Three companies are hard at work testing their wells in the Beetaloo for shale gas with the annual rains expected within the next few months.

Protect Country Alliance said it feared the wet season rains would place the storage of waste fluid at risk.

While Origin Energy did not directly comment on any plans it has to frack its exploratory wells during the wet season, it said it was well prepared for the wet.

The alliance criticised company plans to keep waste fluid from fracking in open tanks, it claimed that was in contrast to the recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry.

An Origin Energy spokesman today said the use of open evaporation ponds was a credible and environmentally acceptable practice which is approved by the EPA and Department of Environment.

"As with all of our activities, we have multiple layers of controls in place to ensure the environment is protected," the spokesman said.

"In the case of evaporation ponds, they are not filled to capacity to ensure there is enough space to accommodate a 1 in 1000 year rainfall season. This is a regulatory requirement.

"In addition, we use enclosed tanks as our primary storage for flowback fluid, and only when the environmental conditions are acceptable, we transfer fluid to the one open pond to evaporate."

Alliance spokesperson Graeme Sawyer said Origins decision to frack during the wet season showed arrogance for NT communities and the environment.

How dare this company suggest it is okay to keep fracking waste fluid in open air tanks during the highly volatile wet season, when cyclones can flood water catchments in minutes, he said.

Justice Pepper was very specific in recommending that fracking waste fluid not be kept in open air storage units, yet the NT Government, at the behest of industry, has chosen to ignore this recommendation."

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.