Does AGL do fracking?
Right now in Australia, power companies such as AGL, Origin and Energy Australia are all investing their money in coal seam gas mining and unconventional gas fracking.
What is mining and fracking for coal seam gas?
Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking or fraccing, is used to stimulate and accelerate the flow of coal seam gas. The process involves high pressured injection of sand, water and chemicals into the coal seam gas well.
Why is coal seam gas so controversial?
Possible environmental effects: environmental groups have raised concerns that CSG development might cause environmental damage through release of untreated production water at the surface; damage to, and contamination of underground aquifers by hydraulic fracturing; damage to wildlife habitat in sensitive areas and …
Why is coal seam gas good?
Natural gas extracted from coal seams can offer a number of benefits as an energy source: natural gas typically burns more efficiently than coal or oil and can emit less greenhouse gas at the points of extraction and combustion.
Is coal seam gas good or bad?
Some chemicals used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing, and naturally occurring contaminants released from the coal seam during mining, could harm human health, given sufficient dose and duration of exposure. This potential harm includes increased risk of cancer.
What are the benefits of coal seam gas?
Is coal seam gas renewable?
Coal seam gas is a non-renewable energy resource that is a by-product of coal. The methane gas is contained within the coal seams by water from groundwater aquifers.
Why is gas bad for the environment?
Gasoline use contributes to air pollution The vapors given off when gasoline evaporates and the substances produced when gasoline is burned (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons) contribute to air pollution. Burning gasoline also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
How does hydraulic fracturing affect coal seam gas?
The process involves high pressured injection of sand, water and chemicals into the coal seam gas well. The injection causes fractures in the coal seam allowing the gas to flow to the surface of the well. There are significant concerns associated with hydraulic fracturing including the potential to contaminate water sources and cause earthquakes.
Which is shallower shale or coal seam gas?
Coal seam gas reservoirs are shallower (at least the ones that get developed) and have a higher concentration of gas than shale reservoirs. Shale reservoirs always require fracking, while perhaps only half of coal seam gas reservoirs require fracture stimulation.
How is the coal seam gas being extracted?
“There is no gas development on this particular property and no fracking has occurred in this area,” an Origin Energy spokesperson said. To extract gas, the coal seam must first be “dewatered”, which involves pumping groundwater to the surface to release the trapped gas.
Where are coal seam gas wells located in Australia?
The Queensland Government reported that there were 5127 CSG production wells in operation in mid-2016. Mapped locations of all of the CSG exploration and production wells in NSW are available here. Where is coal seam gas being extracted in Australia? Most coal seam gas deposits are found in eastern Australia.
