From pioneering beginnings in the South Australian outback to a global energy business, Santos is celebrating 70 years of progress in 2024.
Founded in 1954 by school friends Bob Bristowe and John Bonython, Santos’ beginnings can be traced back to the pair’s shared belief that at the desert heart of Australia lay a rich resource with the potential to power a nation.
The Gidgealpa 2 well in South Australia’s Cooper Basin represented the explorers’ first major discovery in 1963. The finding was followed by the Moomba 1 discovery in 1966, confirming the region’s potential as a major energy resource.
By 1969, Santos’ operations in the Cooper Basin were delivering gas to Adelaide to power homes and businesses in the city and beyond.
Since then, Santos has grown to become a global energy leader with operations across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Alaska, and a burgeoning decarbonisation business breaking new ground in a global energy evolution to low carbon fuels. Its name, however, still pays homage to its pioneering origins in Australia’s vast centre – South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search.
Take a trip through time as you learn more about the pioneers, pragmatists and problem-solvers who made the business what it is today, and as we celebrate 70 years of progress.