See the gas industry first-hand for yourself.

[DiscoMick]

People on here have said various things about the gas industry, but there's nothing like seeing it for yourself. Now you can.
Origin is offering tours of its gas industry in the Miles and Chinchilla areas.
I've been on a tour in the past, found it very interesting and learned a lot.
If you'd like to see for yourself, here's your chance.

Origin's monthly gas tours are up and running again | Chinchilla News (https://www.chinchillanews.com.au/news/origins-monthly-gas-tours-are-up-and-running-again/3765099/)

[W&KO]

Thanks for that, in all my work visits to miles I never realized they ran tours. Although having work out in Origin’s Gas Fields I surprised they would let the general public into the processing plants.

I might have to book myself into to one of those tours to see the next stage as I’ve been lucky enough to see a number of holes being Frac’d, in the safety of the Frac Cat. Very interesting process and from what I observed a hell of a lot of work goes into minimizing effects on underground water courses, way more than I was expecting.

[DiscoMick]

Yes, it is very interesting.
We were bussed through the water filtration plant, which is huge. The water it produces is too clean to put in rivers. It has to be dirtied in a dam first.

[Toxic_Avenger]

That would be cool to see.

But I'm biased. I think the LPG Cavern under Botany is even cooler.
LPG Cavern details (http://www.ferret.com.au/ODIN/PDF/Showcases/105149.pdf)

[350RRC]

That would be cool to see.

But I'm biased. I think the LPG Cavern under Botany is even cooler.
LPG Cavern details (http://www.ferret.com.au/ODIN/PDF/Showcases/105149.pdf)

Must get blended for road use...............says its 95% propane.

DL

[350RRC]

Fracked natural gas is apparently selling for -$9 US for a million BTU's in some places over there. (in the Oz today)

That's right........... they're paying you to take it.

DL

[Toxic_Avenger]

'LPG' is not just propane. There is usually a butane copmponent. It gets tweaked a little from what I understand, depending on commodity prices. That being said, I don't think it's actually blended in country. More a case of what comes out of the refinery.

[DiscoMick]

The situation in the USA is not the same as here.
While fracking is used a lot in the USA, it's not needed here in most wells because the rock is softer and does not need fracking to be drilled to release the gas.
Fracking costs money so why would the companies use it unnecessarily?

[W&KO]

The situation in the USA is not the same as here.
While fracking is used a lot in the USA, it's not needed here in most wells because the rock is softer and does not need fracking to be drilled to release the gas.
Fracking costs money so why would the companies use it unnecessarily?

Er you sure, pretty sure all coal seam gas wells in QLD and NT need to be fracked. I know this is the case for all wells in and around Miles/Roma. The company I work for have 2 and 3 trailer road trains constantly delivering Frac sand into Miles/Roma from South Australia and imported.

And yes, fracking is expensive.

Oh fracing has nothing to do with how hard the rock is, keep in mind the hole goes into a coal seam. The fracing process blocks all the gaps/hole etc in the coal so that the gas flows through the Frac sand which means the gas is cleaner when it comes to the service. Well something like that, google will give you a better explanation.

[DiscoMick]

It is true that fracking requires large amounts of sand and water and a tiny amount of chemicals, including disenfectants. The sand keeps the fractures, which are up to 150 metres long, open so the gas can seep through the sand and escape.
However, my research finds the majority of coal seam gas wells in Queensland's Bowen and Surat basins have not needed fracking because the coal is permeable and the gas escapes easily. There are many reports of methane escaping naturally into the air in that region.

However fracking is more common in the Cooper basin, where it has been used for 50 years. The Beetaloo basin shale deposits in the NT will also need more fracking.

Fracking is only needed when the rock layer prevents drilling to the coal seams, which are usually 2000 metres or more below ground level and there is a layer of rock between them and the surface water, which is usually less than 300 metres below the surface.
Once the well is down into the coal the drilling turns horizontal and runs along the vein of coal, so fracking is unnecessary.

