Australian oil and gas company Santos offered flood-affected communities financial assistance on one condition: they had to agree to promote the company's brand and provide positive media coverage, according to application documents obtained by campaign groups.
In mid-2025, as severe flooding devastated remote parts of South Australia and New South Wales, Santos pledged $500,000 to support affected communities. The company's chairman issued a media release saying Santos was "working closely with state authorities" to help with disaster response.
But the application process told a different story. According to Drilled Media, organizations seeking assistance accessed the program through an online portal called Sponorium, where they found a mandatory section titled "Sponsor Rights – Activation."
Applicants were instructed to "please detail how you will promote the Santos brand through your event or program and what activation you have planned." The form listed several options including event naming rights, social media promotion, advertising, media interviews, "access to VIPs such as ministers, key landholders or celebrity endorsements," and placement of Santos-branded merchandise.
The form also warned that "from time to time, Santos and our community partners may be the target of activism related to our operations" and advised organizations to consider "the potential risk associated with activism" before applying.
When contacted, Santos denied attaching PR requirements to the flood relief funds. "There is no requirement attached to the funding distributed by Santos for recipients to promote the company," a spokesperson said. However, the company declined to disclose how many organizations applied or the average grant size.
Campaign groups were less diplomatic. Belinda Noble from CommsDeclare characterized the arrangement as she said, referring to the connection between fossil fuel emissions and extreme weather events.
