According to World Oil, INPEX and Formentera Partners have agreed to a staged earn-in joint venture valued at up to $208 million to develop shale gas in Australia’s Beetaloo basin, with operations led by Formentera subsidiary Daly Waters Energy. The deal includes a 40 MMcf/d domestic supply agreement with the Northern Territory and longer-term ambitions to feed LNG exports, potentially through INPEX’s Ichthys facility in Darwin.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- The project will explicitly apply US shale drilling and completion techniques, meaning operators familiar with Permian or Marcellus-style work may find export opportunities as the basin moves from appraisal into full development.
- Infrastructure buildout, including gathering systems and processing capacity, is expected to follow initial drilling activity, creating additional scope for field service companies with midstream construction experience.
- US-based shale service companies already operating in Australia, or evaluating international expansion, should monitor this basin as a growing demand center for drilling, completions, and surface facilities work.
