Measuring the impact of the coal seam gas industry on Australia's underground water supplies will be one of the initial research projects at The University of Queensland's Centre for Coal Seam Gas.
Researchers in the three-year project will analyse underground water chemistry, thereby improving conceptualisation and numerical modelling of the impacts coal seam dewatering has on aquifers at both regional and local levels.
Water is intrinsic to the coal seam gas (CSG) extraction process. Once wells have been drilled into the coal seam, water is drawn to the surface to reduce pressure and release gas.
“Incorporation of water chemistry data that is held by CSG companies into a unified database will greatly extend understanding of basin hydrology, aquifer interactions and processes controlling the water chemistry,” said lead researcher Associate Professor Sue Vink.
“The project will result in publicly available databases that identify health and environmental risk indicators, provide a baseline for assessing aquifer connectivity, and guide water re-use, treatment and re-injection options,” she said.
Researchers in the three-year project will analyse underground water chemistry, thereby improving conceptualisation and numerical modelling of the impacts coal seam dewatering has on aquifers at both regional and local levels.
Water is intrinsic to the coal seam gas (CSG) extraction process. Once wells have been drilled into the coal seam, water is drawn to the surface to reduce pressure and release gas.
“Incorporation of water chemistry data that is held by CSG companies into a unified database will greatly extend understanding of basin hydrology, aquifer interactions and processes controlling the water chemistry,” said lead researcher Associate Professor Sue Vink.
“The project will result in publicly available databases that identify health and environmental risk indicators, provide a baseline for assessing aquifer connectivity, and guide water re-use, treatment and re-injection options,” she said.
University of Qld
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