The Northern Territory Government has lifted its three-year moratorium on exploration fracking for onshore shale gas in the Beetaloo Basin, and expects engineering works could resume within days.

Key points: The NT Government expects gas fracking exploration to resume "in the coming days, if not weeks"

The NT Government expects gas fracking exploration to resume "in the coming days, if not weeks" The Environment Minister says the final hurdles for commercial production to resume are almost cleared

The Environment Minister says the final hurdles for commercial production to resume are almost cleared Green groups criticise the go-ahead before water studies are complete

The Gunner Government imposed the moratorium on the Territory's fledging industry on its election in 2016, after just a few test wells were drilled in the Beetaloo Basin, south of Mataranka, because of widespread public concern about environmental risks.

The Territory Government approved Origin Energy's environmental management plan for civil engineering works to resume on its Kyalla test well on the Hayfield Shenandoah Station near Daly Waters, and one for Santos to undertake civil engineering works and seismic testing on Tanumbirini Station north of Elliott.

Chris Shaw from the Territory Environment Department said work was expected to start on the two sites "in the coming days, if not weeks".

List of banned areas still to be finalised

The Government also finalised the Code of Practice the companies must operate under.

Resources Minister Paul Kirby said they would enforce strict standards on "site activities, wastewater activities and environmental management around those sites".

Environment Minister Eva Lawler said the finalisation of a list of sensitive areas where fracking will be banned was one of the few remaining hurdles to full commercial production being able to resume soon.

"We've got the no-go zones to be signed off, and there is one other area around a program for monitoring," she said.

Critics are objecting to exploration fracking being allowed to restart before the regional baseline water and biodiversity studies the Pepper inquiry ordered are complete.

"The work's happening at the moment, so we're looking at the water monitoring that's happening so there has to be six months of water monitoring," Ms Lawler said.

Graeme Sawyer from the Protect Country Alliance green group branded the move to open up the NT for exploration as "appalling".

"Three to five years of water and biodiversity studies are needed, and unless they're done well we're not going to get answers to some of the big outstanding questions," he said.

"I don't understand how the Government can make this decision right now because they are flying blind."

Government can't put figure on jobs

Mr Kirby could not put a figure on the economic benefits he expected from the industry, particularly in relation to employment.

"I can't at this stage estimate how many jobs," he said.

"But the projections say there will be many, many jobs.

Mr Sawyer said he believed the reason the Government couldn't answer that question "is that they don't know".

"One thing we do know is they're going to be small numbers," Mr Sawyer said.

The gas industry body APPEA welcomed the code of practice finalisation and said companies hoped to restart exploration as soon as possible.

"The priority now is to move forward with gas exploration that will benefit the Territory and provide jobs and investment," APPEA external affairs director Matt Doman said.