Australian shale play could be next in line for development.

摘要

With shale plays in Argentina, Canada, China, and especially the US continuing to see significant investments, the Beetaloo Basin in Australia's Northern Territory could be the next up for development after the local government ended a three-year ban on tracking. Origin Energy Ltd. plans to drill two wells later this year in Beetaloo, which is estimated to hold 500 trillion cf (14 trillion m~3) of gas, and has been compared to the Barnett and Marcellus shale plays in the US. Origin, which previously drilled a dry gas well in Beetaloo in 2016, said this next round of drilling will focus on areas where the gas reserves could also include liquid petroleum gas and condensate, valuable byproducts that would improve the commercial viability of the project. Origin, and its j.v. partner Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd., have a long way to go before they will bring Beetaloo gas to market, probably around the middle of the next decade.