Energy giant Santos has unveiled controversial plans to drill twelve new fracking wells in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo basin, a move environmentalists fear could trigger a widespread rush for gas and pose a severe threat to the region's vital water supplies.
Scale of the Proposed Gas Project
The fossil fuel company has published its intention to conduct a major drilling appraisal programme at Tanumbirini Station, a vast 5,000 square kilometre cattle property located approximately 340 kilometres south-east of Katherine. Dr Kirsty Howey, the executive director of the Environment Centre NT, labelled this proposal "the biggest ever gas play in the Beetaloo for Santos".
"This is a huge new proposal – one of the biggest we've ever seen," Dr Howey stated, highlighting the significant scale of the project. The plan, slated to begin in 2026, aims to determine the commercial viability of the shale gas reservoir, with up to a dozen wells to be constructed, operated, and eventually decommissioned.
Environmental Risks and Groundwater Concerns
The primary concern for opponents revolves around the major risk to groundwater, which supplies a staggering 90% of the Northern Territory's water. The fracking process involves injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals underground to fracture rock and release gas.
"Fracking undoubtedly poses a major risk to this huge, quite incredible aquifer that many Aboriginal communities and pastoralists rely on," Dr Howey warned. She expressed alarm that if the project escalates to full-scale production, over 6,000 wells could be drilled through these precious underground water sources, potentially polluting them with toxic chemicals.
These fears are compounded by observations of methane bubbles at hot springs on Tanumbirini Station, suggesting a concerning connection between surface water and the deep shale gas layers targeted for fracking.
Scientific Warnings and Regulatory Gaps
Scientific analysis has previously sounded the alarm on the broader implications. A 2023 report from Climate Analytics estimated that full-scale fracking in the Beetaloo could lead to 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over 25 years, a figure scientists warn would have an unacceptable impact on the global climate.
Furthermore, a separate report commissioned by the Environment Centre NT that same year identified "critical data and knowledge gaps", making a proper assessment of contamination and water over-extraction risks impossible. Professor Matthew Currell, a hydrogeologist at Griffith University and the report's lead author, emphasised the real dangers, noting, "We've already seen incidents of uncontrolled releases of wastewater from shale gas fracking sites in the Beetaloo from other operators."
Dr Howey has called for Santos to refer the project for assessment under federal environmental laws (the EPBC Act), pointing out that "Unbelievably there has never, ever been a referral of fracking in the Northern Territory" under this legislation. This development follows the NT government's 2023 decision to green-light fracking in the region after claiming to have met the recommendations of an independent inquiry.
