Beetaloo Energy Flags Mid-June C-5H Test As Carpentaria Pilot Nears Commissioning

Beetaloo Energy Australia's (ASX: BTL) Carpentaria Pilot Project has moved further from site construction into commissioning preparation, with the Carpentaria-5H extended production test expected to begin in mid-June, subject to final clean-up.

Carpentaria is the company’s near-term pilot gas development in the Northern Territory, designed to tie existing wells into the Carpentaria Gas Plant and support appraisal gas sales into the domestic market.

In today’s filing, the company said all site civil works are complete, gas plant installation is ongoing, and preparations for the C-5H extended production test are nearing completion.

Beetaloo said the camp reopened in May and has about 40 personnel on site for construction, with transport also underway for the second compressor unit and intercooler, with the final trucks in transit from Roma to the Carpentaria site.

The Roma yard is expected to be cleared and the lease returned this month.

Carpentaria and Basin Context

The Carpentaria Pilot Project is Beetaloo’s bridge between appraisal and pilot production. with plant capacity targeted at up to 25 TJ/day for supply into the Northern Territory domestic market under an existing gas sales agreement.

The board took Final Investment Decision on the Carpentaria pilot in December 2025 following stronger testing results from Carpentaria-5H, as well as traditional owner consent for appraisal gas sales and NT ministerial approvals under the Beneficial Use of Test Gas pathway.

During late-2025 clean-up testing, the well recorded a peak gas flow rate of 11.2 TJ/day, a 30-day average of 7.1 TJ/day and a day-30 exit rate of 6.3 TJ/day.

The annual report linked that performance to a record-scale hydraulic stimulation across a 2,955 metre horizontal section and 67 fracture stages.

Numbers and Near-Term Scope

On the Carpentaria side, Beetaloo said gas gathering pipelines are being installed to connect C-2H, C-3H and C-5H to the Carpentaria Gas Plant and that expanded water-handling infrastructure for C-5H is complete.

The company did not provide fresh capex or revised budget figures in the operations update.

Even so, it offered a clearer picture of where the field program stands: site civil works are complete, plant installation is continuing, compressor equipment is in transit, and gathering lines are being installed.

For Western Beetaloo, Beetaloo said about 230 kilometres of 2D seismic is planned across the Gas Discovery Area between Tarlee S3 and Birdum Creek-1.

Land access agreements have been executed and clearing for access is due to start in mid-June, ahead of Velseis beginning acquisition in late June.

Thicker Shale Development

Beetaloo said the seismic will target the same reservoir units as Carpentaria but with significantly thicker B Shale development, describing the aim as to delineate a resource of more than 20 TCF and build a multi-decade LNG-scale drilling inventory.

That remains a company objective rather than a booked resource outcome disclosed in today’s release.

Funding also stays in the background.

In its March quarterly, Beetaloo said a $66.3 million equity placement had been completed post quarter-end.

The company also received a $15.4 million FY2024 R&D tax refund and upsized its Macquarie midstream infrastructure facility to $45 million.

The annual report had earlier noted an intended $30 million draw under the midstream facility, subject to conditions precedent.

What to Watch Next

The first milestone is whether the C-5H extended production test starts in mid-June as flagged.

Beetaloo has been explicit that timing is still subject to final clean-up, so that remains the immediate operational watchpoint.

The second is how smoothly the pilot system comes together around the well.

Gathering pipeline installation, compressor delivery, gas plant installation and later commissioning all need to align.

Earlier filings showed that extreme NT wet weather limited on-site activity, and company disclosures have also pointed to third-party equipment delays as a source of timing risk.

Pilot Test Now in Focus

Beetaloo’s latest update is mainly about narrowing the gap between construction progress and live operational testing at Carpentaria.

The filing adds useful detail on commissioning readiness and sets out two near-term checkpoints, the mid-June C-5H extended production test and late-June Western Beetaloo seismic start, but funding, execution, weather and regulatory dependencies remain central to how quickly those plans translate into sustained pilot progress.

Near-term attention is likely to centre on whether access clearing begins in mid-June and whether Velseis starts the seismic campaign in late June as planned, with follow-up interest then shifting to what the data says about future drilling locations.

Funding and dilution questions also remain relevant because Beetaloo is still in a pre-material revenue development phase.

Recent filings show additional equity through a $5 million underwritten share purchase plan, while the company’s annual report and risk disclosures continue to highlight dependence on approvals, land access, funding conditions precedent, execution and weather.