Construction of the South West Queensland Pipeline (SWQP), originally 755km in length, transporting gas in a west to east direction from the Ballera gas processing plant in South West Queensland to the Wallumbilla supply hub.

First commercial production of CSG from the Dawson River CSG field in the Bowen Basin.

Construction of the 942km Carpentaria Gas Pipeline (CGP), transporting gas from the Ballera gas processing plant in South West Queensland to customers in Mount Isa and the surrounding Carpentaria mineral province.

Early 2000s: The Surat Basin became the focus for emerging CSG companies. Significant volumes of CSG resource was discovered in the Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures.

Exploration of tight gas resources in the sandstones of the southwest Bowen Basin using new drilling and completion technology.

Construction of the 391km North Queensland Gas Pipeline (NQGP), transporting gas from the Moranbah gas processing plant to large industrial customers in Townsville. Gas is sourced from coal seam gas fields in the Bowen Basin.

The Queensland to South Australia/New South Wales (QNS) link extension to the South West Queensland Pipeline was constructed, extending the total pipeline to 937km.

The Queensland gas sector has undergone rapid growth over the past decade. Gas has been crucial for the industrial and manufacturing sectors and remains important to the growth of the State’s economy.

The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo was exported from Gladstone, driven by the State’s CSG reserves.

Queensland’s onshore gas industry is now the State’s second largest commodity export. The industry has invested $70 billion into CSG development, one of the largest commitments of private capital in Australia.

 

CSG is the dominant driver of drilling activity and gas production in Queensland.

 

Queensland has two basins currently producing CSG – the Bowen and Surat basins. CGS production is likely to continue to grow as it feeds into three export liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects based at Gladstone. Commercial production in the Bowen Basin occurs near Moranbah, Injune, Moura and Wandoan.

Outside of producing CSG and key petroleum basins, many areas of the state remain largely under-explored. Exploration for other petroleum sources such as shale gas and tight gas is only just beginning in the state. Gas in deep parts of sedimentary basins suggests that formations have potential to contain significant tight gas resources.

 

Tight gas exploration focuses on resources in tight sands and basin centred gas in the troughs of the Bowen and Cooper basins through deep drilling campaigns.

 

Shale oil and gas exploration remains at a very early stage in Queensland. Exploration focuses on the Isa Superbasin, and Georgina, Cooper and Eromanga basins.

 

Queensland’s 2020 Exploration Program outlines as a vital transition fuel in the move to a renewable energy future. Petroleum and gas exploration opportunities cover 12 areas and 6804 square kilometres across the the Bowen and Surat basins.