Monday, October 31

Santos launches Online Water Testing Results for CSG in Queensland

Australian oil and gas company Santos has launched the first online portal to make water testing results from coal seam gas (CSG) projects available to the public.

The results will be from wells across the Surat and Bowen basins in Queensland.

The expansion of the CSG industry in Queensland, as well as plans for operations in NSW, have been opposed by some farmers and environmentalists who are concerned about its impact on prime farmland and water quality.

Santos GLNG president Mark MacFarlane says the online water portal will show results from more than 100 wells that monitor surface and ground water.

It will provide information on surface and sub-surface water quality results and it will be updated quarterly.

"Santos began monitoring surface water quality back in 1999 in Roma, Queensland, so we already have 10 years' worth of data which we can compare against," he said.

"We are now also monitoring water pressures in local aquifers around planned CSG operations in Roma, Fairview and Arcadia."

ABC Rural

Govt Heeds Farmers' Calls on CSG



THE National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed the call from the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry that a harmonised framework be developed across all States and Territories on future coal seam gas developments.
NFF President Jock Laurie said the Minister’s comments reflect the NFF’s recent discussions with the Prime Minister.
“We spoke to the Prime Minister just last week about the need for a consistent approach across all jurisdictions on the issue of coal seam gas,” Mr Laurie said.
“The regulation that currently governs the exploration and development of coal seam gas is primarily a state responsibility, and varies markedly across state boundaries.
“But many of the issues that the agricultural industry has raised, including the potential impact on water resources, the regulation of the use of chemicals and the interaction between coal seam gas companies, landholders and the communities, are issues across all jurisdictions so there is a real need for a common approach.


Stock and Land

Let us Extract Gas, Says Santos

The only way to meet a tripling in natural gas demand in eastern Australia is by allowing unconventional gas projects, such as coal seam gas (CSG), oil and gas producer Santos says.

Santos's eastern Australia vice president James Baulderstone told a conference that he expected gas prices to more than double within two decades, driven by demand and linking it to oil prices.

Soaring global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to contribute to Australia's wealth and make it one of the world's biggest exporters of the commodity.
However the use of fracking to access CSG or shale gas is strongly opposed by many Australians and Americans, including farmers, who say it contaminates prime agricultural land.


Sydney Morning Herald

Surge Seen in People Getting Involved, Helping Others




EVERYWHERE you turn in western Sydney there seems to be a new community group, resident action group or grass-roots campaign blossoming.

More and more people are getting involved in their communities for varying reasons, and the trend hasn't been missed by researchers.

James Arvanitakis, senior lecturer at University of Western Sydney's Centre for Cultural Research, said there were a few theories to explain the community renaissance.

"I think it's a really interesting phenomenon that we're seeing," he said.

"We see more action groups around the environment, we see it in Mensheds and community support groups for marriage equality.

"I think one of the issues is, resident action groups are trying to address a recognition by communities that they are, in a way, the best groups for their own representation.

"We can't always trust governments to do the best thing for us because they have competing demands."


Blacktown Sun

Five Days and Counting - the Blockade Continues



At times there are just a few people manning the blockade, other times is is brimming over with support for famers who don't want Santos to drill a pilot well on a Spring Ridge property (Tim Duddy)

With harvest preparations on the Liverpool Plains underway a mining blockade is a little more than just an inconvenience, but farmers say it's worth it to protect their livelihoods into the future.

Last Thursday farmers and community members began a blockage at a Spring Ridge property where Santos wants to drill a pilot well.

Over the weekend the vigil continued, and supporters have travelled from as far as Coonabarabran and Taree to uphold the blockade.

Farmer Michael Hockey says that support is integral because farmers are not able to afford to maintain a 24 hour vigil as they need to keep working on their properties.

Click Here to Read More and Listen to Audio
ABC New England North West

Essential: Divisions over Occupy, But We’re Gunning for CSG

Voters support the concerns of the Occupy movement, but don’t support the protests themselves and are divided over whether police were justified in breaking them up, new polling shows.

The weekly online poll from Essential Research found 29% of voters support both the movement’s concerns and protests, while 13% didn’t agree with their concerns. Around 40% agreed with their concerns, but didn’t agree with the action. The only strong support came from Greens voters; 59% of whom supported both the movement’s concerns and the protests.

