Essay by Eric Worrall
Estimates for the Taroom Trough have just risen to a billion barrels of oil, possibly 10s of billions.
‘More confident than ever’: Proponents believe prized Taroom Trough, Queensland oil field could hold far more liquid fuel than initially indicated
A vast tract of land in Queensland could contain tens of billions of barrels of oil – far more than initial estimates, according to the resources CEO whose firm has been exploring the deposit for the past three years.
Harry Clarke Queensland Political Reporter
October 30, 2026 – 3:59PM
Proponents of the Taroom Trough oil field in western Queensland say they believe there is far more liquid fuel within the deposit than initial testing first indicated.
Speaking exclusively to News24.com.au, Omega Oil and Gas CEO Trevor Brown said estimates of oil volumes within the Taroom Trough have been scaled up significantly, from more than one billion barrels to potentially tens of billions of barrels.
Omega, alongside Shell QGC and Elixir Energy, have been exploring the deposit and carrying out test drilling since 2023.
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The Queensland Crisafulli Government announced new exploration tenements for drilling companies and touted the Taroom Trough as a means of boosting domestic fuel supply and increasing Australia’s sovereign capability.
“Unlocking the Taroom Trough is critical to locking in future national fuel security,” Premier David Crisafulli said in April.
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Read more: https://www.news24.com.au/business/energy/generational-opportunity-proponents-believe-prized-taroom-trough-queensland-oil-field-could-hold-ten-times-more-liquid-fuel-than-initially-indicated/news-story/aedb20711709a4ab74cc98379aca69ca
Not everyone is as happy as the Premier of Queensland. While with Australia’s current fuel price crisis nobody has the balls to openly impede the project, the leftwing green aligned federal government has been accused of going slow on the approval process.
From April this year;
Queensland, feds in stare-off over next move to develop oil field
Brittney Levinson Queensland reporter
Apr 20, 2026 – 3.59pmThe Queensland and Albanese federal governments are at loggerheads over who should make the next move to fast-track exploration of oil reserves west of Brisbane that proponents say could protect Australia from fuel shocks like the one caused by the war in Iran.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt on Monday accused the Queensland government of being “all talk and no action” and said it was completely in the state’s control to speed up approvals of the Taroom Trough oil field.
Meanwhile, Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie dismissed “smart alec remarks from [Energy Minister] Chris Bowen and Murray Watt” over recent days and insists he is waiting for the federal government to make the next move.
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Read more: https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/queensland-feds-in-stare-off-over-next-move-to-develop-oil-field-20260420-p5zpd7
The most interesting part of this green oil field political kabuki play is Taroom field actually has its own refinery. The refinery only processes a little over 600 barrels of oil per day, but it has been a lifeline for Queensland’s far Western miners and farmers since 1986. People who learned the hard way the only supply remote regions like far Western Queensland can rely on are supplies they produce themselves.
The refinery is small enough and remote enough it often doesn’t make it on to lists of Australian oil refineries – which is probably why it has survived so long.
What a wasted opportunity. And Taroom isn’t the only large fossil fuel deposit which has been neglected, there is also Beetaloo gas field in the Northern territory, and loads of gas off Australia’s North West coast. I wouldn’t be surprised if that region stretching from 25º to 17º south across the entire northern belt of Australia is one big petroleum field.
If it wasn’t for Australia’s decades of ignorant political green zealotry, we would not be experiencing sky high prices and fear of shortages. Our nation would by now have been awash with affordable fuel. And given a large component of recent interest rate rises has been driven by fuel cost, people would also have more affordable mortgages.
