Our AEP 2026 peer-reviewed paper - Understanding exploration success and failure in the Cooper and Eromanga Basins, South Australia - presents an integrated analysis of open-file well, production, and licensing data to understand the drivers of exploration success and failure. Some 800 exploration wells (Figure 1) have resulted in production of approximately 260 million barrels of oil and 8 trillion cubic feet of raw gas, confirming the basins’ status as a significant onshore petroleum province.
SA/NT
Cooper Basin – seismic processing & where it leads
By Paul Strong, SA/NT Branch President
On 30 April 2026 the PESA SA/NT Branch held a joint meeting with the ASEG, listening to an interesting talk by consultant Peter Strauss regarding the processing of seismic data in the Cooper Basin, a topic that would be expected to be well known.
Peter challenged the conventions on seismic processing onshore Australia, with modern land 3D seismic datasets often not being fit-for-purpose when targeting smaller-scale structures, with some wells probably not having been drilled in the right place.
Update on Gold Hydrogen’s drilling on the Yorke Peninsula
By David Spence, Beach Energy
On 28 May 2026 the PESA SA/NT Branch received a fascinating talk on the technical geological side of hydrogen exploration from industry leader Peter Buberndorfer, Chief Geologist of pioneering hydrogen exploration company Gold Hydrogen.
The attendees were taken on a 2-billion-year ride through the regional geology of South Australia. Peter discussed the regional Proterozoic strata that are favourable for hydrogen generation along the boundary of the Gawler Craton.
Tamboran Resources Announce Results of Shenandoah South 6H
The Shenandoah South 6H (SS‐6H) well delivered a record average 20‐day initial production (IP20)flow rate of 10.3 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) from an 8,635‐foot (2,632‐metre) horizontalsection within the Mid Velkerri B Shale.
On a normalized basis, SS‐6H achieved a flow rate of 11.9 MMcf/d per 10,000 feet, which comparesfavorably to the average performance of more than 11,000 producing wells in the Marcellus Shaledry gas fairway with over 12 months of production history.
The flow test has now been concluded, with the well delivering a stable rate of8.8 MMcf/d (normalized to 10.
South Australia Core Workshop
Want a hands-on look at South Australia’s producing basins?
PESA Members are invited to a Core Workshop at the South Australia Drill Core Library this May for a practical deep dive into key oil and gas reservoirs and Moomba CCS intervals.
Led by senior geoscience experts at the Department for Energy & Mining (DEM), this interactive session explores basin architecture, petroleum systems, reservoir characteristics, and the evolving role of these basins in gas supply and carbon capture and storage.
With direct access to core material (including 600m of core on display) this is a rare opportunity to connect subsurface data with real geological evidence.
Registrations open for South Australia Producing Basins Core Workshop
Title: Core Workshop - South Australia Producing Basins WorkshopDate: Friday 22 May 2026Time: 8:30am - 4:00pmLocation: South Australia Drill Core Library: 5 Tonsley Blvd, Tonsley SA 5042, Australia
South Australia hosts a diverse portfolio of producing hydrocarbon basins, each with distinct geological histories and resource potential. Join our technical workshop and gain a practical understanding of South Australia's key producing oil and gas reservoirs, and Moomba CCS sequestration intervals.
Delivered by senior geoscience experts, the program will examine basin architecture, petroleum systems, reservoir characteristics, and exploration history.
H3 Energy Commence Assessment of Helium Potential at Milford & Milford East
24 March 2026
H3 Energy Limited (H3E) has announced they are commencing a targeted technical assessment across their flagship Alinya Project in South Australias’s Officer Basin. The program is aimed at better understanding the gas composition potential of key structures, including Milford and Milford East.
This assessment will involve a detailed review of existing geological and geophysical data to better understand the potential of the region to host a large-scale gas system, including higher-value gas components.
Omega Oil and Gas and the Taroom Trough Story
The PESA SA/NT Branch welcomed Trevor Brown and Nathan Parker to give 36 members an update on Omega’s activity in the Taroom Trough, onshore Queensland.
Trevor introduced the company and gave an overview of the geology of the Bowen Basin, and this was followed by Nathan giving a very interesting history of the oil and gas industry in the region which started in the late 1800s.
Tamboran Resources Announce Northern Territory Farm-In
Tamboran Resources and Formentera Partners (Formentera), the owner of Daly Waters Energy, LP (DWE), announced on March 31 they have executed a Farm-in Agreement to advance development of the Beetaloo Basin in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Under the Farm-in Agreement, Tamboran will farm down approximately 10,000 acres of its working interest across the Shenandoah North Pilot Area and the Shenandoah South Pilot Area (collectively the Pilot Area) and the Beetaloo Central Development Area (BCDA) to DWE. The Farm-in Agreement provides for a staged earn-in, up to ~US$28.5 million, subject to structured off-ramp provisions.
The agreement follows DWE announcing a strategic joint venture with INPEX Corporation (JPX: 1605, market capitalization of US$35 billion) (INPEX), Japan’s largest E&P and operator of the 8.9 MTPA (~1.2 Bcf/d) Ichthys LNG project in Darwin.
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.