There was real division over the controversial police break-ups of the protests in Melbourne and Sydney. Essential found 42% of voters backed police action to break up the protests over the 41% who said they should have been allowed to continue, with Labor and Greens voters strongly supporting their continuation and Liberal voters equally vehemently opposed.

On the issue of coal seam gas, half of those polled wanted further restrictions on the mining exercise, compared to 20% who feel current regulations balance the rights of farmers and miners. This leaves a high “don’t know” vote for both sides to win over.


Crikey

Australian Mining and Energy Conference : 16 - 19 November Surfers Paradise


Editor:   Looking for something to do??  SQUAWK!!  SQUAWK!!


The Australian mining and energy conference is the premier event for finance and accounting professionals working in the mining and energy industries and will provide insight into the trends and future landscape of the industry.
 
Attend this conference and:
  • understand Australia’s position in the global financial markets
  • hear from industry leaders regarding industry challenges and how to overcome them
  • discuss new ways to achieve environmental sustainability in mining
  • get up-to-speed with the rules and regulations impacting your industry
  • discover how the courts interpret director’s duties
  • learn about determinations and settlement options for native title claims

Key speakers

  • Dan Sullivan, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, United States
  • Saul Eslake, Program Director, Grattan Institute and Former Chief Economist, ANZ Banking Group
  • Ben Ali, Vice President, Finance, Santos (Indonesia)
  • Dr Keith Suter, Foreign and International Affairs Expert, Resident Commentator, Sunrise, Channel 7

BHP Looks at Coal Exploration in Cloncurry

BHP Billiton subsidiary Queensland Coal Investments (QCI) is looking at coal exploration in the Cloncurry and McKinlay shires.

The miner issued an exploration notice for a 95km2 tenement which runs across the two shires in Queensland, the North West Star reports.

The land is located north of Quamby, in a region more known for copper and gold than coal.
In regional terms, the state's Bowen Basin is viewed as Queensland's coal heartland.

However, according to the North West Star, coal discoveries have become more common in the north west region with increased exploration, and coal seam gas projects have also been put forward in the nearby Flinders and Richmond shires.

QCI's notice is now the furthest west coal exploration has been announced.

Betty Kiernan, Mount Isa's MP, stated that she does not know of any other coal exploration this far west.

"I've never heard of anyone finding coal in the Mount Isa minerals province before," she said.
"But coal is one of the most sought after resources in the world so it doesn't surprise me to hear they're looking."

Australian Mining

BHP has Cloncurry in its Sites

COAL mining could be on the agenda for Cloncurry and McKinlay shires.
 
BHP Billiton-owned Queensland Coal Investments has issued an exploration notice for a 95-square kilometre parcel of land which straddles the two Outback shires.
 
The land, to the north of Quamby, is in the heart of the resource-rich North West Minerals Province but up until this point, exploration for coal in the region had been non-existent.
BHP Billiton deals mainly in coking coal within Australia.
 
Discoveries of coal have become increasingly common in the North West in the past year with coal seam gas projects earmarked for the Flinders and Richmond shires and exploration underway in the McKinlay Shire.
 
But this is the farthest west exploration has been planned.
 
Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said she was unaware of other coal exploration this far west.
 
"I've never heard of anyone finding coal in the Mount Isa minerals province before," she said.
"But coal is one of the most sought after resources in the world so it doesn't surprise me to hear they're looking."
 
A BHP Billiton spokeswoman said it was against company policy to comment on exploration projects.

The North West Star (28.10.11)

New Ammonium Nitrate Manufacturing Plant for Mining




Chemical manufacturer and supplier Incitec Pivot is currently looking into plans to construct a new ammonium nitrate manufacturing plant on the site of its fertiliser facility on Kooragang Island in Newcastle, NSW.

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound used in explosives and fertilisers. According to the company, the plant will be a “world-scale, state-of-the-art” manufacturing plant.

In statement released to the ASX on Friday, Incitec Pivot said it will carry out a feasibility study into the construction of the new plant, which expected to be completed in Q4 of 2012 based on the calendar year.

Should construction of the new plant go ahead; the plant will be geared towards producing ammonium nitrate for the mining industry in NSW, particularly in the Hunter Valley, for export, and urea ammonium nitrate for agricultural use.

