Exploration Opportunities

Central and its partners are working on several exploration programs that cover a variety of lower-risk in-field opportunities, near-field prospects and larger, potentially company-changing sub-salt leads with potential for helium and hydrogen.

Exploration Opportunities

Central and its partners are working on several exploration programs that cover a variety of lower-risk in-field opportunities, near-field prospects and larger, potentially company-changing sub-salt leads with potential for helium and hydrogen.

Oil and gas exploration opportunities

Central Petroleum’s exploration footprint represents a rare opportunity in Australia, covering largely under-explored hydrocarbon-bearing basins with enormous potential for oil and natural gases, including helium and naturally occurring hydrogen.  

The current Central portfolio encompasses opportunities within the Amadeus, Southern Georgina and Wiso Basins. The total area held by Central for oil and gas exploration (both granted and under application) within these basins is 173,045 km² (64,076 km² granted and 108,969 km² under application).  

The Amadeus Basin has, to date, been a focus for most of Central’s exploration activity, with ~170,000 km² of areal extent, five known working petroleum gas systems, and four fields having produced significant quantities of oil and gas. The Amadeus Basin is estimated to contain up to 53 Tcf of gas (compiled by EnergyQuest from independent sources). 

Notwithstanding the production history of the Amadeus Basin, the region is under-explored with only a total of 40 exploration wells and ~14,500 km of 2D seismic acquired across the entire basin. This can be attributed to the small, geographically isolated and historically oversupplied Northern Territory gas market, which has limited investment.  

Following connection to the east coast gas market via the NGP in January 2019, Central’s Northern Territory exploration assets are connected to the large east coast gas market. 

Reviews of recent and historic technical data confirm the Amadeus Basin is one of the few remaining large under-explored, onshore, working hydrocarbon systems in Australia. A total of 115 potential targets (65 gas and 50 oil) have been identified at this point within Central’s permits and applications in the Amadeus Basin. 

Identified exploration opportunities include several targets that lie above or below our existing producing fields, other targets close to our existing fields and deeper sub-salt targets, including helium and naturally occurring hydro

Prospecting for non-hydrocarbon resources

Some of Central Petroleum’s permits within the Amadeus Basin are highly prospective for helium and hydrogen, and we are actively assessing opportunities to commercialise these valuable resources. This is consistent with our long-term strategy to focus on non-hydrocarbon resources in the Amadeus Basin.

  Three new sub-salt exploration wells in the Amadeus Basin are planned from late 2023, targeting natural gas, helium and hydrogen at the Dukas, Jacko Bore and Mahler prospects. Please read our information sheet  to learn more. 

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