A group of Traditional Owners and environmentalists have hailed Origin Energy’s withdrawal from the Beetaloo Basin and the Kimberley.
On Monday Origin announced its would divest from Beetaloo, about 500km south east of Darwin.
In a statement, Origin chief executive Frank Calabria said the decision would enable the company greater flexibility to allocate capital towards cleaner energy.
“We believe gas will continue to play an important role in the energy mix and it remains a core part of our business,” he said.
“Ultimately, we believe Origin is better placed prioritising capital towards other opportunities that are aligned to our refreshed strategy.”
Nurrdalinji Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, which represents a group of Traditional Owners opposed to fracking, said the withdrawal was welcome relief.