we're awright, jack., page-4

Boot

Two useful links ... thank you.

Three or for yrs ago I went to a Surat Basin Energy Conference in Chinchilla over 2-3 days. CSG and UCG were represented (AOE, QGC and STO that I recall for CSG and LNC and CXY at least for UCG), as were local and Qld government depts, (concerned) farmers groups and some local residents.

I can recall three things very clearly:

1. UCG was on nobody's radar ... and I mean nobody's ... not CSG, not govt, not farmers and not residents.

2. Complete and utter disdain and indifference from all CSG delegates towards farmers and residents concerns about the environmental effects of CSG drainage water disposal.

3. Qld Govt Depts were brusing over farmers and residents concerns with motherhood statements of sound regulatory oversight. It was clear as the midday Chinchilla sunlight that the Qld Govt was pro CSG ... their actions and comments were those of an active CSG partner.

The Govt and CSG industry views were that any environmental risks would be overcome.

Who on these threads has heard of any break though CSG drainage water disposal treatment options in the past 3-4 yrs?? There have been none, zilch, zip imo ... the problem looms, no matter what PR slickness the Govt tries to apply.

It is clear the Qld Govt just can't do enough to facilitate development of the CSG industry for and on behalf of perhaps a half dozen large corporate entities. It is clear they figure the population will be deflected from CSG environmental issues by a political/media driven very public crunch on the UCG industry.

The Govt's infantile chest beating document in (Boot's) DERM link will absolutely haunt and crucify them in years to come imo.

Imo, give them enough rope and the Qld Govt will hang themselves and sadly devastate large areas of prime rural land, creeks/rivers and groundwater resources in the process ... no solace, no winners.

Not many people appreciate the huge operational footprint associated with the nascent CSG industry ... the Surat Basin is probably 200-300 km long and over 100 km wide ... at the peak there will be 1000's and possibly 10,000 or so CSG wells, every one of which has to be drained and every one of which has to be accessed by road and every one of which has to be connected to electricity and every one of which has to be connected to a network of above and below ground pipelines.

With that scale of development, regional waterways and groundwater resources are at risk imo.

The Qld Govt is just not thinking about the reduced areal impact of UCG compared to CSG for the same calorific value of extracted gas ... only 1/16th of the Surat Basin would need to be developed using UCG compared to the whole basin for CSG.

If anyone doubts there are adverse environmental effects associated with the CSG industry, just spend 5 minutes googling related topics in the United States where CSG has been a mature industry for at least two decades ... it is clear nobody in DERM or the Qld Govt has spent that 5mins imo.

It will be a sickening feeling when those who were in a position to have directed good and visionary governance on these matters realise they fluffed it ... all in the name of potential near term royalties ... and all in the name of a small segement of corporate Australia.

On the brighter side, I actually feel there is potential for the UCG industry to shine quicker that many would expect ... perversely because of the environmental blow torch directed by the Qld Govt ... I can see within 6-12 months the UCG industry being able to PROVE the environmental effiacy of UCG to a level of certainty the GCG industry will only ever be able to dream about.

I remain hopeful that farmers and rural folk of the Surat Basin will have access to balance press and balanced politicians that can extrapolate for out not for weeks/months, but for years/decades ahead.

Cheers
Dex