WA EPA, Indigenous groups
• Read more →

7. North West Shelf – Western Australia

• Operator: Woodside JV (Shell, BP, Chevron, MIMI, CNOOC)
• Location: Offshore and onshore at Karratha
• Status: Operating since 1984, recently approved to continue to 2070
• Production: 16.3 Mtpa of LNG
• Opposition: Ngarluma & Yindjibarndi, Conservation Council WA
• Concerns: 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions, proximity to ancient Murujuga rock art
• Read more →

Why These Projects Matter

Each of these projects is a fork in the road: a choice between fossil fuel expansion and genuine climate action. Though pitched as transitional infrastructure, many of these gas fields will continue operating well beyond 2050—locking in decades of emissions and global heating. Many also threaten some of the most sacred Indigenous heritage and unique ecosystems in Australia.

As new fossil fuel projects are green-lit while heatwaves and floods intensify, the question becomes not just one of science or economics—but one of responsibility.

Can Australia meet its climate promises while opening vast new gas fields?

You be the judge.

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