Miles and CSG

Sunday 17th August.

Daylight this morning revealed a number of quite large puddles in the immediate vicinity but these soon soaked in and disappeared under the clear blue skies.

Something we have noticed here in Miles is the massive development taking place in the form of housing and all forms of accommodation. There is a very large development currently taking place in town in the form of a housing estate where once used to be farms. The large number of mine vehicles in and around town gives a clue to the reason for this huge expansion.

Yep, you guessed it, Coal Seam Gas mining, better known as CSG.

The Queensland Western Downs is part of a broader region that is on the cusp of a $180 billion energy industry emerging from the resource rich Surat Basin Energy province. The region has over 60 major projects either in operation or scheduled for commissioning by 2020, creating an estimated 12,500 jobs.

The Miles Project, managed by Australian Pacific LNG brings together a joint venture between three industry leaders in the fields of coal seam gas and liquefied natural gas production – Origin (37.5%), Australia's largest integrated energy company.

ConocoPhillips (37.5%) an American company, one of the world's largest CSG operators with over 25 years experience.

and Sinopec (25%). One of China's largest petroleum products suppliers and natural gas producers.

Origin is responsible for construction and operation of the Project's gas fields and main gas transmission pipelines.

ConocoPhillips is responsible for the construction and operation of the Project's LNG facility.

Sinopec joined the Project in 2011 as both the foundation customer and part equity owner.

Miles is bracing for a population explosion after Western Downs Regional Council approved a controversial 3000-bed camp in 2013 for the town.

Much of the above information was gained from the town's interactive information centre, supported by the power of the Internet.