We strive to cover stories that will appeal to all of our readers and are proudly technologically agnostic in terms of our coverage. But there's some stories which have really grabbed your eyeballs this year.
Here's a run down from the past 12 months.
Woodside in, Exxon out - 29 July 2025
In mid winter a landmark transfer of operatorship reshaped the east coast gas market and triggered one of the world's largest offshore clean-up tasks.
Woodside's agreement to assume operatorship of the Bass Strait from ExxonMobil marked a generational shift in Australia's gas sector, ending nearly six decades of Exxon's presence and setting up a multibillion-dollar decommissioning challenge across one of the country's most mature basins.
The handover capped years of portfolio reshaping by ExxonMobil as it redirected capital into higher-return regions. For Woodside, the deal aligned with the Australian energy giant's strategy to leverage existing infrastructure and stabilise east coast supply amid tightening domestic gas conditions.
"After operating the Gippsland Basin Joint Venture for more than 50 years, we are proud to be handing over the reins and transitioning our highly experienced Bass Strait workforce to our valued partner Woodside, a world-class operator," ExxonMobil Australia Chair Simon Younger said.
"Taking operatorship of Bass Strait demonstrates Woodside's continued commitment to meeting Australia's domestic energy demand while maximising the value of existing infrastructure," Woodside EVP and COO Australia Liz Westcott said.
In Septmeber the year's most closely watched foreign bid unraveled, exposing governance tensions and reigniting debate over the company's leadership and strategic direction.
The Abu Dhabi-backed XRG consortium's withdrawal of its indicative $30bn bid for Santos ended months of high-stakes negotiations and dashed expectations of a transformative foreign takeover, leaving the gas producer navigating investor unease and renewed scrutiny over leadership stability.
The collapse followed intensifying friction over risk allocation, regulatory exposure and timing under a proposed scheme agreement. It also revived debate about Santos' long-term strategy, with the failed bid quickly followed by the shock departure of CFO Sherry Duhe—exposing internal cultural strains at a pivotal moment for the company.
"While disappointed not to move forward, XRG and its consortium partners are responsible, disciplined investors with a clear focus on creating value for our shareholders and driving long-term growth," the company said in a statement.
Santos' response says its board expressed concern to XRG about the delays.
"The XRG Consortium would not agree to acceptable terms which protected the value of the Potential Transaction for Santos shareholders, having regard to the likely extended timeframe to completion and the regulatory risk associated with the transaction," Santos said.
"Further, the XRG Consortium would not agree to an appropriate allocation of risk between the XRG Consortium and Santos shareholders under the SIA.
This included the obligation of the XRG Consortium to secure regulatory approvals and the provision of a reasonable commitment to the development and supply of domestic gas"
Then, a month later, Santos found itself under scrutiny once again when its CFO, Sherry Duhe, departed amid controversy.
Duhe wrote that she had given Santos "my best shot, but in the end just couldn't reconcile my leadership style to Kevin's."
It is reported that in her messages she wrote: "Sadly, when I initially approached Kevin last week with my intention to resign, he and [head of people and culture Kim Lee] both asked me to reconsider and asserted that he wanted to try to improve his leadership style, thus that I would stay."
Woodside's application to extend the life of their North West Shelf gas project was finally approved by the environment minister Murray Watt in September.
With 48 conditions attached to the approval, which had been forecast in a proposed approval announcement several months earlier, the move brought to a close a period of uncertainty for Woodside, allowing them to potentially focus on moving to bring Browse to fruition.
But despite the conditions imposed and the promised energy and job security, the announcement was condemned by environmentalists and the green lobby.
Heralded by Samantha McCulloch, the Australian Energy Producers' CEO as a move that will "safeguard reliable and affordable gas supply for Western Australians…critical to Western Australia's long-term energy security and economic strength," it was hoped within industry that the decision would bring to an end the tortuous legal challenges and political wranglings which had held up the decision for so long.
However, seemingly no sooner was the ink dry on the paperwork, two legal challenges were filed in the courts by Friends of Australian Rock Art and the Australian Conservation Foundation which are still ongoing. The process of these cases was also complicated last month when the UN's special rapporteur requested to be made a "friend of the court."
