When it comes to gas mining causing valuable cropping land to sink, the Qld Govt (via OGIA) declared in 2021 that "most of the cropping area is likely to experience less than 100 mm of subsidence by the end of 2060". And that subsidence will be "relatively uniform".
rdmw.qld.gov.au/__data/assetā¦
This downplaying of impacts has been weaponised by Arrow Energy, who plans to drill hundreds of gas wells across the highly fertile Condamine Floodplain.
Just 2 years later & we're already seeing subsidence of 135mm.
ogia.water.qld.gov.au/__dataā¦
Of note, OGIA's UWIR 2021 subsidence modelling did not include gas desorption coal shrinkage that can account for 70-80% of the actual subsurface compaction. I.e. they were only factoring in the removal of water, not the removal of gas from the coal matrix.
Under Right to Information by
@ZronR, we now see that their modelling shows up to 300mm of subsidence, in markedly non-uniform patterns, especially around deviated wells, which Arrow Energy have been profusely drilling on the Darling Downs.
youtu.be/VDwXe8dsu3g?si=EUAmā¦
Subsidence on a flat floodplain can severely alter drainage and water flow, crippling farmers' ability to grow and harvest crops.
The Arrow Energy Surat Gas Project was approved in 2013 based on their own conclusion that "subsidence as a result of CSG extraction would be unlikely to occur in the region."
nla.gov.au/nla.obj-274262292⦠[p76]
Over a decade later, and despite the glaring red flags as to the devastation it presents to high production cropping in its tenure area, the project proceeds regardless, thanks to govt inertia and broken resource and environmental laws that don't allow the steam train to be pulled up before it crashes.
Farmers and the citizens of Qld and beyond will become the collateral damage if this train wreck is allowed to proceed.