Gas companies have won a precedent-setting case to drill on cattle stations

The decision was handed down in the Northern Territory Supreme Court this week between Rallen Australia and Sweetpea Petroleum.

The court's decision is seen as having wide implications for the race to develop shale gas deposits in the Territory's Beetaloo basin.

Rallen Australia is owned by Sydney-based couple Pierre Langenhoven and Luciana Ravazzotti Langenhoven and is believed to have backing from South African ceramics rich lister Giovanni Ravazzotti, the father of Luciana.

Rallen has recently bought up six NT cattle stations encompassing 1.1 million hectares (2,718,159 acres) - Tanumbirini, Kalala, Big River, Larizone, Mt McMinn and Forrest Hill running more than 70,000 head of cattle.

Most of the Territory's big stations operate through long-term pastoral leases and not freehold ownership.

Rallen says it has spent $200 million in the NT since 2019 buying up land and establishing its Brahman business.

They have bought into the Beetaloo Basin in the NT outback which is Australia's supposed El Dorado with enough gas trapped in the shale rocks deep underground to supply the country for hundreds of years.

The Beetaloo spans an area of about 30,000 square kilometres.

Several gas companies have been drilling in the Beetaloo for several years, with financial support from the former Federal government, in an attempt to speed up development of the resource.

In a statement, Tamboran Resources said the court decision validates the already approved access agreement.

The company said it had completed the drilling of its first operated well, Maverick 1V, during the second half of 2022, which it said was the fastest drilled vertical section of more than 2500-metres in the Beetaloo Basin to date.

Tamboran Resources managing director and CEO, Joel Riddle, said: "We are pleased with the NT Supreme Court's ruling and look forward to working closely with all our stakeholders in progressing the development of the Beetaloo Basin in a safe and responsible manner."

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Mr Riddle said the decision "sets an important precedent" for future operations across the Beetaloo basin.

Former Australian trade minister Andrew Robb has recently joined the board of Tamboran as a director.

Rallen has challenged three gas companies with exploration rights over its Tanumbirini Station - Tamboran, Origin and Santos.

Sweetpea Petroleum is a subsidiary of Sydney-headquartered Tamboran Resources.

Tamboran has an exploration permit for exploratory fracking which covers parts of Tanumbirini, near Daly Waters, plus neighbouring Beetaloo Station.

The company has publicly said it has attempted to engage in good faith with Rallen Australia to negotiate an equitable access agreement.

Rallen had appealed a NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal decision to allow Sweetpea to start work on its Tanumbirini station on various grounds including protection of its water infrastructure.

Rallen says it is considering an appeal.

Rallen Australia director Mr Langenhoven said: "We are disappointed in the decision, as the land access agreement provides minimum protections to pastoralists and puts all the risk and all the cost onto the pastoralist.

"It is difficult to properly care for our cattle with noise and dust, machinery and heavy construction activity and major roads being bulldozed through paddocks."

Tanumbirini is a 5000 square kilometre cattle station near Daly Waters, 600km southeast of Darwin.