Read More

FEN

A Quarry Called Australia



Santos Expands by Buying Another CSG Company



Eastern Star to sell to Santos (7pm TV News NSW)

Coal seam gas company Eastern Star Gas has been sold to mining firm Santos, the same company that's currently being blockaded by farmers on the NSW Liverpool Plains.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Eastern Star Gas chairman, John Anderson, was previously the federal member for Gwydir, which covers the Liverpool Plains region.

He says coal seam gas is essential to solving a looming energy crisis.

"No one has contradicted me on this yet, but gas is actually going to be very important for agriculture, because it's the obvious extender of hydrocarbons, i.e. oil, as we run out of oil and as oil becomes incredibly expensive," he said.


ABC Rural

Newman Rejects More LNP Defections Ahead




Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman says talk more MPs will defect to Bob Katter's Australian Party (KAP) is just bravado.

The Queensland leader of Katter's party, Aidan McLindon, says there could be more defections from the LNP.

Shane Knuth, the Member for Dalrymple in far north Queensland, says he defected because he can no longer represent his electorate under his old mud-flinging, Liberal-led LNP.
But Mr Newman says he doubts that any more members of his team will follow Mr Knuth to the new party.

"Mr Knuth has been subjected to a fair bit of pressure from Mr Katter - that's fairly clear," Mr Newman said.

Read More

ABC News

LNP Defection

The LNP woke up to an unwelcome surprise yesterday - Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth defected to Bob Katter's Australian Party.

Is this just a small hiccup for the LNP or is it just the first of many defections from former National Party members? Paul Williams is a lecturer in Politics at Griffith University:

Click Here to Go To Audio

Breakfast with Spencer Howson (ABC)

Eastern Star Approves $924 Million Santos Takeover




Eastern Star Gas shareholders approved a $924 million takeover bid from coal seam gas rival Santos on Friday.

At a shareholder meeting in Sydney 81 per cent of Eastern Star investors backed the bid, despite some expressing concerns the offer was too low.

Eastern Star chairman John Anderson told shareholders progress for the company’s CSG projects had been slow.

He said the company had encountered significant political and community opposition and the Santos takeover was therefore the best option.

Eastern Star’s CSG operations, particularly those in the Pilliga region, have attracted considerable hostility from community and environmental groups.  


Australian Mining

Coal Seam Gas a Major Factor in Defection to Katter's Party

A Queensland Liberal National Party member has defected to join his brother in Katter's Australian Party, citing the contentious issue of coal seam gas drilling on prime farmland as a major factor.

Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth and Jeff Knuth, a former One Nation MP, will represent the new party, alongside Bob Katter's son Robbie Katter, at next year's Queensland election.

Shane Knuth says he was elected as a National Party member in 2004, but believes the merger with the Liberal Party was disastrous for rural representation and no more than a 'Liberal Party takeover'.

He says farmers and the Great Artesian Basin need to be protected from coal seam gas companies.



ABC Rural

Hunter Residents to Address Coal Seam Gas Inquiry




Coal seam gas protest outside State Government inquiry at Taree, 31 October 2011


Hunter residents concerned about the impact of Coal seam gas mining will today address a hearing at Taree on the State's mid-north coast as part of a State Parliamentary inquiry.

The State Parliamentary committee that is seeking to balance the environmental social and economic impacts of CSG mining has already received almost one thousand written submissions.

A huge number of submissions are from Gloucester residents, so its not surprising that six of the speakers today are from that area.

They include two Gloucester councillors, two representatives of the Barrington Gloucester Stroud Alliance, the chair of the local tourism body and a local doctor.

Read More

ABC 1233 Newcastle

Queensland's Gas Exports may Slow Shift from Coal-Fired Power




QUEENSLAND'S $50 billion of planned gas export projects could slow the nation's move away from coal-fired power by making domestic gas power plants more costly to run, analysts say.   
In what could become a major policy headache for the commonwealth government, an expected surge in east coast gas prices may almost triple the carbon price needed for gas power to become competitive with coal-fired power, according to new studies.

Because all the states, apart from Western Australia, are linked with pipelines, domestic buyers in Victoria and Tasmania will be competing with the more lucrative export markets for Australian gas once three coal-seam gas plants being built at Gladstone start exporting from 2014.

