Qld exploration plan to boost gas supply

More than 14,400 square kilometres of regional Queensland will be made available for oil and gas exploration, including gas preserved for Australian buyers only.

The exploration plan is the fifth to be released and sets out a program of eight tender areas for oil and gas exploration to be released in December.

The plan was released alongside the draft Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan, out for three months’ consultation.

The 30-year draft strategy proposes 43 actions across six key themes to support the industry to grow, diversify and create jobs.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart has released the 2021 Queensland Exploration Plan, providing advance notice of areas to be released for exploration tenders.

“Gas is an essential feedstock for our manufacturers as well as transitional fuel to our low emissions future,” Stewart said.

“The pandemic has shown how fragile global supply chains can be and how important local manufacturing is.”

The areas to go to tender are:

  • 727km2 south of Springsure
  • 308km2 southwest of Woorabinda
  • 775km2 west of Taroom
  • 102km2 north of Roma
  • 6226km2 south of Blackall
  • 5283km2 west of Charleville and
  • 343km2 southeast of Springsure and 102km2 north of Roma with gas guaranteed for the Australian market.

APPEA acting Queensland director Matthew Paull said Queensland continues to lead the way in developing much-needed gas resources as we transition to net zero by 2050.

“Natural gas is an essential feedstock for manufacturing and allows for more renewables to be integrated into the grid due to its short response time,” he said.

“Gas-fired power generation can ramp up and down very quickly to support renewable generation and provide emissions reduction along with it.”

Australian gas continues to flow to domestic customers, with a new Gas Supply Agreement with a domestic customer effectively announced every three weeks this year.

Since late 2012, more than 114 gas supply agreements have been signed and agreed with gas customers.

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