Santos trims 2025 production outlook amid Barossa project setbacks

Australia has relied on the conventional gas and coal sector for an exceedingly long time, and the land down under has now revealed that Santos, the country’s second largest gas producer, has reported that its 2025 production outlook has narrowed significantly. As the global energy market is embroiled with the transition to renewable energy, Australia remains the cornerstone of the conventional caol and gas sector. Santos has noted the delay of the Barossa project and terenchal rain has trimmed their outlook for the year.

Australia’s coal and gas sector has faced some tough times this year

The global tranition away from fossil fuels towards the renewable energy sector has not reached the land down under. Australia has relied on the coal nad gas sector for the majority of the nation’s energy needs, as well as providing sustainable export revenue for the nation.

However, Santos has reported that it has narrowed its annual output forecast for the second time this year, pointing to several issues that have resulted in a less-than-ideal performance for Australia’s second largest gas producer. Additonally, the company has reported that the slow recovery from floods at its Cooper Basin oil & gas project have further exacerbated the problems.

Santos reported that now expects to produce 89- to 91-million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) in 2025, which is significantly less compared with the 90-million to 95-mmboe previously forecast.

“Software issues affecting the safety systems onboard the BW Opal FPSO resulted in an unplanned shutdown of around two weeks during September, impacting the ramp-up of the Barossa project.” – MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher

Santos’s Barossa gas project is on track to meet its December shipment delivery

While the overall outlook for the 2025 fiscal year has been trimmed, Santos has reported that the Barossa gas project is running on track to ship its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo in the December quarter. The project is a partnership between Santos and South Korean energy company SK E&S and Japan’s JERA and is valued at an eye-watering $4.3-billion.

Depsite the promising timeline for the Barossa project, the company is stll attempting to fully recover from flood-related operational disruptions at Cooper Basin. Recovery efforts at the Cooper Basin are set to run into the fourth quarter. The company added that 155 wells were still offline due to flood water levels receding slower than expected.

Santos’s managing director remains positive depsite the issues faced by the company

My Gallager has noted that while the problems are concerning, he does not expect the overall outlook for the company to worsen. In fact, quite the opposite as he noted that the impact would not be material in the “big picture”.

The company recieved a $18.7-billion bid from a consortium led by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in June of this year and has reported an 11% fall in sales revenue to $1.13-billion for its third quarter. The Adelaide-based company has also narrowed its annual sales volume forecast to 93 to 95 mmboe from 92 to 99 mmboe previously expected. The Australian government recently exemplified the nation’s stance to the sector by approving the extension of operations at a major gas project.

Australia’s non-renewable energy sector is alive and kicking, despite the global calls for decarbonization

As the majority of the world are encompassed by the transition away from the coal and gas sector, Australia has taken a more pragmatic approach. They are sticking to what has worked for them and have seen coal output rising this year as demand from Asia skyrockets. The bounce back of the coal sector is a representation of the nation’s ability to adapt and overcome. The evidenc would suggest that the conventional coal and gas sector will remian as strong as a wallabee and will be a part of the Australian energy sector for many years to come.