Analysts say this will probably rapidly double east coast gas prices, which at between $3 and $4 a gigajoule, are cheap by world standards.

In separate presentations, analysts speaking at an Australian Institute of Energy gas forum in Melbourne last week warned the take-up of domestic gas-fired power would probably be slowed down because of price rises forced by Queensland LNG exports.

Daniel Magasanik, an associate at Intelligent Energy Systems, said many forecasts of gas-fired power demand over the next 20 years were overstated.

"Higher gas prices, everything else being equal, will dampen the move to a lower emission power generation sector, because gas will be less competitive," Dr Magasanik said.

"So these Queensland LNG projects will have the effect of not helping Australia to decrease carbon intensity, even though they may have that effect in the country that buys the LNG."

IES says the uptake of gas-fired power till 2030 will be about half that forecast by the Australian Energy Market Operator in a 2010 scenario that looked at a high level of LNG exports.

ACIL Tasman executive director Paul Balfe said high gas prices and a moderate carbon price would mean the economics of coal-fired plants remained preferable to combined-cycle gas turbine plants. This in itself would not mean more coal plants because of the uncertainty of building a new plant, given the risk of increased carbon pricing.

"That raises serious policy decisions," Mr Balfe said.

"It leaves us in something of a vacuum in terms of investment signals for the gas-fired proponent, who is facing rising gas prices so the economics don't really stack up, versus a coal-fired proponent, where the political and financial risk environment makes it difficult to move forward."

The government could use other means, such as compensation, to support the move to gas.

IES analysis shows that at the Gillard government's starting carbon price of $23 a tonne and current east coast gas prices of about $3 a gigajoule, gas starts to become competitive with coal.

But under a $6 gas price, a carbon price of between $60-$65 is needed for gas power to be competitive.

CSG-to-LNG proponents Santos and Origin Energy, which also provide domestic gas and, in Origin's case, domestic coal and gas-fired power, declined to comment on the studies.

The Australian

AGL Energy, which is a gas buyer, a gas producer and a coal, gas and renewable power producer, also declined to comment.

Saturday, October 29

Anna Bligh's Team Wastes Another $116m on Controversial ZeroGen Clean-Coal Debacle



Artist impression of ZeroGen clean coal power station. Source: Supplied

SAYONARA, Premier. Anna Bligh's claims her bungled clean-coal dream would live on have collapsed, with the company at the centre put into liquidation at a loss to taxpayers of almost $160 million.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the controversial ZeroGen operation was shut down a fortnight ago, despite the Premier promising the ailing firm would be given to - and run by - the coal industry to ensure its work did not go to waste.
Documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission this month show the company is under external administration after a liquidator was appointed on October 11.
ZeroGen was set up to be owned by the Government to develop carbon capture technology. Its key project was to be a $4.3 billion clean coal power plant in central Queensland, running by 2015, with the power to capture 90 per cent of coal emissions.


Courier Mail

Editor's Note:  March 2012 cant come quick enough where this woman is concerned.  SQUAWK!!  SQUAWK!!

James Price Point - Featuring Kerrianne Cox


What an incredibly beautiful song to go with this amazing video. Sit down, make yourself a cuppa and enjoy. We need to make everyone aware of what's happening in James Price Point - West Australia. 



Eastern Star Gas The First Scalp in Fight Over Coal Seam Gas




Lock the Gate Alliance has claimed its first major scalp in the coal seam gas industry as outgoing Chair of Eastern Star Gas, John Anderson, admitted that political headwinds and community opposition had triggered his company's sale to Santos.

"At the shareholder vote this morning John Anderson said that Eastern Star Gas had not been able to prove up its gas reserves due to 'political headwinds' and that this had ultimately led to financial pressures which had seen them sell to Santos" said Drew Hutton, President of LTGA.

"This is a big victory for community opposition against coal seam gas in Australia. Ordinary Australians all around the country are having a massive impact on this industry and its future is in doubt."Those same 'political headwinds' referred to by John Anderson will bring down Santos and the Narrabri Gas Project in the Pilliga Forest. 

Santos has bought a pig in a poke with this gas project - they don't have the environmental approvals they need and they will never get them if we have anything to do with it.

"We will band together with local communities to lock the gate on coal seam gas in the Pilliga forest - a priceless piece of our collective natural heritage that belongs to the people of NSW not to Santos.

