“This is a profoundly sad day for the Northern Territory.

The International Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have said no new coal and gas projects can proceed if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5C. On Wednesday, 96 scientists published an open letter calling for the Northern Territory government to ban unconventional gas projects because of their effects on the climate.

The territory’s deputy chief minister, Nicole Manison, said “we want nations to be able to decarbonise the economy in a safe and sustainable way and gas will be that important fuel of transition, the onshore gas industry will also be good for the territory’s economy.”Ĭompanies will still need to make financial decisions about whether to proceed, but if the Beetaloo did reach full production it could see thousands of wells across the landscape.Īnalysis by Reputex in 2021 estimated a high production scenario in the Beetaloo could lead to an additional 1.4 billion tonnes of life cycle emissions - which includes emissions from when the gas is sold and used - over 20 years. “Along with our world class renewable resources, our highly prospective onshore gas resources will support the energy transition to renewables not only for the Northern Territory, but for Australia and the world,” Fyles said. Wednesday’s announcement means gas companies can apply for production licences and environmental impact assessments.

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