- Crisafulli Government has awarded petroleum and gas tenders for five areas in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin and Taroom Trough to secure future domestic oil and gas supply.
- Exploration forms part of a wider land release to boost gas supply and put downward pressure on prices.
- The Crisafulli Government is open for business, and this land release initiative is giving the resources industry the certainty it needs to invest and unlock new supply in Queensland after Labor’s decade of decline.
The Crisafulli Government continues to back Queensland’s resources industry, awarding tenders for new petroleum and gas acreage in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin and Taroom Trough to secure a pipeline for future supply.
The successful tenderers include Bridgeport Energy (Qld) Pty Ltd (approx. 2,712km2 across PLR2026-1-4, PLR2026-1-5, and PLR2026-1-11) and Vintage Energy Ltd (approx. 625 km2 across PLR2026-1-3) who were awarded acreage in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin.
A consortium that includes XST Taroom Pty Ltd, Cooper Energy (VO) Pty Ltd, Imperial Oil and Gas A Pty Ltd and Eastern States Energy Pty Ltd has been awarded a tender to explore for oil and gas over 306 km2 across PLR2026-1-7 in the Taroom Trough.
These new tenders are in addition to the three highly prospective acreages announced last month in the Taroom Trough, along with three awarded in the Cooper/Eromanga Basin and one in the Bowen/Surat Basin in 2025.
It’s just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering better services through a stronger economy, after Labor’s anti-mining and anti-resources policies drove investors away.
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dale Last said the sheer interest in the tenders and commitment from proponents to sign up for new acreage was a vote of confidence in the future of Queensland’s resources sector.
“The Crisafulli Government is open for business, and we have worked hard to win back the resource industry’s trust and investment dollars to secure the next generation of projects, jobs and investment,” Minister Last said.
“Under the former Labor Government there was no structured land release program, no pipeline of investment, no pipeline of jobs and no pipeline of gas supply.
“We know more supply is the only solution to bring down the cost of energy, and this acreage opens more land for exploration and future projects.
“Regional Queensland has a major role to play in our State’s resources future, and I look forward to seeing that investment translate into opportunities on the ground.”
Bridgeport Energy Managing Director and CEO Christian Lange said the blocks would build on the company’s established presence in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin.
“Bridgeport is 100 per cent Australian owned and operated, with 891 square kilometres of net oil-producing acreage across nine production projects in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin,” Mr Lange said.
“These blocks are a natural extension of that footprint, and we see real potential for future oil and gas production in the area.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Crisafulli Government to help meet Queensland’s and Australia’s long-term energy needs.”
Vintage Energy Managing Director Neil Gibbins said the need for new supply of gas and petroleum liquids has never been more apparent.
“The release of these blocks will enable the identification and testing of new targets in a proven oil and gas province,” Mr Gibbins said.
“The initiative of the Crisafulli Government at this time warrants acknowledgment because awarding these blocks to junior explorers means opportunities which might otherwise be overlooked or downgraded are addressed by agile and innovative players who are keen to develop resources and build wealth.”