"We will band together with farmers in the Liverpool Plains who are today bravely standing firm in their blockade of a proposed pilot production well.

 "As the fall of Eastern Star Gas shows us, Santos is not immune from the powerful community opposition building against coal seam gas development in Australia."

We are here to tell them that we will fight them every step of the way and that we will defend our water, our farmland and our bushland with all that we have.


Drew Hutton

Eastern Star to Sell to Santos Amid Uncertainty


Santos will take over Eastern Star Gas, which is struggling due to global equity raising difficulties and activism against its gas project at Narrabri in north-east NSW.


ABC News

Greens Seek New Powers to Protect Water Supply





"The federal government appears to prefer to leave coal seam gas regulation up to the states. But that's simply not good enough" ... Greens senator Larissa Waters. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen


THE Greens will launch a push next week for the federal government to override the states when the mining of resources such as coal seam gas threatens water resources, the party arguing the states are ''clearly failing'' to regulate the industry.

The move, aimed at coal seam gas projects amid a growing backlash from farmers in NSW and Queensland, aligns the Greens with a key independent, Tony Windsor, who has already moved his own bill to introduce federal powers.

The federal Resources and Energy Minister, Martin Ferguson, has branded as ''unacceptable'' protests by farmers and activists against the resources company Santos and coal seam gas drilling on the Liverpool Plains, south of Gunnedah.


Sydney Morning Herald


Australian Shale Gas: The Show, or All Show?

Need a natural resource? Then Australia has it.

New fuel supply, notably unconventional in nature, is transforming world energy markets. Shale gas in particular has attracted much attention: for the scale of its potential, and for possible negative consequences associated with extraction processes.

There has been much press for several years about unconventional gas in Australia from coal seams, but only in the last twelve months or so has shale gas received press – and a rush of investment interest.


Commercial Climate


Friday, October 28

Fighting for our Food Bowl: Online Event November 7 at 11am

COAL mining and farming are not a happy mix on the Darling Downs.

Protests, particularly about the Felton area, have made national headlines.
In a special online live event on November 7 at 11am, editor-in-chief Steve Etwell invites readers to have a chat with him about this emotive situation.
If you can't make it to the site for this event, you can still be part of the conversation on Twitter. During the event, just add your comments on Twitter using #MinesVsFarms.

The Toowoomba Chronicle

Eastern Star Shareholders Back Santos Takeover

Oil and gas company Santos has gained approval from Eastern Star Gas shareholders for a $924-million takeover of its coal-seam gas rival.

Eastern Star shareholders met in Sydney this morning, with 81 per cent voting in favour of the deal. Some expressed concerns the company had been sold too cheaply.

Both companies have been under fire from opponents of their coal-seam gas projects in northern New South Wales.

Today's vote came just a day after Liverpool Plains farmers began a blockage of a property where Santos is drilling a CSG exploration well.

Protesters also gathered in Sydney, both inside and outside the meeting venue, calling for Eastern Start's CSG operations in the Pilliga region to be scrapped.


ABC 1233 Newcastle

Trial to Improve Mining Disclosure Standards

PAYMENTS by mining companies to governments in Australia and developing countries will become more transparent after the federal government revealed it would trial stringent global disclosure requirements for the resources sector.   
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson revealed Australia would undertake a pilot of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It will also help bankroll the initiative in developing countries.

The EITI raises transparency over payments to governments and government-linked entities in the mining and oil and gas sectors and transparency over revenues by host-country governments.

It has been implemented in 35 resource-rich countries, and 29 countries have produced EITI reconciliation reports. The initiative aims to limit sovereign risk for international mining companies.

Under the EITI pilot, Australia will assess the transparency of its financial-reporting arrangements for the resources sector against EITI principles -- seen as a global benchmark for natural resource revenue management.
"Given Australia's very significant mining sector, we hope this decision will encourage other countries to adopt EITI," Mr Rudd said at the CHOGM Australia-Africa Foreign Ministers' Mining Breakfast in Perth yesterday.

"Transparency and accountability are key for developing countries to reap the full benefits of their resource sector. Well regulated, the sector cannot only provide economic growth but also broader development benefits by funding basic services like health and education."

Beginning on July 1 next year, the $500,000 pilot will be funded by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and will be overseen by government representatives, industry and non-government organisations.

