What is Coal Seam Gas?

Coal Seam Gas (CSG) is a gas consisting of around 98% methane and is formed from the degradation of plant matter over millions of years. CSG is trapped by water and ground pressure against the surface of coal in underground coal seams and is also located within pores inside the coal. The spaces between the coal are known as fractures or cleats. Some of the fractures are interconnected and permeable which allows water and gas to move between the fractures.

How is Coal Seam Gas extracted?

CSG is extracted via CSG wells that are drilled into the coal seams to release the gas trapped within the coal. For economic extraction of CSG, coals seams in Australia are generally between 200metres – 1,000m metres deep. The CSG wells are cased with steel and cement. In situations where coal seams are very deep and of low permeability, the use of hydraulic fracturing or ‘fraccing’ may be employed to increase permeability. This process involves pumping fluid comprising water, sand and other additives such as BTEX (BTEX is an acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene compounds) at high pressure down the cased CSG well and into the coal seam. This action fractures the coal seam and provides a pathway to facilitate gas flow through the coal.

The gas companies say that the Gas Wells don't leak.

The Gas wells do leak. QLD Government have tested many wells and found many of them leaking - however they only report leaking wells against a standard known as LEL. LEL is shorthand for the ‘Lower Explosive Limit’, or point at which methane becomes explosive. A total of 58 wells were tested around the Tara region. Of those 24 leaked (some of those were found leaking on more than 1 testing occasion).

The industry (incl. gas companies and the govt) promote CSG as clean and green.

The Coal Seam industry publicly admits to two major environmental concerns, possible subsidence after water is extracted, and what to do with the toxic water once extracted. http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2721216.htm. We believe that there may be a few more.
Robert Howarth and Professor Atkinson of Ecology & Environmental Biology Cornell University state that “While it is true that less carbon dioxide is emitted from burning natural gas than from burning coal per unit of energy generated, the combustion emissions are only part of story” and the comparison is quite misleading.“A complete consideration of all emissions from using natural gas seems likely to make natural gas far less attractive than other fossil fuels in terms of the consequences for global warming.” Read more 

Won't extracting Coal Seam Gas make energy generation cheaper for me, and provide Australians with cheap gas for years to come?

No! The Australian Industry Group expects to install infrastructure to export our gas overseas. Other countries get our gas, the international mining conglomerates get all the money - we get left with a damaged environment. Read more

Sydney Residents Against Coal Seam Gas Submission to the NSW Government

View the submission in pdf format
Read more about the NSW Government strategy and submission process ...

Where is the drill site in St Peters?

The Dial A Dump premises at St Peters - view on google maps