- The Northern Territory Government has announced the finalisation of all 135
recommendations of the 2018 Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT
chaired by Justice Rachel Pepper, establishing a platform for approval of gas
production in the Beetaloo Sub-basin
- The regulatory framework the NT Government has put in place is now amongst the
most extensive and robust in the world, and will allow the safe and sustainable
development of the Beetaloo’s abundant natural gas resources
- This announcement gives Empire management the confidence to accelerate our
investment decision and planning processes as Empire moves towards pilot
production
Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood:
"We welcome this historic announcement by NT Chief Minister Fyles and Resources Minister
Manison. After an extensive process of review and reform, industry participants and their investors
now have certainty on how the NT Government will regulate this vital industry.
Empire is committed to meeting the highest operational and environmental standards and
collaborating with government, traditional owners, other landholders and the broader community to
ensure the benefits of the development of the Beetaloo’s natural resources will be shared across
the Northern Territory and in other areas that support that development.
Gas is a critical enabler of the energy transition and an irreplaceable feedstock for many products
on which we rely in our modern lives. The Beetaloo’s low CO2 gas will play an important role in
providing the NT, Australia and the Asian region energy security for decades.
Building on the encouraging results of our exploration activity over the last four years, we look
forward to submitting applications for all required approvals to enable us to move into gas
production and the delivery of much-needed new gas supply to the Australian domestic market, and
subsequently to increase LNG exports, already the NT’s largest source of foreign income and a
significant contributor to Federal Government revenues.”
Finalization of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory
Recommendations
On 3 May 2023, the Northern Territory Government announced it had finalized all 135 recommendations
of the 2018 Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory (“Pepper Inquiry”) having
released its Final Implementation Report. Finalisation of the recommendations sets the scene for
approval of gas production in the Beetaloo Sub-basin including Empire’s EP187 Carpentaria Pilot Project.
The Northern Territory Government’s recently completed the Strategic Regional Environmental and
Baseline Assessment (SREBA), which is the most comprehensive series of regional scientific studies ever
conducted in the Northern Territory. The SREBA provides information necessary for appropriate decisions
to be made about the development of the Beetaloo, including the assessment of water and biodiversity
resources, to inform land-use planning, and the collection of baseline data to provide a reference for
ongoing monitoring.
The regulatory framework the NT Government has put in place is now amongst the most extensive and
robust in Australia and will allow the safe and sustainable development of the Beetaloo’s abundant natural
gas resources.
The Final Implementation Report concluded:
“Having considered the system reform undertaken as a complete package, the NT Government is now
satisfied that the risks identified by the Inquiry have been sufficiently mitigated and is confident that
applications for onshore petroleum production licenses may now be accepted for consideration by the new
regulatory regime.”
In announcing the Final Implementation Report, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Hon. Natasha
Fyles said:
“Along with our world-class renewable resources, our highly prospective onshore gas resources will
support our energy security during the transition to renewables – and will improve living standards for all
Territorians.”
Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Hon. Nicole Manison also said:
"It will help fund things like schools, hospitals, services, housing. There will be further economic flow-on
benefits … more jobs, more benefits, more development in remote regions of the NT." 3