Mr Rudd said Australia would provide $12.7 million to support the advocacy of EITI, including supporting developing countries with technical challenges.

The Australian

Greens' WA Fracturing Moratorium Dismissed

WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore has dismissed the Greens' calls for a moratorium on fracturing in onshore gas operations, just a day after a petroleum engineering professor warned a permanent moratorium was on the cards if the critical Yarragadee freshwater aquifer is compromised.

Moore told the Department of Mines and Petroleum's (DMP) 8 December Petroleum and Geothermal Open Day that, driven by reports of aquifer contamination from this process on east coast and in the US, the Greens want the State Government to introduce a moratorium on 'fraccing' in WA.

In June, Greens MLC Alison Xamon called for an immediate moratorium on fracturing, saying that the UK suspended the practice after France did, temporarily. A British parliamentary committee announced it sees no need to ban fracturing for now. "We conclude that, on balance, a moratorium in the UK is not justified or necessary at present. But evidence must continue to be collected and assessed", the committee said.

Moore said that in the last five years only three exploration hydraulic fracturing operations have occurred in WA - all three in remote locations for tight or shale gas.


PNR Online

Alan Jones Comment Friday 28th October: Coal Seam Gas on Farming Land

Alan Jones speaks to Fiona Simson, Rosemary Nankerville and Elizabeth Mullen from Sydney Food Fairness Alliance about the threat to farming land from coal seam gas exploration.

Energy Analyst Turns up Heat on New Gas Projects

Farmers pledge to contine blockade Farmers launch blockade.

Senior energy analyst Gundi Royle has broken ranks with her colleagues, attacking industry and regulators for failing to conduct independent regional modelling of the groundwater impacts of up to $80 billion in planned coal seam gas (CSG) development, mostly in Queensland.
 
Royle, an experienced energy industry executive now with US investment bank Moelis & Company, has told the Herald the coal seam gas industry is "racing ahead to establish a fait accompli, and governments have been negligent in not joining up the dots. Once the capital is sunk it will be impossible to stop the industry rolling over the country."
 
Up to 40,000 coal seam gas wells are to be drilled across Queensland in coming decades as companies including Santos, Origin Energy, BG Group and Shell develop four massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, based in Gladstone.
 
The first three projects, valued at more than $50 billion, have gained all necessary environmental approvals and the proponents have reached a final investment decision to go ahead with development, but the approvals are subject to review under the Queensland government's ''adaptive'' regulatory process. Shell's Arrow LNG project has yet to lodge an environmental application and is targeting a final investment decision in 2013.

Read More

The Queanbeyan Age

CSG protesters Stake out Meeting

Dozens of anti-coal seam gas environmentalists are protesting outside a Sydney hotel where Eastern Star Gas shareholders are voting on a takeover bid by exploration company Santos.

About 40 demonstrators, some dressed in mouse and koala costumes in support of the threatened animals, are chanting and carrying placards in front of the Shangri-la Hotel in the CBD on Friday morning.

Wilderness Society spokeswoman Belinda Fairbrother said the group is calling on Santos to abandon plans to drill for coal seam gas (CSG) in the NSW Pilliga state forest


Ninemsnews

Farmers Lock the Gate at Santos Drilling Site




The fertile soils of the Liver­pool Plains are once again the battleground for farmers in their war with the miners.

A call to arms late last night by Rosemary Nankivell of the Caroona Coal Action Group Coal Seam Gas Committee (CSGC) saw close to 100 farmers, their children and members of the tight-knit community gather on Clift Road, 5kms from Spring Ridge, early this morning, to protest drilling by gas company, Santos, on the property ‘Glasserton.

As the sun came up the protesters parked an old vehicle at the entrance to ‘Glasserton’ which includes the George’s Island Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL 1).

They claimed Santos repeatedly refused to wait for the outcome of the Namoi Catchment Water Study before escalating its operations.

They were united in saying they were settling in for “the long haul”.

Read More

Namoi Valley Independent (27/10/11)

Protests Against Coal Seam Gas Mining Set to Continue in NSW

A meeting to organize a Campbelltown day of action against coal seam gas mining will take place on Saturday according to the Macarthur Chronicle.

The meeting follows a string of protests in recent months amid growing opposition to coal seam gas (CSG) in urban and rural areas across Australia.

