As a member of Australian Energy Producers, Verbrec attended the 2025 Conference & Exhibition held in Brisbane from 26 to 29 May. The event brought together over 2,000 energy professionals to explore innovation, opportunity and energy security in a changing global landscape.

This year’s theme, ‘The Energy Edge”, reflected the challenge of balancing reliable supply with climate and economic goals. Across the week, speakers highlighted the continued importance of natural gas in supporting Australia’s energy needs, enabling the net zero transition, and securing export opportunities through to 2050.

A Strategic Platform for Progress

Industry leaders and government ministers reinforced their commitment to affordable, reliable energy while supporting low-emissions technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen.

The conference confirmed natural gas remains key to Australia’s energy future, driving economic resilience and enabling lower-carbon outcomes.

Samantha McCulloch, CEO of Australian Energy Producers, stressed the need for new gas supply to avoid shortfalls, warning that regulatory uncertainty is already affecting investments.

Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King highlighted gas’s role in regional energy security and the transition, with ongoing work to improve supply and streamline approvals.

Former Treasurer Joe Hockey noted Australia’s stable energy exports support regional security and called for cutting red and green tape to encourage investment.

These views underline the importance of certainty, collaboration and innovation; all aligned with Verbrec’s commitment to delivering safe, efficient, and future-ready gas infrastructure.

Technical Excellence and Transition-Focused Innovation

With more than 120 technical presentations, the conference demonstrated how science and engineering are propelling the industry forward. From advances in CO₂ injection well design to machine learning for reservoir monitoring, the content reflected a sector moving from compliance to proactive leadership.

The 2025 edition of the Australian Energy Producers Journal (Volume 65, Issue 1) reinforced this momentum. Among many highlights were:

• Peer-reviewed studies on carbon capture and storage (CCS) site selection, monitoring, and repurposing infrastructure.
• New research on hydrogen and ammonia transport.
• Practical solutions to ensure well integrity and safe project decommissioning.
• Strategic assessments of Australia’s competitive advantage in CO₂ storage.

Together, these contributions illustrate how the industry is engineering the transition through innovation, with a strong focus on emissions reduction, subsurface expertise, and data-driven decision-making.

Our Perspective: Enabling the Gas Transition

At Verbrec, we believe natural gas will remain an essential component of the energy mix, not just as a transition fuel, but as a long-term enabler of industrial activity, economic growth, and lower-emissions outcomes. The conversations at AEP 2025 clearly reinforced this position.

As outlined on our Gas Transition page, we are actively working with clients to deliver infrastructure that supports energy reliability, reduced emissions, and technological readiness for emerging fuels. Our expertise spans the full asset lifecycle—from concept development to detailed design and operational support and is increasingly focused on CCS, hydrogen-readiness, and repurposing existing infrastructure for a decarbonised future.

Key takeaways from the event that align with our approach include:

• The strategic importance of natural gas in safeguarding domestic supply and global exports.
• The need for regulatory clarity to unlock new supply and investment.
• The industry’s growing confidence in CCS and low-emissions hydrogen as viable pathways.
• The opportunity to leverage Australia’s engineering capability and subsurface expertise to lead the region in carbon storage and energy innovation.

Looking Ahead

The 2025 Australian Energy Producers Conference affirmed the industry’s readiness to meet the challenges of transition head-on, through collaboration, technical excellence, and a shared commitment to practical solutions. Verbrec remains committed to playing a key role in this evolution.

We look forward to continuing to enable the energy transition—engineering a more sustainable future, responsibly.

About Verbrec

Verbrec is a leading engineering, asset management, infrastructure, training and mining technology services provider, operating across the entire asset life cycle. We operate across multiple regions, including Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and the Pacific Islands, executing projects for organisations of all sizes. As enablers of industry transition, Verbrec helps businesses navigate the evolving energy landscape, with a focus on electrification, gas market transition, green commodities, and asset optimisation. Our services are designed to help clients meet their near-term needs while preparing for future challenges. By building strong, trust-based relationships, Verbrec is committed to enabling a sustainable future for our clients, their customers, and the communities we serve.

Find out more at our gas transition page: https://verbrec.com/the-gas-transition/