Ian Macfarlane
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has opened a further 400 km2 of prospective land in the Surat and Bowen basins for tender, following a successful pilot project.
The state government earlier this week awarded ASX-listed Senex Energy 58 km2 of tenements in the Surat basin coal seam gas acreage, to explore for gas as part of efforts to supply gas to the domestic market.
Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham on Wednesday said that the key to meeting east coast gas supply needs was more gas, rather than taking gas from one party to give to another.
“The government is working towards more gas, because gas supply is growing as a critical factor when businesses make decisions about creating jobs. This is a second opportunity to be a part of our drive to diversify the supply of domestic gas to the Australian market.”
The two new areas total 395 km2 and lie just north of the townships of Miles and Surat in south-west Queensland.
The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said on Wednesday that the state government was taking decisive action to ease the gas squeeze, with CEO Ian Macfarlane praising the state government for leading with a proactive approach to the looming east coast gas shortage.
“In 24 hours, the Queensland government has awarded 58 km2 of prime acreage to Senex and today opened close to 400 km2 of highly prospective land in the Surat and Bowen basins,” Macfarlane said.
“The New South Wales and Victorian governments must follow in the footsteps of the Queensland government and work with industry, otherwise gas will just move from one state to another while prices rise. We can’t ask businesses to dim the lights or buy diesel generators over summer - we have to supply them with more gas,” Macfarlane said.