Coal seam gas (CSG) refers to gas extracted from underground coal seams. Like shale and natural gas mining, the gas extracted in CSG mining is methane.

Read More

Associated Comment from Yahoo

CSG Protesters Stake out Meeting

DOZENS of anti-coal seam gas environmentalists are protesting outside a Sydney hotel where Eastern Star Gas shareholders are voting on a takeover bid by exploration company Santos.
About 40 demonstrators, some dressed in mouse and koala costumes in support of the threatened animals, are chanting and carrying placards in front of the Shangri-la Hotel in the CBD on Friday morning.

Wilderness Society spokeswoman Belinda Fairbrother said the group is calling on Santos to abandon plans to drill for coal seam gas (CSG) in the NSW Pilliga state forest.

They are also demanding the state and federal government address the issue.


news.com.au

No Place for Gas in Shire: Mayor



Muswellbrook Shire mayor Martin Rush.


The coal seam gas industry is unlikely to have a future in Muswellbrook Shire because of poor state land planning, mayor Martin Rush told a touring National Farmers Federation taskforce on coal seam gas yesterday.

Cr Rush also detailed Muswellbrook Shire Council’s draft strategy on land use and policy on coalmine rehabilitation.
 
The federation’s CSG taskforce also toured a Singleton thoroughbred horse stud, BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur Coal mine and met with the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association.
 
“This week’s tour focuses on the multiple land use change issues in the Hunter Valley, including mining urban development and CSG developments, and the impact they have had on local landholders,” NFF vice-president Duncan Fraser said.
 
According to Cr Rush, land use planning could have allowed the CSG industry in Muswellbrook Shire; instead open-cut coalmines occupy land that could have been better used for gas extraction.

Read More

Muswellbrook Chronicle

Project Blue: Call to Community to Protest CSG Mining

THE Manning Alliance, the peak body opposing coal seam gas drilling in the Manning, has called on all residents of the valley to support the fight to protect the region from CSG mining.

Next Monday has been designated 'Blue Day', with a peaceful and organised rally to be held at Club Taree at the same time as the NSW Legislative Council's Standing Committee No. 5 on coal seam gas mining begins its Taree public hearing.
 
Club Taree board of directors has given its permission for the rally to take place at 12.30pm on the top floor of the club's new car park. The rally is expected to last for an hour.
 
As well, all residents across the Manning are being asked to support the rally by wearing blue on Monday, and by attaching blue ribbons to their properties, gates, fences, homes, businesses and vehicles.
 
The hearing inside Club Taree is open to the public and Manning Alliance encourages anyone with an interest in the future of the valley to attend for all or part of the proceedings.

Read More

Manning River Times

CSG Gas Mining Protest in the Manning: Protect our Heart





Bio-dynamic farmer Bruce Robertson is one of 16 speakers selected to address Monday's coal seam gas mining public inquiry in Taree

COAL seam gas drilling would spell disaster for the Manning River, according to Bruce Robertson ... “an environmental catastrophe ... just insane”.

“The river is the heart of the Manning Valley, and we need to start valuing it more highly than we are at present,” he says.
 
To industrialise the valley’s prime agricultural land by way of coal seam gas drilling would therefore amount to “madness”.
 
Mr Robertson believes however that the majority of Manning residents haven’t fully grasped the implication of what is currently happening by way of the threat from coal seam gas drilling.
 
“This I believe is a very seminal event for the entire Manning Valley, and the changes coming from coal seam gas mining will happen incredibly quickly. You don’t need to have an amazing forecasting ability to see what is going to happen.”

Read More

Manning River Times

Santos News: Demonstration at Santos Pilot Well Site

Santos notes the presence of a protest group at a coal seam gas pilot well site near Spring Ridge, about 70kms south of Gunnedah in northern New South Wales.

Santos is proposing to drill one pilot well and one water monitoring well on the site in coming weeks.

The water results to be obtained from the Spring Ridge site will be an important source of additional scientific information to the Namoi Catchment Water Study, an initiative Santos supports and funds.

Santos has been discussing its planned activity at Spring Ridge with the local community for over 18 months. All neighbouring landholders have been advised.

The company’s repeated offers to brief the group organising this morning’s protest have not been accepted.

