Rise of the Velkerri – A Stacked shale play in the Betaloo Basin

Abstract

Empire Energy Group Limited (Empire) operates unconventional shale gas assets in the Northern Territory as Imperial Oil and Gas. In 2010, Empire successfully secured seven exploration permit applications across the greater McArthur Basin (Close 2014). During 2021, Empire increased its acreage holding in the Beetaloo Sub-basin and greater McArthur Basin with the acquisition of the Pangaea (NT) and Energy & Minerals Group (EMG) joint venture assets (EP167, EP168, EP169, EP189; Figure 1). This paper summarises Empire’s exploration and appraisal activity in EP187, which is located ~650km southeast of Darwin on the eastern margin of the Mesoproterozoic Beetaloo Sub-basin.