2.3.4 Baseline and coal resource development pathway

Summary

The Maranoa-Balonne-Condamine subregion coal resource development pathway (CRDP) includes five baseline coal resource development (baseline) open-cut coal mines, five baseline coal seam gas (CSG) developments and two open-cut coal mine project proposals. The five baseline coal mines are: Cameby Downs Mine, Commodore Mine, Kogan Creek Mine, New Acland Stage 2 Mine and Wilkie Creek Mine (which ceased operations in December 2013). The two proposed coal mines in the coal resource development pathway (CRDP) are: New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 and The Range. The five CSG developments included in the baseline are: Australia Pacific LNG Project, Santos Gladstone LNG Project, Queensland Curtis LNG Project, Surat Gas Project and Ironbark Project. No other CSG project proposals are considered sufficiently mature to warrant inclusion in the CRDP.

Strategies for managing the affected water from the open-cut mining operations in the subregion typically include water treatment for discharge off-site and use in mine-related activities such as dust suppression and coal washing. With respect to CSG, the Queensland Government has developed the Coal Seam Gas Water Management Policy (DEHP, 2012), which aims to strategically manage co-produced water by prioritising its beneficial use by new and existing users as well as water-dependent industries. The strategy further proposes treatment and disposal of co-produced water in a way that firstly avoids, and then minimises and mitigates on environmental values. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the preferred water treatment technology of the four major CSG operators (Arrow Energy Pty Ltd, Origin Energy Limited, QGC Pty Limited and Santos Ltd).

Last updated:
16 October 2018
Thumbnail of the Maranoa-Baloone-Condamine subregion

Product Finalisation date

2016
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