Beach's exploration and production focus is primarily in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin in central Australia, where it holds interests in 20 petroleum exploration and 263 production licences.  The Cooper and the overlying Eromanga Basin host Australia's largest onshore oil and gas development.

During the year ending 30 June, 2008, Beach produced 30 PJ of natural gas and 2 million barrels of oil from its Cooper-Eromanga tenements.  The company also participated in the drilling of 108 wells in this region during this period.  This program added 5 million barrels of oil reserves and 12 PJ of gas reserves (net to Beach).  At 30 June 2008, Beach's Cooper-Eromanga reserves stood at 235 PJ of gas and 15 million barrels of oil.

Beach's operated Licences lie primarily along the flanks of the Cooper Basin where Eromanga Basin sandstone reservoirs are well positioned to receive oil charge from deeper Cooper Basin source rocks.  These permits are therefore primarily prospective for oil discoveries in the Eromanga Basin section, although Cooper Basin oil and gas / condensate prospectivity is also recognised in some areas.  Beach currently operates 15 oil fields in the Cooper-Eromanga with 5 gas discoveries awaiting development.

The Company's recent exploration efforts in its tenements located on the western flank of the Cooper Basin in South Australia have proven to be particularly rewarding, with seven oil fields now in production.  Production at December 2008 from these seven fields was approximately 5,500 barrels of oil per day (4125 bopd Beach share).  Since the Company began its exploration of the western flank of the Cooper Basin in 2002, approximately 6.4 million barrels of oil reserves have been discovered and developed by Beach and its Joint Venture Partners, with  an average finding and development costs of less than A$11 per barrel.  The exploration success rate to date on the western flank has been of the order of 50%.  Beach has continued its exploration efforts in this area, carrying out large 3D seismic surveys, with a strong portfolio of prospects and leads developed for further assessment over the next few years.

A defining factor in Beach's recent growth was the acquisition in 2006 of Delhi Petroleum and its extensive oil and gas assets in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin, complementing Beach's prior holdings in the area.  The Delhi acquisition provided  Beach with an approximate 21% interest in the Cooper Basin project operated by Santos Limited, including participation in an aggressive exploration and development program  primarily targeting Eromanga Basin oil.

Since late 2006, Beach has participated in more than 100 oil wells operated by Santos, delivering net reserves of 4 million barrels, with finding and development costs averaging A$25 per barrel.