Our Story

1949-1970
1949
Two entrepreneurial school friends
John Bonython, John Jenkinson, Hubert Harvey and Bob Bristowe stand in the street

Two entrepreneurial school friends, from Adelaide, Robert Francis ‘Bob’ Bristowe and John Langdon Bonython, decided to pursue their hunches that oil could be found in South Australia. The dream was realised by partnering with a team of geologists led by Reg Sprigg and Helmut Wopfner. Without them, Santos would not be in existence today.
Pictured: Santos Directors (L-R): John Bonython, John Jenkinson, Hubert Harvey and Bob Bristowe. Springfield 1957.

1954
Santos is incorporated
Sir Douglas Mawson looks through some wooden boxes

On 18 March 1954, Santos was incorporated, with its name an acronym of South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search. One of the world’s greatest explorers and South Australia’s most eminent geologist, Sir Douglas Mawson, joined the inaugural Santos Board. He was part of the decision to add Northern Territory to the Santos name.
Pictured: Sir Douglas Mawson

1954
Santos publicly listed
Poster of Santos Limited Prospectus

Santos becomes a publicly listed company and is listed on the Adelaide Stock Exchange in South Australia, 1 October 1954. The first prospectus was released 7 October 1954, with shares first traded on 7 February 1955.

1963
First significant gas discovery
Norm Dixon leans against Gidgealpa sign in front of gas well

The gas discovery at Gidgealpa 2 is the first encouraging discovery of natural gas in the Cooper Basin, South Australia.
Pictured: Delhi camp manager Norm Dixon. February 1964

1966
Moomba gas field discovered
Two men in shorts lean against a large valve

Moomba gas field is discovered in the Cooper Basin. The scale of the discovery gave Santos the confidence to invest in the pipeline structure to Adelaide, South Australia.

1968
Work begins on Adelaide pipeline
South Australian Premier Steele Hall digging with a shovel whilst other men look on

South Australian Premier Steele Hall (pictured) turns the first sod as work begins on the Gidgealpa Moomba to Adelaide natural gas pipeline at Bolivar, Adelaide, South Australia.
24 October 1968. Image credit: News Ltd/Newspix.

1968
Construction of Moomba plant begins
Distant shot of Moomba Plant

Construction of gas processing facilities at the remote Moomba plant in the Cooper Basin begins, preparing the company to pipe gas to Adelaide, South Australia. This plant is still in operation and a core asset for the future of Santos.
Pictured: Moomba gas plant. 14 June 1973.

1969
First gas arrives in Adelaide
3 men test gas supply at Blair Athol

The first molecules of natural gas are piped from Moomba and arrive in the Adelaide suburb of Blair Athol, South Australia.
Pictured: Gas engineers connecting natural gas to homes. 19 November 1969. Image credit: News Ltd/Newspix.

1970
Gas and crude oil discovered at Tirrawarra
South Australian Premier Don Dunstan smells an oil sample with chairman of Bridge Oil NL Paul Strasser

Gas and crude oil discovered at Tirrawarra-1. Until then, popular opinion was that the Cooper Basin would only be a gas resource. It was the first time that oil had flowed to the surface from a well in South Australia. 
Pictured: South Australian Premier Don Dunstan and Bridge Oil Chairman Paul Strasser. The men sniff an oil sample from Tirrawarra-1. Image credit: News Ltd/Newspix

1971-2000
1982
Construction of the liquids pipeline from Moomba to Stony Point begins
Men welding pipe on Stony Point Pipeline

Construction of the liquids pipeline from Moomba to Stony Point, near Whyalla, South Australia begins. The pipeline allowed Santos to market oil and contributed to the expansion of the company footprint, and the beginning of a major export industry. The following year, the Government of South Australia officially named the Stony Point port terminal Port Bonython, in honour of John Bonython.
Pictured: Workers welding sections of pipe together during construction in June 1982.