Shale oil gas, as is common in the USA, usually needs fracking to fracture the sandstone and let the gas escape.
Shale oil gas is deeper, typically 2000-4000 metres down, and in harder layers than the softer coal seams.
Shale oil has made the USA the world's largest oil producer, while Australia is now the leading gas producer.

[W&KO]

It is true that fracking requires large amounts of sand and water and a tiny amount of chemicals, including disenfectants. The sand keeps the fractures, which are up to 150 metres long, open so the gas can seep through the sand and escape.
However, my research finds the majority of coal seam gas wells in Queensland's Bowen and Surat basins have not needed fracking because the coal is permeable and the gas escapes easily. There are many reports of methane escaping naturally into the air in that region.

However fracking is more common in the Cooper basin, where it has been used for 50 years. The Beetaloo basin shale deposits in the NT will also need more fracking.

Fracking is only needed when the rock layer prevents drilling to the coal seams, which are usually 2000 metres or more below ground level and there is a layer of rock between them and the surface water, which is usually less than 300 metres below the surface.
Once the well is down into the coal the drilling turns horizontal and runs along the vein of coal, so fracking is unnecessary.

Shale oil gas, as is common in the USA, usually needs fracking to fracture the sandstone and let the gas escape.
Shale oil gas is deeper, typically 2000-4000 metres down, and in harder layers than the softer coal seams.
Shale oil has made the USA the world's largest oil producer, while Australia is now the leading gas producer.

From my onsite experience not quite a cut and paste from google, in the Miles and Roma area which is in the Surat Basin.....every well required fracing, 100’s and 100’s of wells. The wells are also quite shallow and don’t need anywhere near the same pressures as the wells in NT.

it surprised me the amount of chemicals used, I wouldn’t call it small. When a Frac doesn’t behave and they have to abort that sector (each well can have anywhere between 4 - 8 separate Frac’s at different depths in the one well) the chemical use increases.

I didn’t absorb a whole lot of the science that they were talking about. I was there sorting out logistics and QA issues and by default had to sit in the Frac Cat during fracing.

[DiscoMick]

I am informed, by someone who actually works there and I can't name, that only 5% of the Bowen Surat gas wells needed fracking, mostly in the last 18 months.

[W&KO]

I am informed, by someone who actually works there and I can't name, that only 5% of the Bowen Surat gas wells needed fracking, mostly in the last 18 months.

Fair enough....different experiences at different times.

For the couple of months I was involved, 18-24 months ago, 100% of wells on origin sites at the times needed Frac.

Over to you and your man in the field.

[mekon76]

What a great idea. I've worked in the gas industry for over 12 years and people have some very wrong ideas about the industry thanks to the great unwashed professionally unemployed sorts.

Managed control rooms for high pressure gas transmission pipelines and LNG storage.

[DiscoMick]

Yes, there's a lot of misinformation around.
For example, which industry does more environtal damage - mining or agriculture?
Answer is agriculture which has changed 70% of the landmass, compared with 1% for mining.

[ramblingboy42]

I spent 18mths in the SW Qld Gas Fields installing and commissioning the Ballera Gas Plant , back in the 90's.

It is very interesting and the amount of equipment and fixed plant necessary to clean the gas and pump it up the pipelines is amazing.

I guess you could call it self perpetuating as the energy from the gas out of the ground runs a set of gas turbine generators to power the plant and the compressors are powered by Walkisha Gas diesels (some here will know them). They and some electric powered compressors push the gas to 18,000kpa thru something like a 500mm pipe. Don't quote me on that but it's around that dia.

The whole Santos vehicle fleet as far as I know runs on the pure crude distillate from the gas , which is so clean only requires standard oem filters.

I know a senior Santos engineer who told me they have been fracking for as long as they have been in the oil/gas fields

I don't know if you can do a guided tour through Ballera...if you are going through the Cooper basin and Innamincka you go past Ballera.

I am going through in about 3-4 weeks so will turn in and enquire. Will report back.

[DiscoMick]

Yes, I was told that fracking is more common in the Cooper than the Surat area.