Tamboran Resources Corporation (Tamboran) operates as an early stage, growth-driven independent natural gas exploration and production company. The company focuses on an integrated approach to the commercial development of the natural gas resources in the Beetaloo Basin located within the Northern Territory of Australia.
The company and its working interest partners have exploration permits (EPs) to approximately 4.7 million contiguous gross acres (approximately 1.9 million net acres to Tambora...
Tamboran Resources Corporation (Tamboran) operates as an early stage, growth-driven independent natural gas exploration and production company. The company focuses on an integrated approach to the commercial development of the natural gas resources in the Beetaloo Basin located within the Northern Territory of Australia.
The company and its working interest partners have exploration permits (EPs) to approximately 4.7 million contiguous gross acres (approximately 1.9 million net acres to Tamboran) and is the largest acreage holder in the Beetaloo.
The Beetaloo
The Beetaloo is an area of approximately seven million acres (10,800 square miles) and contains significant quantities of unconventional natural gas resources. The Beetaloo is a structural component of the Greater McArthur Basin in the Northern Territory and is located approximately 300 miles southeast of Darwin, Northern Territory.
As of June 30, 2024, the company’s appraisal and development activities focused on the dry gas shale target of the Middle Velkerri B formation, although it expects to eventually evaluate other benches for future development. Regional data from exploration wells, initial results from its appraisal wells, including well log and core data, as well as available 2-D seismic data, indicate that the geological properties of the Middle Velkerri section in the Beetaloo are widespread, with geology similar to that of the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin in the northeastern United States (the Marcellus).
Business Strategies
The company intends to execute the following business strategies: commercialize its resources in the Beetaloo; pursue an integrated approach to the development and scale of natural gas production and transportation projects; import U.S. best practices to become a provider of natural gas to the Australian domestic market and regional Asian markets; and lower emissions from natural gas production.
Assets and Operations
The company holds interests in six EPs and one EP(A), all of which are contiguous to one another and located in the Beetaloo.
Royalty Owners
The company will be required to pay a statutory royalty to the NT Government of 10% of the gross value, at the well-head, of all petroleum produced in connection with a production license or EP in a project area. The gross value of that petroleum is determined by the Petroleum Royalty Act (NT).
Sweetpea has granted a 4% ORRI in favor of the Tom Dugan Family Limited Partnership, LLP, Territory Oil & Gas, LLC; Malcolm John Gerrard, and Longview of all petroleum produced from the Sweetpea Assets and the land subject to the Sweetpea Assets.
Middle Arm Development
In July 2024, the company was granted an Interim Agreement by the NTG over its 420-acre (170-hectare) site at Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct (the Interim MASD Agreement). The Interim MASD Agreement provides the company with future exclusivity over the Wirraway North land until the end of 2027, with two 1-year extension periods, and maps out how the Crown Lands department will work with the company for the future development of the site. The Interim MASD Agreement is expected to be in place until it is replaced by a commercial lease document just prior to FID.
Joint Venture Partner
The company, through Sheffield Holdings, LP, first began acquiring interests in TR Ltd. in 2021, has made three subsequent equity investments, holding beneficial ownership of approximately 15.8% of outstanding common stock.
In September 2022, Mr. Sheffield, through Daly Waters, partnered with TR Ltd. through a newly formed 50 / 50 joint venture, TB1, to acquire a 77.5% interest in EPs 76, 98, and 117 covering approximately four million gross acres (1.5 million net acres).
TB1 Joint Venture Agreement
The company is a member of TB1, a 50/50 joint venture, through its wholly owned subsidiary, TR West, with Daly Waters, an entity controlled by Bryan Sheffield. TB1, in turn, wholly owns TB1 Operator. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this section or elsewhere in this report have the meanings ascribed to them in the applicable agreement.
The company is the manager of Tamboran (B1) Pty Ltd (TB1), with the responsibility to carry out day-to-day operations, including managing the activities of the TB1 Operator in operating the properties and complying with the Beetaloo JOA and Falcon Agreement. Under the TB1 Joint Venture Agreement, the company has agreed to use all reasonable endeavors to apply for a production license for certain permit areas, where justified by appraisal results, by June 30, 2025.