1983
First shipment of liquid hydrocarbons
Tanker Cellana berthed at the temporary loading facility offshore

Santos begins to develop a major liquids business with the first shipment of liquid hydrocarbons leaving Port Bonython, South Australia bound for the Shell Refinery in Geelong, Victoria becoming the first significant producers of condensate in Australia. The following year, the liquids business officially opened – Australia's largest onshore petroleum development – with the historic first loading of a large export LPG vessel the Genkai Maru bound for Japan.
Pictured: The tanker Cellana berthed at the temporary loading facility offshore Stony Point, South Australia. February 1983.

1996
Ethane treatment plant opens at Moomba
South Australian Premier Dean Brown promoting the pipeline to NSW

An ethane treatment plant is opened at Moomba by South Australian Premier Dean Brown promoting the pipeline to New South Wales for petrochemical development.
Pictured: SA Premier Dean Brown with Santos Managing Director and CEO Ross Adler at Moomba.

2001-2021
2002
Discovery of Mutineer-Exeter oil fields
Ship leaving oil rig

Successful discovery of Mutineer-Exeter oil fields offshore Western Australia signals the beginning of Santos’ operated offshore oil development.
Pictured: FPSO vessel MODEX Venture-11 servicing the Mutineer-Exeter oil fields.

2006
Bayu-Undan LNG, Casino and Maleo projects start production
Aerial view of Bayu-Undan LNG rig

Bayu-Undan LNG (offshore Timor-Leste), Casino (offshore Victoria, Australia) and Maleo projects (offshore East Java, Indonesia), start production. The first shipment of LNG leaving the Bayu-Undan processing plant in Darwin, was a major milestone for Santos and enabled the company to join international ranks of exploration and production companies worldwide.
Pictured: FSO Liberdade (background) at the Bayu-Undan gas field.

2008
Gas agreement with Papua New Guinea
Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and David Knox, Acting CEO of Santos.

Santos' growing exploration and operation led to signing the gas agreement with the Papua New Guinea Government enabling the PNG LNG project to develop.
Pictured: Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (front centre) and David Knox, Acting CEO of Santos (standing fourth from left).

2015
First shipment of LNG leaves Curtis Island
LNG ship at port at Curtis Island

Gladstone LNG (GLNG) goes online with first LNG production and first shipment of LNG leaving Curtis Island, Queensland and delivered to South Korea – partly supplied with Santos’ Cooper Basin gas, GLNG opens an export channel for central Australian gas.

2018
Discovery of hydrocarbons at Dorado
Oil rig in Dorado

Discovery of high-quality hydrocarbons at Dorado, offshore Western Australia. The discovery is the third biggest oil field in the greater North-West Shelf.

2018
Santos becomes the largest domestic gas supplier in Western Australia
Aerial view of Quadrant Energy facility in WA

Santos completes acquisition of the Quadrant Energy business and becomes the largest domestic gas supplier in Western Australia.

2020
Santos completes acquisition of ConocoPhillips assets
Aerial view of ConocoPhillips facility in Darwin

Santos completes acquisition of ConocoPhillips’ business in Northern Australia and Timor-Leste, securing Darwin as a key asset of our future operating business in the Northern Territory.

2021
Santos announces plans for its first carbon capture and storage project
Santos employee turns valve at Moomba CCS

Following a successful trial in 2020, Santos announces a final investment decision on its Moomba carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. This is one of three planned CCS hubs across Santos’ operations.

2021
Santos completes merger with Oil Search
Aerial shots of assets in the Southern Highlands, PNG and Pikka, Alaska, USA

Santos completes merger with Oil Search Limited, combining two industry leaders and enhancing the company’s growth portfolio and Papua New Guinea operating business. Through the merger, Santos also gains its first North American project in Pikka, located on the North Slope of Alaska.
Pictured: Santos’ assets in the Southern Highlands, PNG (top) and Pikka, Alaska, USA (bottom).

2024
Moomba carbon capture and storage (CCS) project online
Aerial view of Moomba CCS

On 17 October, Santos announces the successful start-up of the Moomba CCS (phase one) project with commissioning complete and successful storage of CO2 in depleted gas reservoirs in the Cooper Basin.