Dr Bruce Ainsworth has wrapped up his successful tour of the PESA State Branches presenting his work honouring the humble clinoform, kindly sponsored by Santos. Read on to hear more from the different branches visited.
Rachel
Elixir Energy Announce Taroom Trough Results
Elixir Energy this month announced success at their Lorelle-3 pilot, interpreting 148m of total net pay across the primary, secondary and tertiary Permian reservoir targets, with associated elevated mudgas readings. The Lorelle-3 pilot was drilled in ATP2056 within Queensland’s Taroom Trough. Elixir Energy hold a 50% interest in ATP 2056 and are operator of the Lorelle 3 appraisal well. Santos hold the remaining 50% interest in the permit and will be operator of the permit thereafter.
Elixir Energy interpret the primary target, the Tinowon Dunk sandstone, to be 56m thick with 28m net pay interpreted, supported by elevated mud gas readings and fluorescence in cuttings.
Viridien announces strategic initiative to advance HPC for seismic imaging workflows with NVIDIA
Paris, France – February 18, 2026
Viridien, an advanced technology and digital solutions company, has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to transform seismic imaging workflows by leveraging NVIDIA HPC platforms and Viridien’s expertise in Subsurface Imaging technologies and HPC & Cloud Solutions.
The collaboration will focus on optimizing Viridien’s seismic imaging algorithms on NVIDIA accelerated computing platforms, including the integration of advanced techniques such as tensor cores and mixed-precision computing.
Northern Territory Acreage Release
The Northern Territory of Australia have announced a petroleum exploration acreage release covering approximately 4000km2 with submissions due by Friday 31st July 2026.
The area, EPNT26-1, includes 46 full and 4-part blocks within the defined boundaries of the Beetaloo Sub-basin, within the greater McArthur Basin. The Northern Territory Geological Survey assesses the area as highly prospective for petroleum, with the Beetaloo Sub-basin representing one of Australia’s most significant onshore gas provinces.
Exploration Award in the Taroom trough
The Crisafulli Government has awarded exploration rights in the Taroom Trough, citing it has the potential to open up Australia’s first major new oil province since the 1970s. Omega TN Pty Ltd, Tri-Star Stonecroft Pty Ltd and Drillsearch Energy Pty Ltd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beach Energy) have been appointed as preferred tenderers to explore for gas and petroleum in the Taroom Trough, near Miles in South-West Queensland.
The 750 square kilometre exploration tenement – around the same size as Singapore - forms part of a wider package of exploration areas opened for tender last year, aimed at unlocking future energy supplies to put downward pressure on prices.
PESA SA Welcome Aike Albers
The Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (SA/NT) branch kicked off the new year technical program on 26 February 2026 with two presentations for the 27 attendees at Ayers House!
The meeting was kicked-off by PhD candidate Aike Albers of Adelaide University, the PESA 2025 Horstmann Scholarship recipient. He introduced his PhD topic, Evaluating the feasibility of permanent carbon sequestration in mafic reservoirs in the Bass Basin, work focussed on assessing the suitability of basalts for carbon dioxide storage. Our president Paul Strong presented Aike with his certificate and we wish him well for his studies.
PESA Exploration Activities Summary February 2026
An offshore exploration drilling program by ConocoPhillips / 3D Energi & Korea National Oil Corporation (VIC/P79) using the Transocean Equinox rig that began late 2025 has carried into early 2026.
Essington-1 (Nov 2025) discovered 58.5m of gas-condensate net pay in the Waarre A and 31.5m in the Waarre C.
Charlemont-1 was spudded on 10 December 2025. Gas shows were intersected in the Waarre A and Waarre C sands.
The Transocean Equinox rig was then utilised by Amplitude Energy to Drill Elanora-1 (Offshore Otway Basin, VIC/L24). No gas was present in the primary target interval (Waarre A reservoir).
A subsequent sidetrack tested the nearby Isabella prospect and encountered a gross 10.7m of gas bearing Waarre C.
2026 HICCup Tournament
The HICCup (Hydrocarbon Industry Cricket Cup) tournament has been played and won for 2026. The tournament has been a staple of the oil and gas industry in Adelaide since the late seventies with 2026 possibly being the 46th year of competition. This year the trophy made a long-awaited appearance, to be handed to the winning team.
The competition was established as a way of giving ex-pat industry workers an opportunity to experience a fully organized cricket match, with all the equipment, in a social and fun atmosphere.
Prominence Energy Announce Next Steps in Hydrogen Exploration
Prominence Energy Ltd announced in February that preparatory work gas commenced for the Company’s first geochemical survey within Petroleum Exploration Licence 803 (PEL 803) in South Australia.
PEL 803 forms part of the Eyre Project, which Prominence Energy acquired 100% interest in during 2025. The project area covers more than 29,000km2 and includes PEL803 and PELAs 749-751. The Eyre Project sits on the cratonic Gawler Craton Archean Crust, considered prospective for natural hydrogen, helium and other associated gases.
PESA Gazette: We need you
The PESA Gazette is our exclusive monthly online publication, accessible only to PESA members. Envisioned to be a newsletter by the members for the members, it targets including industry updates, breakthroughs in exploration, case studies, technical talks, expert analyses and PESA state branches social news. The PESA Gazette aims to help you stay informed and connected with Australia’s energy geosciences industry. The Gazette is scheduled to go out on the second Tuesday of each month February-December. Content submissions are requested on the first Thursday of each month for review by the editorial board and upload to the system.