Energy Geoscience

Technical Spotlight: Taroom Trough

10/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

This month has seen the Taroom Trough hit the headlines as new exploration acreage was awarded and drilling results were announced. We asked Dr Alison Troup, a Queensland based geologist with over fifteen years of extensive experience working on basin research projects across Queensland, to give us the background on this basin.

The Bowen Basin is an elongate Early Permian to Middle Triassic sedimentary basin that extends from Collinsville in central Queensland into northern New South Wales. The whole basin occupies approximately 160,000 km2, with the southern half concealed underneath the Surat Basin.

Barry Goldstein Medal Tour

09/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

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.

Elixir Energy Announce Taroom Trough Results

07/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

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

07/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

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

07/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

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.

PESA Exploration Activities Summary February 2026

07/03/2026 Posted by Rachel

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.

Prominence Energy Announce Next Steps in Hydrogen Exploration

27/02/2026 Posted by Rachel

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.

Cooper-Eromanga Basin: New Exploration Areas Awarded

08/02/2026 Posted by Rachel

On January 29, the Queensland Government announced the appointment of Santos QNT Pty Ltd and Drillsearch Energy Pty Ltd (a 100% subsidiary of Beach Energy) as preferred tenderers for three new gas exploration areas in the Cooper-Eromanga Basins, aimed at boosting supply, reducing energy prices, and supporting regional jobs.

Both Santos and Drillsearch (Beach) have a strong track record of exploration and delivery in the Cooper-Eromanga Basins. Santos holds a dominant and long-standing tenure position in the basin operating the South Australian Cooper Basin Joint Venture (SACBJV) with partners Beach Energy.

The 2025 PESA SA/NT core workshop, a fresh look at South Australia’s eastern Warburton Basin, Daralingie Shelf Area

08/02/2026 Posted by Rachel

Author | Chris Cubitt: Geological Survey of South Australia

Chris Cubitt of the Geological Survey South Australia (GSSA), hosted the 2026 PESA SA/NT core workshop at the SA Drill Core Library on Friday November 21st, 2025, (Fig. 1). This year’s event was well attended by industry, government and academia focussing on the eastern Warburton Basin (Daralingie Shelf area) with the aim to produce a quick look GDE map and form an opinion on the basin’s prospectivity.