The 4350water Blog highlights some of the issues relating to proposals for potable reuse in Toowoomba and South East Qld. 4350water blog looks at related political issues as well.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Anna Bligh's new rules for coal seam gas water ...

Excerpt from Blueprint for Queensland's LNG Industry:

September 2009

Managing produced water

Coal seam gas (CSG) is primarily methane, which is absorbed and maintained in the coal seam. To produce CSG, the water contained in the coal seam must be removed to create a pressure void into which the gas migrates. As a result, a significant amount of saline water is produced. The quantity and quality of CSG water can vary considerably between wells and regions.

In 2007–08, approximately 13.5 gigalitres (GL) of CSG water was produced in Queensland.

It is estimated that production of gas for domestic consumption in the Surat Basin will produce an annual average of 25 GL of CSG water for the next 25 years. With the potential growth of the CSG/LNG industry, it is possible that the CSG water production may be in the order of:
  • 126 GL/year for a 10 Mtpa industry
  • 196 GL/year for a 28 Mtpa industry
  • 281 GL/year for a 40 Mtpa industry.
In addition to CSG water containing concentrations of salts, it may also contain other contaminants that have the potential to cause environmental harm if released to land or water through inappropriate management. There are also ecological risks associated with the disposal of CSG water and, without proper treatment, the use for CSG water is limited.

To address the potential risks of CSG water the government has decided that:
  • CSG producers are responsible for the treatment and disposal of the CSG water they create.
  • CSG producers must treat CSG water to a standard defined by the Department of Environment and Resource Management before disposal or supply to other users.
  • Evaporation ponds are to be discontinued as the primary means of disposal and transitional arrangements are to be developed in consultation with industry.
  • Remediation action for existing ponds is to occur within three years.
  • Ponds, necessary for aggregation or brine storage, are to be lined to a standard defined by the Department of Environment and Resource Management.
  • At the approval stage, CSG producers will need to advise how they intend to manage water on their operations through the preparation of a CSG Water Management Plan.
  • Water which is in excess to that which can be directly injected or beneficially used is to be aggregated for disposal.
See - Blueprint for Queensland's LNG Industry - Page 4.

5 Comments:

Blogger Concerned Ratepayer said...

4350water blog accurately predicted that the Qld government would force the CSG producers to bear the cost of treating and disposing of the water.

11:04 AM, September 19, 2009

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This mayor hasn't read the report. Evaporation ponds are being phased out.

ABC News:

Mine water plans still worry mayor

Fri Sep 18, 2009

Western Downs Mayor Ray Brown says he still has some concerns about the management of water from coal seam gas mines.

The Queensland Government's blueprint for the liquefied natural gas industry bans the use of evaporation ponds, with the water to be treated and disposed of in a safe way.

But councillor Brown says he is worried about a provision that allows salt extracted from the treatment process to be stored in lined ponds.

"What are they going to do with that brine water?" he said.

"There's been discussions on re-injection back into aquifers of similar type or worse type than that brine water.

"Also trying to find beneficial uses for that salt, we need to find some beneficial uses for our communities."

11:10 AM, September 19, 2009

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Back in 2006 the QGC company offered to RO the coal seam gas water and then send it on the towns and cities near by. The State government did not want to know about it then because they were pushing recycled sewage as their solution.
The big 4 gas companies have been stifled at every turn and we are left just wanting water!

This government is intent on selling Toowoomba the expensive and limited Wivenhoe Dam water and we have a council too weak to fight for us.

10:07 PM, September 19, 2009

 
Anonymous Mr T said...

It's not the Wivenhoe Dam water they want to push onto us - it's the Brisbane recycled sewage water, which effectively is limitless (and expensive). Brisbane can always survive on their own bores and desalination - their wastes can be diluted (note: not "purified") and sent to us at a profit. Everyone wins but us - we did have the temerity to stand up to the TCC and State Government and, accordingly, we deserve to be punished with extremely expensive, diluted sewage water for drinking.

12:04 PM, September 20, 2009

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just remember the Toowoomba council saying that they could clean the crap out of poo water but you couldn't clean the gas water and it would kill you. They'd say anything to have us drink that poo water.

7:23 PM, September 20, 2009

 

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