Australian court voids govt Beetaloo drilling grants to Empire Energy arm

Beetaloo Energy Australia

23/12/2021 24:54

MELBOURNE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - An Australian court declared
void grants that the federal government awarded to a subsidiary
of Empire Energy Group  EEG.AX  for exploration drilling in the
Beetaloo shale basin in the Northern Territory.
    "The Court declares that the Commonwealth's decision dated 9
September 2021 to enter into three contracts with the third
respondent is invalid," Justice John Griffiths of the Federal
Court of Australia said in a judgment delivered on Friday.
    The order came in a case brought by the Environment Centre
NT Inc against Resources Minister Keith Pitt alleging that he
had failed to make proper inquiries before granting Imperial
Energy A$21 million ($15 million) for its Northern Territory
fracking programme.
 ($1 = 1.3866 Australian dollars)

 (Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
 ((Sonali.Paul@thomsonreuters.com; +61 407 119 523;))