U.S. oil veterans drive first gas sales from Australia's Beetaloo shale basin
American investors and service firms have helped launch the first commercial natural-gas deliveries from the Beetaloo Basin, signalling a new Australian shale boom.
The Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory finally saw commercial gas flow after a decade of failed attempts, thanks to a wave of U.S. investment led by Scott Sheffield and his son Bryan. Their private-equity firm Formentera Partners backed Tamboran Resources and the newly created Daly Waters Energy, while major American service firms such as Helmerich & Payne, Baker Hughes, Liberty Energy and Halliburton took stakes or contracts to provide the necessary rigs and slick-water fracking technology.
The first five wells are now ramping up, delivering around 40 million cubic feet per day, with plans to reach 100 million cubic feet by 2028 and further expansion to support domestic demand and LNG exports. The project also attracted strategic investors like Japan’s INPEX and leveraged the acquisition of Origin Energy’s acreage. Although Tamboran remains financially fragile, the breakthrough marks a pivotal step toward reducing Australia’s gas shortfall and diversifying global LNG supply amid geopolitical disruptions.
Why it matters
The breakthrough could secure Australia’s gas supply and boost LNG exports at a time of global energy shortages.
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