Water Management Challenges and Trends Facing the Coal Seam Gas and Mining Industries in Queensland
Lindsay DelzoppoGeneral Manager, OperationsEnvironment and Natural Resource Regulation DivisionQueensland Department of Environment and Natural Resource Management
Israeli Delegation - Water Technologies for the Coal Seam Gas & Mining IndustriesBrisbane, 18 May 2011
Outline of Presentation Current water management issues for Queensland
Coal Seam Gas (CSG)- protection of groundwater resources - quantity and quality
- desalination and use/disposal of treated CSG water
- management of salts and brines
- protection of soils, vegetation and biodiversity;
- surface waters, world heritage values; noise; air; amenity
Coal Mining
- water supply sources
- flood management
- dewatering of flooded pits and storages
Qld Water Links with Israel Water Expertise
October 2007 – D-G of DERM, John Bradley, was member of a Trade Delegation to Israel to inspect water technology.
Met Director of the Israel Water Authority, sharing information on:- recycled water policy
- hydrologic risk analysis
- climate change contingencies
- desalination investment strategies
- demand management and market reform.
Current Key Water Management Issues
Commission of Inquiry – Jan 2011 Floods.
Environmental Recovery – Reconstruction.
CSG Industry Water and Salt Management
Second generation Water Resource Plans (allocations) & Environmental Values (water quality)
Urban water security (drought/climate change) and water costs (water use efficiency)
Coal Mine water management.
Total rainfall 28 Nov 2010 – 17 Jan 2011
Wivenhoe Dam at 197% = 2.26 Million ML
.
Upper reaches of Wivenhoe Dam (<20%) in drought
.
The CSG Industry in Queensland
Queensland Coal and CSG Production
Surat
Basin
Bowen
Basin
All named basins have
current exploration
The Great Artesian Basin (GAB)The Great Artesian Basin (GAB)
A Typical CSG / LNG Project
Hundreds of CSG wells in Surat or Bowen Basin gas fields
Pumping of large amounts of slightly saline water (releasing pressure) from the coal seam releases adsorbed methane gas
CSG water RO treatment plants, water re-use and disposal
300-400km gas pipelines from the gas fields to Gladstone
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Curtis Island – export terminal containing LNG production and loading facilities (none built yet)
Coal Seam Gas Fields
.
CSG Fields
.
CSG Water Extraction
Groundwater extraction is an accepted, unavoidable,
consequence of CSG extraction.
2010 – 2,700 wells
2015 – 10,000 wells
2025 – 30,000 wells
CSG extraction could produce 125 - 280 GL /year
Managing Impacts of CSG Extraction
Great Artesian Basin (GAB), groundwater dependent ecosystems and water supplies to towns and landholders.
Potential for aquifer recharge
Preventing CSG water, brine and salts damaging the environment, water resources and soils.
Reuse and disposal of treated CSG water
Natural stream flow regimes
Good quality agricultural soils
Impacts on environmentally sensitive/conservation areas.
Cumulative impacts of multiple CSG projects – including groundwater and surface water impacts.
Key Principles of CSG Water Management - 2009
CSG producers responsible for disposal of CSG water
Evaporation ponds to be discontinued as main means disposing CSG water
Producers to treat water to a quality set by DERM
CSG Water Management Plans approval stage with annual reporting against agreed criteria
Adaptive approvals regime.
CSG Water Policy - 2010
Preferred options for use of CSG water: aquifer injection (if matching quality) untreated use where no impact appropriate treatment and re-use for agricultural, industrial,
potable purposes (now highly regulated0
Non-preferred options disposal via evaporation dams disposal to surface waters disposal to land
Groundwater Regulatory Framework - 2011
Unlimited groundwater extraction is allowed under Petroleum
and Gas Act 2004
Make good’ provisions for all water bores, groundwater dependent ecosystems and adjacent aquifers under the Water Act 2000
Clearly specified trigger thresholds for bores and springs
QWC role to monitor and model the predictive and cumulative impacts of CSG activities and produce Underground Water Impact Reports
Salt Management Hierarchy
1. Reuse to create useable or saleable salts or products
2. Inject brine underground when it can be demonstrated that there will be no adverse impacts.
3. Dispose to the ocean through pipelines - ensuring no local impacts.
4. Dispose of solid salt into a waste disposal facility.
Salinity in Murray Darling Basin is a particular concern.
Possibly 300,000 tonnes of salts per year (sodium bicarbonate, soda ash, table salt, caustic soda and calcium carbonate)
Coal Mining
Managing supply sources in droughtFlood water managementDewatering of flooded pits, storages
and tailings damsProtecting mine water impacts on
aquatic ecosystems and drinking water supplies
Environmental Regulation of Coal Mining in Queensland
DERM regulates mines under Environmental Protection Act 1994
EIS undertaken for larger resource development projects
Coal Mines have Environmental Authorities which set out:
enforceable environmental performance requirements
monitoring programs
reporting requirements
• Jan/Feb 2008• Fairbairn Dam
overflowed flooding Emerald
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Ensham Mine Pre-flood Ensham Mine flood peak
• Ensham Coal Mine most severely affected mine
• 150,000 ML of trapped floodwater
• Authorised discharge to the Nogoa River
• Salinity increased as discharge continued
• Domestic/drinking water supplies affected
• Concerns over aquatic ecosystems impacts
Department of Environment and Resource Management
DERM Reviewed Performance of all Coal Mines in the Fitzroy Basin
Key Recommendations:
1. Better, and more consistent environmental conditions needed for mine water discharges
2. Develop local water quality guidelines for the Fitzroy Basin
3. Develop models for assessing cumulative impacts across the Basin (IQQM).
New Water Conditions for Coal Mines - 2009
Conditions largely based on protecting: Aquatic Ecosystems – 1000 EC downstream Drinking Water - 750 EC in receiving waters
Minimum 1:4 dilution for mine discharges Release contaminant trigger investigation levels for metals Receiving Water Environmental Monitoring Plans
Major flooding of Coal Mines in 2010-11
Monitoring data and conditions being refined in 2011
Queensland Mineral Exploration Expenditure by Mineral Sought - 2005 to 2010
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Coal
Selectedbase metals
Copper
Gold
Total other$A M
illi
on
s
Source: ABS (8412.0 - Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia, Jun 2010)
GFC
WET
Conclusion
Coal Mining and CSG Sectors in Queensland are large and growing – involving investments of many billions of dollars
Sound water, wastewater and groundwater management is vital to the success of these sectors
Sheer scale of mining and CSG activities presents opportunities for those with expertise in large-scale water and wastewater management and treatment
Current Queensland Exploration and Development Activity
473
315260
760
100
200
300
400
500
600
Grassroots Exploration AdvancedExploration
Feasibility Study
Coal (70 companies)
Minerals (258 companies)96
4289
19
Source: Intierra – September 2010