How is coal seam gas extracted?

Coal seam gas is natural gas found in coal deposits, typically 300-600 metres underground. To extract it, wells are drilled through the coal seams and the water pressure is reduced by extracting some of the water. This releases natural gas from the coal.

What is coal seam gas used for after extraction?

The produced water is safely disposed of, or treated and recycled for industrial purposes or irrigation. The gas is sent to a compressor station and may then be used in power stations, or it may join the natural gas supply for use by households and businesses.

Is coal seam gas the same as fracking?

Coal seam gas (CSG) and the gas that comes from shales are chemically very similar. They generate the same amount of heat and CO₂ when burned in your heater or at an electricity power plant. Shale reservoirs always require fracking, while perhaps only half of coal seam gas reservoirs require fracture stimulation.

Why is coal seam gas so controversial?

Possible environmental effects: environmental groups have raised concerns that CSG development might cause environmental damage through release of untreated production water at the surface; damage to, and contamination of underground aquifers by hydraulic fracturing; damage to wildlife habitat in sensitive areas and …

What are the advantages of coal seam gas?

Natural gas extracted from coal seams can offer a number of benefits as an energy source: natural gas typically burns more efficiently than coal or oil and can emit less greenhouse gas at the points of extraction and combustion.

Why is coal seam gas important?

It’s also a valuable component in a variety of industrial processes. It’s often used to make chemicals, plastics, and fertilisers. Additionally, it can be used to fill any gaps in renewable energy generation, when sunshine or wind are lacking. Gas is used to heat water, buildings, and homes, to cook, and so much more.

Is coal seam gas renewable?

Coal seam gas is a non-renewable energy resource that is a by-product of coal. The methane gas is contained within the coal seams by water from groundwater aquifers.

What is the difference between coal seam gas and natural gas?

Coal seam gas is natural gas. Coal seam gas (CSG) is primarily methane – a colourless and odourless gas, found in coal deposits formed over millions of years from fallen trees and other plant matter. Natural gas collects in underground coal seams by bonding to the surface of coal particles.

Which gases are mainly used in Queensland?

It is also used in electricity generation throughout Queensland, and is a major new export industry, based on the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Queensland’s gas resources. The term ‘gas’ is used to describe natural gas, which is mostly methane — a naturally occurring gas.

How does coal seam gas ( CSG ) Mining work?

Coal seam gas (CSG) mining is a risky, invasive form of unconventional gas mining . Coal seam gas extraction usually involves tens of thousands of gas wells, with roads, pipelines, compressor stations, wastewater dams, and other infrastructure. A CSG project can spread across hundreds of thousands of hectares of land.

When did coal seam gas extraction begin in Australia?

In Australia, commercial extraction of coal seam gas began in 1996 in the Bowen Basin of Queensland. Gas contained in coal bed methane is mainly methane and trace quantities of ethane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and few other gases. Intrinsic properties of coal as found in nature determine the amount of gas that can be recovered.

Where are the coal seam gas licences in NSW?

Since the buyback and surrender of coal seam gas licences in New South Wales, there are twelve onshore Petroleum Exploration Licences remaining – all of them in the the state’s north west, from Murrurundi and Gulgong to the Queensland border and as far west as Coonamble.

Where are the coal seam gas deposits located?

Most coal seam gas deposits are found in eastern Australia. There is extensive CSG production currently taking place in Queensland- from Central Queensland to the Western Darling Downs region. See this map for more detail. Since the buyback and surrender of coal seam gas licences in New South…