Ann: Corporate Presentation - August 2023, page-38

Hi Mer, thank you for the encouragement, a few people on here have been friendly, I can't really understand what the fuss has been about.
I think there are 3 factors that are going to determine if QBS gets the masterplan go ahead or it is encapsulation. Economics is the most import, then the environment, then politics.
From my point of view there are a lot of blind spots where I can't see what could or is going on. And I can't see how iminent the decision is to make the choice. Research is great but somethings can't be researched to any degree.
Questions I have that I think are relevant is how important is the existing Queensland salt industry and how will it be impacted by salt produced by CSG brines? I think this is an element of the political factor.
Regarding economics, in the Queensland Government reports and possibly the University study the stored encapsulated salt was going to be next to or in a reclaimed brine pond. Presumably every gas field would have a localised encapsulation facility. This would save a lot in carting brines. Some sort of brine concentrator and crystaliser would be required. But in the masterplan the encapsulation is a concentrator at the brine ponds and a centralised facility to complete the dewatering and seal the salt in a landfill. To me the later plan is a lot more complex and probably more expensive than the first. So I don't feel as if I have the big picture on the economics. Technology is developing, Parkway is making inovations, presumably other companies are also looking at the commercial possibilities. It seems to me evaporation ponds would make things simpler, but they are prohibited.
I see the share price has firmed to 1.3 this morning. All good.