Back to overview Home Fossil Energy Drilling ops with Transocean rig pushed forward: New operator taking the helm at Australian gas field Drilling ops with Transocean rig pushed forward: New operator taking the helm at Australian gas field Exploration & Production May 25, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic Share this article Amplitude Energy (formerly Cooper Energy), an Australian gas production company focused on supplying the Southeast domestic gas market, has set the wheels in motion to take over the operatorship of an offshore gas field in the Otway Basin off the coast of Australia. Otway Basin assets; Source: Amplitude Energy Amplitude has disclosed a binding sale and purchase agreement (SPA) to purchase a 50% interest in VIC/L35, which contains the  Artisan gas field  in the offshore Otway Basin, from Beach Energy , thereby accelerating target gas production to 2028, together with the East Coast Supply Project (ECSP) . As part of the SPA, O.G. Energy has agreed to purchase a 10% stake in Artisan on the same commercial terms, such that each company has a 50% interest in the asset. This gas field is situated approximately 17 kilometers southeast of Amplitude Energy’s existing offshore Otway Basin pipeline. The Artisan discovery was made by the Beach Energy (60%) and O.G. Energy (40%) joint venture in March 2021, with the well suspended at that time for future development. In September 2024, a production licence, VIC/L35, covering the Artisan field, was granted. Jane Norman , Managing Director and CEO, commented: “Producing Artisan through Amplitude Energy’s existing infrastructure allows faster and lower-cost development of this gas for the east coast domestic market. “Artisan development costs will significantly benefit from leveraging the existing ECSP program and our readily-available infrastructure. This is a win-win for Amplitude, O.G. Energy and Beach with respect to optimising our respective Otway Basin positions.” This content is available after a