Coal seam gas legislation of Queensland

Abstract

An overview will be presented of the Queensland petroleum and environmental legislation relating to the exploration for and production of coal seam gas with three key focusses:

1. a discussion of the statutory classification of coal seam gas as petroleum and the relevant statutory regulatory regime, which applies particularly with respect to competing or coincident minerals such as coal and coal gasification products;

2. a description of the principal features and requirements for both exploration and production tenures, including land access and compensation obligations. Reference will be made to associated environmental authorities and licences, and particular environmental issues such as the containment and disposal of water will be brought to the surface as a part of production operations; and,

3. how the legislation has sought to deal with the coordination of exploration and production operations between coal seam gas, conventional coal mining and the more recent technology of underground coal gasification with respect to the same areas.

The paper will conclude with a discussion of areas of ongoing concern and difficulty including the ability to transport associated water through pipeline systems, land access and gas storage in natural underground reservoirs.