Australia’s Northern Territory Frees Up Land 5 Times Singapore’s Size for Oil Exploration

The proposed acreage is around 400 square kilometres and falls within the Beetaloo Sub-basin, one of Australia’s most significant onshore shale gas plays.

Indigenous footballers participate in a handball drill during a Santa Teresa Football Club training session in Alice Springs, Northern Territory in Australia on May 28, 2014. Michael Dodge/Getty Images

The Northern Territory (NT) Country Liberal government has released a tract of land over five times the size of Singapore for petroleum exploration.

The announcement was made during a visit by the state’s industry representatives to the North American Prospect Expo in Houston, Texas, from Feb. 18-20.