Update of the information guidelines to improve scientific information provided to the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 640
Author(s):  
Glen Walker ◽  
Sarah Taylor ◽  
Peter Baker ◽  
Mitchell Bouma
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Scientific Committee ◽  
Scientific Advice ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Coal Resource ◽  
The Impact

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC) provides scientific advice to decision makers on the impact that coal resource development may have on Australia’s water resources. In particular, advice is provided on development proposals that have been submitted to the Australian Government and relevant state governments in the form of environmental impact statements (EISs). The Information Guidelines developed by the IESC outline the information considered necessary to enable the IESC to provide robust scientific advice to government regulators on the water-related impacts of coal resource development proposals. Proponents preparing EISs are strongly encouraged to consult the Information Guidelines before developing and submitting a proposal. The Information Guidelines have been updated for the first time since 2015 and will be presented. The update includes important and more detailed information about what types and the level of information that should be included in EISs. In addition a series of ‘explanatory notes’ have been developed which provide practical examples of how information should be presented in an EIS. The first two explanatory notes relate to uncertainty analysis in numerical groundwater modelling and how to undertake comprehensive assessments and manage impacts to groundwater dependent ecosystems. Two additional explanatory notes will be released for use later in 2018. The updated Information Guidelines are a continuing step towards improving the robustness of information provided to the IESC.

Synergies in the role of the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment and the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on coal seam gas and large coal mining development in environmental assessments

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Chris Pigram ◽  
Sanjeev Pandey ◽  
Peter Baker
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Scientific Committee ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Environmental Assessments ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Management Area

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (IESC) is a statutory committee that provides scientific advice to Australian governments on the impacts that each coal seam gas (CSG) and large coal mining development may have on water resources. In this context, the IESC consider all aspects of a water resource, including water, organisms and ecosystems that contribute to or rely on them. The Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment (OGIA) is an independent statutory entity responsible for undertaking cumulative impact assessments from CSG and other petroleum production in Queensland, including the Surat Cumulative Management Area (CMA). OGIA also establishes impact management arrangements and identifies responsible tenure holders to implement specific aspects of those arrangements. Neither the IESC nor OGIA are regulators. Due to their respective functions both entities have different roles and interaction with CSG development in the Surat CMA. The IESC and OGIA engage regularly to ensure a shared understanding of knowledge, research and management. This paper provides an overview of key synergies between the roles and functions of the IESC and OGIA and considerations for proponents when using OGIA assessment in their environmental assessments that are referred to IESC for advice.

Determining the impacts of coal seam gas extraction on water-dependent assets

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 545
Author(s):  
David Post ◽  
Peter Baker ◽  
Damian Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Catchment Management ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Coal Resource

Many Australians, particularly in rural areas, are seeking clear scientific information about the potential impacts of coal seam gas production on groundwater and surface water across the country. In response to the resultant community concern, the Australian Government commissioned an ambitious multi-disciplinary program of bioregional assessments to improve understanding of the potential impacts of coal seam gas (and large coal mining) activities on water-dependent assets across six bioregions in eastern and central Australia. Delivered through a collaboration between the Department of the Environment, the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, and Geoscience Australia—and including close engagement with natural resource management and catchment management organisations, coal resource companies, Indigenous peoples and state governments—the results will allow coal resource companies, governments, and the community to focus on the areas where impacts may occur so that these can be minimised. Key findings of the program will be presented with specific reference to the potential impacts on water-dependent assets due to CSG development by Metgasco and AGL in the Clarence-Moreton and Gloucester regions, respectively.

scholarly journals Impact of Coal Resource Development on Streamflow Characteristics: Influence of Climate Variability and Climate Change

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Chiew ◽  
Guobin Fu ◽  
David Post ◽  
Yongqiang Zhang ◽  
Biao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Hydroclimate Variability ◽  
Coal Resource ◽  
Flow Variables ◽  
The Impact

The potential cumulative impact of coal mining and coal seam gas extraction on water resources and water-dependent assets from proposed developments in eastern Australia have been recently assessed through a Bioregional Assessment Programme. This study investigates the sensitivity of the Bioregional Assessment results to climate change and hydroclimate variability, using the Gloucester sub-region as an example. The results indicate that the impact of climate change on streamflow under medium and high future projections can be greater than the impact from coal mining development, particularly where the proposed development is small. The differences in the modelled impact of coal resource development relative to the baseline under different plausible climate futures are relatively small for the Gloucester sub-region but can be significant in regions with large proposed development. The sequencing of hydroclimate time series, particularly when the mine footprint is large, significantly influences the modelled maximum coal resource development impact. The maximum impact on volumetric and high flow variables will be higher if rainfall is high in the period when the mine footprint is largest, and vice-versa for low flow variables. The results suggest that detailed analysis of coal resource development impact should take into account climate change and hydroclimate variability.

Quantifying the impact of capillary trapping on coal seam gas recovery

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 103588
Author(s):  
Yiran Zhu ◽  
Huilin Xing ◽  
Victor Rudolph ◽  
Zhongwei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Gas Recovery ◽  
Capillary Trapping ◽  
The Impact

COAL SEAM GAS—PETROLEUM OR MINERAL

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
D.J. Gately
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Coal Seam ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Coal Seams ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Commercial Use ◽  
Private Sector Investment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Policy Shift

1996 was a watershed year for gas exploration in Queensland: the increasing private sector investment in the search for and commercial use of methane gas from coal seams received legislative endorsement. Coal seam gas (CSG), also known as coalbed methane or CBM, was officially designated as petroleum, with exploration for and production of CSG to be administered under the Petroleum Act.The paper traces the history of exploration for CSG in Queensland since 1976, culminating in a policy shift in 1996. In Queensland there is now potential for overlapping titles and competitive resource development.

Simulating the impact of coal seam gas water production on aquifers

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Strand ◽  
Reem Freij-Ayoub ◽  
Shakil Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Water Production ◽  
Hypothetical Case ◽  
Coal Seam Gas ◽  
Coal Resources ◽  
Victorian Department ◽  
Gippsland Basin ◽  
The Impact

Derived from a larger scale project, which studied geomechanical issues associated with coal seam gas (CSG) production, this paper investigates a hypothetical case study based on the Latrobe Valley, Gippsland Basin, Victoria. The paper focuses on examining aquifer water management associated with CSG production-related water extraction. As such, the paper limits itself to determining the volume of water production from a hypothetical case study area in the Latrobe Valley. A simplistic property model and methane production strategy has been used. The impact of extraction of this water on the hydraulic head in aquifers underlying the produced seams is quantified. The Latrobe Valley Depression contains 129,000 million tonnes of coal resources and is one of the world’s largest, and lowest cost, energy sources. Most of Victoria’s electricity is generated using coal from the Loy Yang, Morwell and Yallourn mines. In addition to these massive operations, significant additional coal resources are available and unallocated at this time. Opportunities exist for the continued usage of these resources for electricity production, gasification, liquefaction and other coal conversion processes, as well as solid fuel for industrial, domestic and other uses. The existence of data from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries 2003 coal resource model was the main reason for the selection of the case study, and their data was used to form a model of the stratigraphy of the Latrobe Valley. Aquifer models were simulated in MODFLOW, based on extraction figures modelled in the CSG simulator COMET3.

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