This one looks set to keep rumbling on...
In late November the reforms to the nation's environmental laws were finally approved and passed into law, a full five years after a government review first identified they needed overhauling.
The passage into law, which was the subject of rounds of furious and furtive backroom negotiations between Labor and the Greens and the Coalition, must really be credited to one man – environment minister Murray Watt.
After attempts by Tanya Plibersek, the previous minister, to pass the reforms in the previous parliament came to nothing, following a successful federal election, PM Albanese gave the contentious portfolio to Watt – seen as a fixer in Canberra circles.
And true to his work, Watt conducted a series of consultations with the major stakeholders, got the amendments drafted and pushes them through both houses by the time Parliament rose for its Christmas break.
With industry clamouring for a lessening of green trap and a speeding up of the approvals process and with environmentalists asking for pretty much the opposite, Watt was never going to be able to please all of the people all of the time. However, when push came to shove, even the ardent environmentalists close to the issues admit that the new laws are an improvement.
Never one to miss a chance for a bit of point scoring, Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters was quick to take credit for the passing of the bills, claiming it was her party's pressure that "made this bill better."
"[And] infinitely better than if the government had done a deal with the climate deniers in the Coalition."
Towards the end of September the Northern Endeavour floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) lefts its home in the Timor Sea, setting off on its final journey to a Danish breaker's yard, via a Singaporean pitstop.
The FPSO's departure from the region brought to an end the long running saga of the dilapidated vessel, which for the last five years had been something of an albatross around the neck of the government after it fell in to their hands when its last owner went into liquidation.
The Northern Endeavour is currently still in Singapore and will soon be loaded on to the back of Cosco's Hua Rui Long for its final journey to Modern American Recycling Services (MARS)'s shipyard in Denmark where it will be dismantled and recycled.
Our in-depth coverage of the vessels demise clearly brought up a lot of happy memories for the crews which had worked on her over the years and while most were content to wave her a nostalgic farewell, the Maritime Union of Australia opted to launch a last-ditch attempt to stop the Northern Endeavour floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel being sent overseas for its decommissioning.
"Australia is a global citizen and has international obligations under the Basel Convention, yet we run no permit system on the disposal of FPSOs. We are sending hazardous waste offshore under a legal vacuum and missing the chance to build local industry capacity," said MUA assistant national secretary Thomas Mayo.
Anti-renewables pushback – 30 September 2025
Farmers, community advocates and official inquiries spent much of 2025 warning that misinformation and rushed planning around renewables are fracturing rural communities, as ENB coverage tracked derailed projects, social division and mental health strains across wind, solar, storage and transmission zones.
Throughout 2025, RE-Alliance's Andrew Bray warned a Senate inquiry that false and exaggerated claims are filling an information vacuum and Tony Mahar argued that myths and poor engagement are dividing the bush. NSW REZ hearings linked fast-paced rollouts to information gaps, "social tear," and growing mental health strains.
"A lack of information and the existence of misinformation are making a difficult task much more difficult than it needs to be… leading to disruption, division, conflict and delays," Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Tony Mahar warned.
Santos' long-contested Narrabri gas project had a torrid 2025 with the failure of a community bid to put its lateral pipeline under the federal water trigger, a key Gomeroi native title appeal delayed due to bias concerns and politicians casting Narrabri as critical to shoring up east-coast gas.
After the National Native Title Tribunal re-approved Narrabri in May, citing domestic energy security benefits, Santos moved to lock in domestic offtake deals, while unions, Gomeroi leaders, and farmers escalated their opposition.
From pipeline water-trigger litigation through to the Federal Court loss, Beach circling a stake and rising political pressure to "get Narrabri done" as AEMO warns of looming gas shortfalls.
"In NSW, which draws 95% of its gas from other jurisdictions, Narrabri is the only new supply source on the horizon," Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher said. He warned the east-coast gas market faces shortages from 2028 without Narrabri gas, casting the project as "strategic" for NSW supply.
