Queensland Offers Two Blocks for Auction

The Queensland government is calling for expressions of interest to explore for petroleum and gas resources on highly prospective land in the Bowen Basin of central and south-west Queensland, Australia.

The two blocks cover approx. 350 km2 of land in the Rolleston and Injune areas of the Bowen Basin. The exploration permit will be valid for an initial term of six years.

“This is one of the largest land releases for areas with petroleum and gas deposits in Queensland and is expected to provide significant employment and economic opportunities for the region,” the government said in a statement.

According to the statement, the government is now looking for a company with the right expertise to successfully bring these resources to market.

The tender process which opened on Oct 3 will close on Jan 29, 2015.

Queensland’s Bowen Basin is widely recognised as an established resource region with extensive coal seam gas resources. Both of the areas outlined in this tender (PLR2014-2-1) and (PLR 2014-2-2) are located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and are considered potentially highly prospective for coal seam gas, with the Bandanna Formation being the primary target. Secondary targets include the Alderbaran Sandstone, Cattle Creek Formation and Reids Dome beds, which may exist in some areas.

Exploration and appraisal work will be required to confirm the size of the gas-in-place resource for each area and to assess its suitability for commercial production.