Tamboran targets first gas production by 2024

The largest operator in the Beetaloo Basin is focused on first gas production next year. Read how they’ll get there.

Tamboran Resources became the biggest player in the Beetaloo Basin the moment last September Origin Energy announced it had divested its share of the Beetaloo Basin to the ASX-listed onshore gas player.

It was a responsibility Tamboran’s chief executive Joel Riddle picked up with enthusiasm, happy to share his company’s plans and goals with the Territory and the world.

Founded in 2009, Tamboran Resources Limited’s mission statement is to support the net zero C02 energy transition in Australia and the Asia-Pacific through developing low carbon gas in the Territory’s Beetaloo Basin.

Helmerich and Pyne's Flex 3 rig on site at Tamboran's Kyalla field near Elliott.

Headquartered in Sydney, ASX-listed (TBN) and with a global management team with experience in the United States and Canada, Tamboran earlier this year brought the largest – and fastest boring – oil rig ever used in Australia to work at its Kyalla field near Daly Waters.

Tamboran and Empire Energy, the other company planning to produce gas in the Beetaloo, were given regulatory certainty around the project in May when the NT government ticked-off the final recommendations from the Pepper Inquiry review into the development of an unconventional onshore gas industry in the Territory.

Helmerich and Pyne's Flex 3 rig by day.

Within days of that announcement, Mr Riddle was standing beside Mining and Resources Minister Nicole Manison at Darwin Port beside the disassembled Helmerich and Payne rig, reflecting on the project’s enormous potential to change Australia’s energy mix.

“The arrival of the HMP Flex 3 Rig, together with the government’s exciting announcement on Wednesday, really marks what I believe as a starting point for the Beetaloo development, so it is absolutely go time in the Beetaloo,” he said.

“With our development we see there being incredible benefits and economic outcomes for local Territorians.

“It will obviously be subject to the size of our development, that over the next 12 to 24 months, we’ll refine what that production step will be.

Ben Ulamari from Konan Contracting on site at Tamboran's Kyalla well.

“Those benefits range from thousands of new jobs and economic activity that comes from employment that everyday Territorians will receive.

“There will be energy security from the new gas supplies coming out of the Beetaloo and through our production new royalties will start to flow to the Northern Territory government and the Traditional Owners.”

Tamboran is targeting producing about 20TJ of gas by 2024 and, depending on securing a production licence with the NT government and agreements with Traditional Owners, production could increase to 100TJ a day.

Pipes await in readiness for assembly at Tamboran’s Kyalla well site in July.

The carbon emissions from Beetaloo are among the lowest possible. The gas has between 2 and 3 per cent CO2 content.

Five main TO groups will benefit from Beetaloo. They are the Warranangku group for Beetaloo Station, Bamarrnganja group for Shenandoah-Hayfield stations, Pinda group for Vilkerri and Kinniningu group for Hayfield West.

These make up the Jingili and Mudburra tribes.

Tamboran will have 12 wells at the Beetaloo and has secured agreements with Traditional Owners who have fully invested in the project.

One of those, Ben Ulamari, told the NT News he was excited at the prospects of delivering jobs and futures for communities around Elliott and Daly Waters.

“It could mean thousands of jobs if the Beetaloo project gets to go and will be unbelievable for employment in Elliott and around here,” he said.

Originally published as Tamboran targets first gas production by 2024