A pioneer of the
natural gas industry
since 1988

Tri-Star is a family-owned resources exploration company that is at the forefront of exploration in Australia and the United States.

Building on three generations of geological and technical experience, Tri-Star actively explores for and unlocks new energy sources of oil, gas, and minerals.

For over 40 years, Tri-Star has been involved in major exploration and development and production across Queensland, South Australia, the Northern Territory, and the Permian Basin in Texas.  More recently, Tri-Star has invested in exploring in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Tri-Star’s historic exploration activities included the drilling of Queensland’s first commercial coal seam gas (CSG) well, which led to the discovery and development of some of the most prospective CSG fields in the world.  These include Fairview, Spring Gully, Durham Ranch, Condabri, and Combabula, which have underpinned Queensland’s $80 billion CSG to LNG industry.

Tri-Star strives to conduct business to the highest standards of safety, environmental and stakeholder engagement, and has a proven track record of using innovative exploration and production practices.

Tri-Star is committed to supporting the world’s energy future by leveraging its world-class technical expertise to explore a portfolio of exploration opportunities.

Tri-Star is actively seeking to acquire new assets, invest in new assets with reputable partners, and bring in partners to progress its assets. 

Our investment appetite stretches across the full spectrum of petroleum and minerals with a focus on the exploration stage in the lifecycle of projects, whilst still being open to further progressed opportunities.

Tri-Star has the unique capability to participate and contribute in asset development as an operator, a non-operator or a passive investor based on the unique characteristics of each asset.

Three generations of exploration expertise have driven Tri-Star’s long and successful history.

The first of Tri-Star’s group of companies, West Texas Oil and Gas Corporation, was established in 1979 by founder, Dr James Butler III and his son, James Butler Jr, to explore and develop oil reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas, USA.

Tri-Star Petroleum Company was formed in 1988 to explore gas and oil opportunities in Australia.

Tri-Star established its Australian head office in Brisbane, Queensland in 1990.

Four years later, Tri-Star’s exploration program in Queensland’s Bowen basin discovered major natural gas reserves, beginning our long relationship with Australia.