Although at the height of flooding several producing wells were submerged, some CSG dam levels became dangerously high and drilling programs have been severely disrupted, the industry has powered on, Mr Roche said, citing as proof the final investment decision on GLNG that occurred during the floods.
Seven CSG companies have been granted or are seeking approval from the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management for Transitional Environmental Programs (TEPs), which allow them to discharge water.
In comparison, 44 of 57 coal mines in the state have or are still seeking TEPs.
The department has noted that monitoring of cumulative impacts in the Fitzroy River Basin and Condamine River revealed no water quality issues following the floods, demonstrating CSG companies’ abilities to handle these extreme weather events.
Mr Roche also noted the significance of the CSG-to-LNG industry in Queensland – more than half of the $100 billion in resource projects committed or awaiting a final investment decision in the state is accounted for by three CSG-to-LNG project proposals, with a fourth also “in the wings”?.