Federal government provides research funding for CSG water ...

Following on the heels of the US government, the Federal government has allocated $5 million in funding to examine the viability of using coal seam gas water as an alternate water resource.

A number of people have been advocating the use of CSG water for several years. It seems that the State and Federal governments might finally be listening.

The technology is there to deal with the salt by-product.

It's time for the CSG companies and the State and Federal governments to work together to harness this resource.

It's time to use this water resource and not let it evaporate.

Excerpt from the Australian:

$5m 'could solve water shortage'

4 July 2008

Billions of dollars were doled out at the Council of Australian Governments meeting but according to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, a simple $5 million research grant may have the most far-reaching consequences.

Ms Bligh, who returned to Queensland with $500 million to buy out water rights and spend on improving the efficiency of water use, said she was delighted to win a $5 million grant for a feasibility study into the use of water produced from coal-seam methane gas extraction.

"The process of extracting coal-seam methane gas from coal reserves produces as a by-product massive amounts of water," Ms Bligh told The Australian after COAG.

"It's not potable water, and the feasibility study will look at treatment costs and transmissions costs. If this study demonstrates that this water is viable, then it can be a substitute for water currently coming out of river systems for agriculture, industry and, potentially, domestic purposes."

Ms Bligh said that while $5 million was a tiny part of a $3.7 billion water package, the grant could unlock technology that could provide real solutions to water shortages.

In May, Queensland Gas Company's managing director Richard Cottee told The Australian that within a decade, Queensland Gas would be producing 100 megalitres of water a day at its gas field near Condamine in southeast Queensland.

See - The Australian - $5m 'could solve water shortage'.

Also see - Stock and Land - COAG seals $3.7 billion deal for Murray Darling Basin.