NSW Determined to Develop CSG

The New South Wales government is determined to develop the state's coal seam gas industry to address a looming shortfall in gas supply, Sydney Morning Herald reported citing energy minister Chris Hartcher.

The minister said that the state needs to develop its own coal seam gas reserves to overcome future expected gas supply bottlenecks, the newspaper said. Hartcher said that development of the state's CSG reserves would need to take place while engaging with farmers and environmentalists.

The community needed to feel it was sharing in the benefits of CSG extraction, he said.

Hartcher said the NSW Government hoped to finalise a “world's best practice” regulatory regime to apply to the state's CSG industry within the next few months, Sydney Morning Herald said.

It had already finalised new codes of practice covering well integrity and fracture stimulation or fracking, as well as CSG exploration.