Falcon Agreements
The TB1 Operator is a party to a farmin agreement with Falcon (the Falcon Agreement) pursuant to which the TB1 Operator owns a 77.5% operated working interest and Falcon owns a 22.5% non-operated working interest in EPs 76, 98, and 117.
The TB1 Operator is also a party to a joint operating agreement with Falcon (the Beetaloo JOA). The Beetaloo JOA establishes the respective rights and obligations of the TB1 Operator and Falcon in connection with EP 76, 98, and 117. The TB1 Operator is designated as the operator under the Beetaloo JOA.
On March 21, 2024, TB1 Operator agreed to acquire Falcon’s interest, increasing the company’s working interest to at least 47.5% in SS2 and the two wells in the 2024 drilling program.
McArthur Joint Operating Agreement
On December 11, 2012, the company entered into a joint operating agreement (the McArthur JOA) with Santos QNT, under which Santos serves as the operator of EP 161. The McArthur JOA will remain in effect as long as the permits remain in force in the names of two or more parties. The company’s working interest under the McArthur JOA is 25%.
The company holds a non-operated 25% working interest in EP 161 through its wholly owned subsidiary Tamboran (McArthur) Pty Ltd, with Santos holding the remaining 75% working interest as operator. Pursuant to its joint operating agreement with Santos QNT, the company is required to contribute its proportionate share of expenditures in order to maintain its interest in EP 161.
Drilling Contract with H&P
On September 9, 2022, the company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a drilling contract with H&P (as amended, the Drilling Contract). The term of the Drilling Contract commenced on July 1, 2023. Under the Drilling Contract and associated agreements, the company granted H&P a 10-year preferential right to provide drilling services to the company in connection with its exploration and production activities in Australia. On July 31, 2023, the company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a Rig Sharing and Temporary Assignment and Assumption Agreement with the wholly owned subsidiary of TB1 to utilize the Drilling Contract for the purposes of drilling the Beetaloo Joint Venture’s appraisal wells.
Strategic Arrangement with Liberty Energy Inc.
The company has entered into a two-year preferred arrangement with Liberty Energy to provide it with dedicated frac fleets and personnel on market terms (as reasonably determined by the Beetaloo Joint Venture), which includes Liberty Energy’s latest sand mining and handling management solution.
APA Agreements
The company entered into three framework agreements on December 15, 2023, with APA Group (collectively, the APA Agreements) to support the development of its Beetaloo assets and enable distribution of natural gas from its assets.
Origin Retail Gas Sales Agreement
On September 18, 2022, the TB1 Operator entered into the Origin GSA whereby the TB1 Operator has agreed to supply, and Origin Retail has agreed to purchase up to 5.97 Mmboe per annum (2.99 Mmboe per annum net to Tamboran), gas sourced from EP 98, 76, or 117. The start date of the supply period under the Origin GSA must be between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, and the end date is 10 years following the start date unless extended.
NT Government Gas Sales Agreement
On April 23, 2024, the Beetaloo Joint Venture signed a long-term gas sales agreement (the NT GSA) to supply the NT Government with ~40 MMcf/d (~19 MMcf/d net to Tamboran) from the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project for an initial term of nine years, starting in H1 2026. The Buyer has an option to extend the NT GSA for a further 6.5 years through to 2042.
Customers and Marketing
The company plans to market its natural gas under long-term agreements. Its ability to market natural gas will depend on many factors beyond its control, including the extent of domestic production and imports of oil and natural gas, available storage, the proximity of its natural gas production to pipelines and corresponding markets, the available capacity in such pipelines, the demand for natural gas and oil, the effects of weather, and the effects of state and federal regulation.
Environmental Matters and Regulation
Any of the company’s activities which have the potential to cause a significant impact to the environment are required to be referred to the NT Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for assessment under the Environmental Protection Act 2019 (NT) (Environment Protection Act).
History
Tamboran Resources Corporation was founded in 2009. The company was incorporated in 2023.