Informa Australia is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

Mining & Resources

Australia ‘at the forefront’ of fracking development

9 Jan 2014, by Informa Insights

Shale_Tight_Gas_imageAustralia has been posited as the top destination for fracking development, beating stiff competition from a number of international rivals.

New analysis from Lux Research noted that while North America has led the charge before now, the rest of the world is keen to get on board by taking advantage of shale gas and tight oil resources.

The organisation highlighted how well Australia is positioned, claiming that it has the highest market attractiveness and the clearest path to commercial production among competing nations.

“Key factors like existing infrastructure, low population density in resource-rich regions, and a welcoming government positions Australia at the forefront of shale development,” the company stated on its blog.

“China and Argentina are close behind, although the former remains plagued by poor infrastructure, local turf wars, and challenging geology, while the latter retains elements of instability both economically and politically.”

Despite showing some promise, countries such as Poland have been unable to capitalise on fracking, with major oil and gas companies pulling out after disappointing results.

The success of North American fracking has altered the country’s energy landscape, Lux said, taking it from a path of steady decline towards energy independence.

Shale_Tight_Gas_Evaluation_DevelopmentThis is causing nations to pour money into shale gas and tight oil development in an effort to write a new chapter in the sector’s history.

However, the organisation warned that fracking is still a relatively young technology, which means commercial production levels are not indicative of future potential.

This may encourage more people in Australia to consider oil and gas training in an effort to prepare for potential growth in the sector.

“The bottom line is that 1.7 trillion BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) of shale is positioned to be exploited in the coming decades, with emerging technology and yet to be invented technology sure to reap many of the revenue benefits,” Lux added.

Blog insights you may like

Get all the latest on Informa news and events

Informa Connect Australia is the nation's leading event organiser. Our events comprise of large scale exhibitions, industry conferences and highly specialised corporate training.

Find out more

Subscribe to Insights
SUBSCRIBE 

Join Our Newsletter
Informa Insights

Stay up-to-date with all the latest
updates, upcoming events & more.
close-link