Distribution and estimates of Australia's identified energy commodity resources

Abstract

Australia is endowed with abundant, high-quality energy commodity resources, which provide reliable energy for domestic use and underpin our status as a major global energy provider. Australia has the world’s largest economic uranium resources, the third largest coal resources and substantial conventional and unconventional natural gas resources. Since 2015, Australia’s gas production has grown rapidly. This growth has been driven by a series of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects on the North West Shelf, together with established coal seam gas projects in Queensland. Results from Geoscience Australia’s 2021 edition of Australia’s energy commodity resources assessment highlight Australia’s endowment with abundant and widely distributed energy commodity resources. Knowledge of Australia’s existing and untapped energy resource potential provides industry and policy makers with a trusted source of data to compare and understand the value of these key energy commodities to domestic and world markets. A key component of Australia’s low emissions future will be the development of a hydrogen industry, with hydrogen being produced either through electrolysis of water using renewable energy resources (‘green’ hydrogen), or manufactured from natural gas or coal gasification, with carbon capture and storage of the co-produced carbon dioxide (‘blue’ hydrogen). Australia’s endowment with abundant natural gas resources will be a key enabler for our transition to a low emissions future through providing economically competitive feedstock for ‘blue’ hydrogen.