Santos Vice President Eastern Australia James Baulderstone said the company noted the genuine concerns of many people in regional communities about the expansion of the CSG industry, and highlighted that information obtained from pilot well programs was an essential source of data to enable  decisions on the location and scale of any CSG development.

“We do understand there are concerns about the potential impact of CSG activity on the Liverpool Plains, a very important food producing region – and we have planned our drilling activity at Spring Ridge with that in mind.”


Santos

Editor's Note:  I quote: “We do understand there are concerns about the potential impact of CSG activity on the Liverpool Plains, a very important food producing region – and we have planned our drilling activity at Spring Ridge with that in mind.”  

 Of course they dont care or understand... they are a Coal Seam Gas Company, they are the same as all the others  with one thing on their mind ... rape and pillage of our land. in exchange for monetary gain.   SQUAWK!!!  SQUAWK!!

Concerns Raised over MDBA Decision to Increase Groundwater Limits

An environmental group says there is no scientific basis behind a Murray Darling Basin Authority plan to increase the cap on groundwater extraction. An executive from the MDBA has defended the sustainability of the groundwater proposal and says their figures are still conservative.

Groundwater is the water extracted from beneath the earth's surface; there are around 80 acquifers - systems of water that are underneath the surface and which contain groundwater - within the Murray Darling Basin.

The MDBA is charged with regulating these water systems below the earth's surface, as well as the surface water in the rivers and wetlands, but Friends of the Earth have expressed concerns that the Authority's plans to more than double the current cap on groundwater extraction - from 1800 gigalitres to about 4,200 gigalitres - is a 'radical' revisal that has no basis in science.

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ABC Mildura Swan Hill

Windsor Backs CSG Farmers' Gate Protest

A GROUP of angry farmers was preparing to spend last night barricading a property in north-western NSW to prevent coal-seam gas drilling.   
Yesterday morning, about 100 farmers parked vehicles across the entrance to the property 9km from Spring Ridge on the Liverpool Plains, with plans to stay put for up to eight months.

Independent federal MP Tony Windsor threw his support behind the action, saying gas giant Santos had been "warned about taking the community for granted" and would now "see what real community spirit meant".

But a spokesman for Santos defended the company, saying it had held more than 30 community meetings over the past four years. He said an offer to brief the protesters before the planned action took place had been rejected.


The Australian

Farmer's Blockade Halts the Miners



Angry ... more than 100 protesters blocked the gates to Glasserton / Pic: Peter Lorimer Source: The Daily Telegraph

MILITANT farmers across two states have launched a war against mining giants who want to mine their prime agricultural land for coal seam gas.

Thousands of farmers from areas stretching from southeast Queensland to the Illawarra have joined a "lock the gate alliance" movement - locking their gates to stop CSG companies entering properties to explore.

They turned up the heat yesterday as more than 100 angry farmers were involved in a blockade outside a property 60km northwest of Gunnedah in protest at the Liverpool Plains being turned into a gas field.

Mining company Santos has begun fencing and civil works to build a well pad at the Glasserton site near Spring Ridge, with plans to start pilot tests to assess and measure the flow of gas in the coming weeks.


The Daily Telegraph

Farmers Pledge to Continue Blockade of CSG Mining Site For 'As Long As It Takes'

SIMMERING tensions over the coal seam gas beneath the state's farming country boiled over at dawn yesterday, when farmers parked heavy machinery across a planned drilling site on the Liverpool Plains, south of Gunnedah.

A group of local farmers slept overnight to guard the gates of a property where the resources company Santos had planned to drill an exploratory gas well today.

Group members said the blockade would go on for ''as long as it takes'' to stop drilling in the area, which they said could harm the underground aquifers that made the region the nation's most productive food bowl.


Sydney Morning Herald

CSG Bubbling Up as Major Issue



GREENS candidate for Clarence, Janet Cavanaugh


THE prospect of coal seam gas and antimony mining in the Clarence electorate should be the main campaign issues in the Clarence by-election, said Greens candidate Janet Cavanaugh.

Ms Cavanaugh, who resigned from her government job to contest the election, said she would attend a campaign meeting to work through campaign issues, but the threat posed to water supplies and industries was already shaping up as a major concern.
"We are working off 20-year-old legislation brought in by the last Coalition government," she said.


Daily Examiner