Illawarra Coal has plans to drill up to 31 wells into the coal seam near the Hume Hwy outside Douglas Park, draining methane from the mine and using the gas to help power its Appin mine operations.
It has approval to drill eight wells but is seeking permission from the NSW Government to expand this to 26, drilling up to 550m into the coal seam and targeting the mine’s goaf (areas already mined for coal) as well as parts of the seam that have not yet been mined.
The gas drainage project would make the mines safer and more efficient, but they have caused some figures close to the industry to question whether it could be a coal seam gas operation by stealth.
While the Apex-Ormil coal seam gas project at Darkes Forest drew 1300 submissions against its approval, Illawarra Coal’s plans drew just five submissions.
Illawarra Mercury
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