Key Highlights

  • Buru has submitted an application for a Production Licence over the Rafael gas and condensate field in Exploration Permit EP 428.
  • The application follows an independent assessment of 15.25 MMboe of 2P Reserves for the two-well foundation development.
  • The project has been referred to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia.
  • Drilling of the Rafael 1H and 2H production wells is planned for 2027, with first gas in early CY2029 subject to approvals and funding.

Buru Energy Limited (ASX:BRU) announced on 19 October 2026 that it has submitted an application for a Production Licence (PL) over the Rafael gas and condensate field in Exploration Permit EP 428 in Western Australia’s onshore Canning Basin. The field is part of the company’s 100% owned Rafael Conventional Gas Project.

The Production Licence application

The application is described as an important step in establishing the regulatory tenure required to develop and produce from the Rafael field. Buru highlighted that it follows the recent independent assessment of 15.25 MMboe of Proved and Probable (2P) Reserves for the two-well foundation development, which was the project’s first booking of Reserves, and the referral of the project to the Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA WA).

Project description

Buru describes Rafael as the only proven conventional gas and liquids resource in the greater Kimberley region. The development concept is simple, modular and small in footprint. According to the company, it is being developed to generate long-term cashflow, reduce the region’s reliance on imported energy such as LNG and LPG, and provide a platform for Buru’s future growth.

Development timeline

The company said the milestones strengthen Rafael’s technical and regulatory foundation and maintain momentum toward the 2027 drilling program for the Rafael 1H and 2H production wells. First gas production is targeted for early CY2029, subject to regulatory approvals and project funding.

Regulatory and technical steps completed so far

The release lists three steps in the project’s development pathway. The first is the booking of maiden Proved and Probable Reserves, assessed independently at 15.25 MMboe for a foundation development of two wells. The second is the referral of the project to the EPA WA. The third is the submission of the Production Licence application over the Rafael field within EP 428.

Buru said its focus is on project simplicity, capital efficiency and early cashflow as it progresses toward the drilling program next year and the delivery of a new local energy source for northern Western Australia.

About Buru Energy

Buru Energy is based at Level 2, 16 Ord Street, West Perth, Western Australia, and the announcement was authorised for release by the Chair of the Board of Directors. The Rafael field sits within Exploration Permit EP 428, where the company holds a 100% interest in the conventional gas project.