Buru Energy has fired the starting gun on the formal approvals process for its flagship Rafael conventional gas project in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, referring the development to the State’s Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA WA).
The submission marks another de-risking step for the company’s 100 per cent-owned project, which Buru describes as the only proven conventional gas and liquids resource in the greater Kimberley. The regulator is expected to decide whether the proposal requires formal assessment by late 2026.
The move comes as Western Australia’s gas development pipeline attracts fresh regulatory attention amid a tightening domestic gas balance in Australia. With other Kimberley gas projects already pushed through the State’s environmental process this year, Buru is entering an approvals pathway that is becoming increasingly well-trodden.
Rafael is built around a simple, small-footprint modular development designed to generate long-term cash flow, reduce the region’s reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and create a platform for further growth.
The project’s foundation case is supported by independently assessed proved and probable (2P) reserves of 15.25 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), comprising 65.74 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas, 98,500 tonnes of LPG and 2.89 million barrels of condensate.
For ordinary energy users across the Kimberley, the significance is practical as much as geological. Remote mines, communities and businesses currently rely heavily on fuel hauled long distances from the Pilbara or further south, making a local source of reliable energy a potential game-changer.
The foundation development is conceived as a two-well upstream project feeding a modular LNG and liquids plant. Under a capital-light model, Buru’s partner Clean Energy Fuels Australia will finance, build, own and operate the processing facility, allowing Buru to concentrate its spending on the upstream wells and broader project execution.
Buru Energy executive chair David Maxwell said: “With this timely referral of the Rafael Conventional Gas Project to the EPA WA closely following the completion of the reserves assessment, Buru is increasing momentum towards delivering its final investment decision and first gas by early 2029.”
The company says it completed extensive studies, modelling and surveys as part of the environmental impact assessment and found no significant environmental impacts. Following a public comment period, EPA WA will decide whether to assess the project under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
The milestone keeps Rafael aligned with a targeted final investment decision in the second half of calendar 2027 and first gas production in early calendar 2029, subject to regulatory approvals. The EPA WA decision expected by year-end is the next formal checkpoint.
The latest news follows confirmation of Rafael's reserves three weeks ago, nudging the Kimberly gas play closer to commercial reality. Booking 2P reserves means an independent assessor has confirmed how much gas can be commercially recovered under Buru’s development plan, strengthening the basis for financing and project decisions.
Rafael sits within the Fitzroy Trough of the onshore Canning Basin, roughly 100km east of Broome. Buru has spent almost two decades proving the region's hydrocarbon potential, including producing more than 2.3 million barrels from its 100 per cent-owned Ungani oil field.
The company's broader strategy is to build a regional energy business around Rafael while preserving upside from nearby exploration and the wider basin. A producing hub could also make future discoveries more valuable as they would share processing, logistics and market access.
For Buru, the approvals referral is more than a regulatory filing. It is the latest sign that Rafael is moving from a promising subsurface discovery into a defined commercial system aimed at turning Kimberley isolation from a historical handicap into a commercial advantage.
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