Geological and Bioregional Assessments: a tale of two basins
Cameron R. Huddlestone-Holmes A C , Kate Holland B and Luk J. M. Peeters BA CSIRO, Kenmore, Australia.
B CSIRO, Osmond, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: cameron.hh@csiro.au
The APPEA Journal 61(2) 491-494 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20036
Accepted: 6 April 2021 Published: 2 July 2021
Abstract
The Australian Government’s $35.4 million Geological and Bioregional Assessment (GBA) Program is assessing the potential impacts of shale, tight and deep coal gas development on water and the environment in the Beetaloo, Isa and Cooper GBA regions. This paper compares the outcomes of impact assessments for the Beetaloo and Cooper GBA regions, highlighting the role that local geology, hydrogeology, ecology and regulatory regimes play when assessing potential impacts of unconventional gas development. Unconventional gas development activities between basins are broadly consistent, involving drilling, stimulation of the reservoir (typically through hydraulic fracturing), production and processing of hydrocarbons, export to market and decommissioning and rehabilitation. The characteristics of these activities and their potential impacts are strongly influenced by local factors including the geology, environment, industry practices and regulatory regimes. While subsurface impacts associated with hydraulic fracturing and well integrity are considered unlikely in both regions, regional geology means there is greater stratigraphic separation between target resources and overlying aquifers in the Beetaloo Sub-basin than in the Cooper Basin. Local ecological conditions and species influence the nature of potential impacts on protected matters in the two basins, which are mostly associated with surface disturbance and spills or accidental release of fluids. A key similarity between the two regions is the broadly consistent regulation and management of potential impacts in the two basins. Preliminary results of the causal network analysis indicate that mitigation measures are available for all pathways in which unconventional gas resource development activities may have the potential to impact on endpoints.
Keywords: GBA region, regulatory efficiency, user panel, approval processes, sustainable development, Cooper Basin, Beetaloo Sub-basin, shale gas, tight gas, deep coal gas, baseline, unconventional gas development, geology, hydrogeology, prospectivity, chemical screening, protected matters, hydraulic fracturing, well integrity, Matters of National Environmental Significance, Matters of State Environmental Significance, causal network, causal pathway, hazard analysis, impact analysis, potential impact, gas resources, water resources.
Dr Cameron Huddlestone-Holmes is a senior research scientist in CSIRO Energy. Cameron works on environmental, geological and geotechnical problems in the earth resources industry, primarily in the unconventional gas, coal and geothermal sectors. His specialty is in integrating multi-disciplinary capabilities in geoscience and resource engineering and applying them to solving problems in industry. The majority of Cameron’s current work is on social and environmental topics related to the onshore gas industry. Dr Huddlestone-Holmes has a PhD in Geology and has worked for 20 years in industry and research, the last 11 years of which have been with the CSIRO. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia. |
Luk Peeters is a senior research scientist with CSIRO Land and Water with over 10 years of experience in uncertainty analysis of numerical models and risk assessment. He obtained a master degree in geology and a PhD in hydrogeology from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) and joined CSIRO in 2010. Dr Peeters is a member of IAH. |
Kate Holland is a principal research scientist with CSIRO Land and Water with over 20 years of experience using multi-disciplinary investigations to support policy makers, industry and regulators. She obtained a PhD in earth sciences from the Flinders University of South Australia in 2003 and joined CSIRO in 2004. |
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