BOTH sides of the coal seam gas debate have jumped on the latest report by the CSIRO, with each faction claiming its results supports their views.
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The report, Methane Emissions from CSG Well Completion Activities, measured methane emissions at nine completed well and one workover at two CSG sites in Queensland.
Those against CSG focused on the results of the workover, while the gas industry focused on the results from the wells.
Environmentalist group response
The Lock the Gate Alliance has welcomed a new CSIRO report that has produced findings highlighting far more research is required to measure the methane emissions from the unconventional gas extraction process.
The organisation’s spokeswoman Naomi Hogan said the study revealed the single CSG workover measured caused “more than 21 tones of methane”, which was a “substantial release of gas” to be vented into the atmosphere.
The organisation’s spokeswoman Naomi Hogan said the study revealed the single CSG workover measured caused “more than 21 tones of methane”, which was a “substantial release of gas” to be vented into the atmosphere.
Just 24 hours at that one workover rig at one well released the equivalent of 525 tonnes of CO2 [Carbon dioxide].
- Naomi Hogan
“This is a fairly alarming rate of methane venting, considering it may not be properly accounted for by the government currently.
“There are thousands of CSG workovers occurring in Queensland, it’s an ongoing procedure that can range from replacing well tubing or pumps, or resetting a well due to changing flow conditions.
“The bottom line is there could be tens of thousands of tonnes of raw methane being vented into the atmosphere from unconventional gasfields in Australia that have not been properly accounted for.
Ms Hogan said the alarming results from the single workover showed there was a large amount of research yet to be completed to measure the true methane emissions from Australia’s gasfields.
"This study did not examine the emissions from drilling, hydraulic fracturing and the liquid flowback period, yet the report admits these practises ‘have been identified as one of the main emission routes from unconventional gas production in the United States’,” she said.
“This study confirms that far greater work is required to measure methane emissions from unconventional gas sites in Australia, and highlights the importance of baseline studies before a decision is made on projects like the proposed Narrabri gasfield in north-west NSW.”
Gas industry response
Gas industry body, APPEA, says the environmental credentials of natural gas have been further boosted by the new research, which showed fugitive methane emissions from CSG completed wells to be low.
The measurements found total methane emissions from well completions were low, ranging from virtually zero to a maximum of 373kg methane for the entire completion. No further emissions were detected on completed wells after they had been fitted with the wellhead.
APPEA chief executive Malcolm Roberts said the research would help address concerns about fugitive emissions from CSG production.
“This is another important and rigorous study from the CSIRO whose previous research in 2014 found that fugitive emissions from CSG wells were only a tiny fraction – 0.02 per cent – of CSG production,” Dr Roberts said.
While the study notes there are a number of other areas requiring further investigation, it is significant that these initial findings based on actual measurements show emissions from well completion operations are relatively small, and in some cases negligible.
“Natural gas has around 50 per cent fewer emissions when used in power generation than traditional energy sources. There are substantial environmental benefits associated with expanding natural gas production, including CSG production.
[This shows] the environmental concerns about CSG raised by various activist groups do not stand up to scrutiny.
- APPEA chief executive Malcolm Roberts
“Developing Australia’s substantial natural gas resources will have significant environmental and economic benefits, both in Australia and in the region.”