From its launch in 2011, the Centre has completed over fifty high-impact research projects in a broad range of areas. A summary of these projects and their benefits, as well as a link to their more comprehensive project pages, can be found below.
Environment
| Project title | Project description |
|---|---|
| Groundwater 3D online atlas | Quality-assured groundwater data is presented in an accessible, interactive format, allowing the public to view the information in its geographic and geological context. |
| Great Artesian Basins: new body of knowledge | Developed an evidence-based body of knowledge to inform the sustainable management of the Great Artesian Basin into the future. |
| Groundwater uses in the Surat and Bowen Basins | Developed a new technique for estimating water flows in non-metered bores, improving modelling confidence for UQ and the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment. |
| Recharge estimation in the Surat Basin | Measured field recharge rates for the first time in representative locations, providing data to improve groundwater modelling confidence. |
| Re-setting water and salt estimations | Independently reviewed and revised early estimates of water and salt, explaining the differences and providing improved inputs for predictive modelling. |
| Salt compression | Investigated a method for reducing the volume of salt requiring landfill disposal while stabilising the resulting material. |
| Potential uses for salt left over from CSG water treatment | Investigated potential beneficial uses for salts produced through coal seam gas water treatment. |
| Methane emissions analysis in the Bowen/Surat | Established a baseline of naturally occurring hydrocarbons before coal seam gas development to help identify and assess subsequent changes. |
| Silica characterisation in the coal seam water train | Investigated silica in coal seam water treatment to optimise chemical use during reverse osmosis, reducing processing costs, energy use and potential environmental effects. |
| Shallow gas environmental risk scoping and management | Improved understanding of shallow gas risks and potential mitigation strategies, while identifying opportunities to optimise gas production. |
| Ground movement environmental risk scoping and management | Investigated the contributors to ground-surface movement to improve understanding of environmental risks and inform production optimisation. |
| Building the next generation of digital models to guide management of groundwater and natural gas resources | Developed improved digital modelling approaches to estimate groundwater impacts and support more reliable predictions, potentially reducing the number of wells required. |
| Well integrity: simple modelling | Developed initial connected leak-path modelling to investigate potential gas and water movement through wells, with early results indicating negligible flows in the modelled scenarios. |
| Quantifying Methane Emissions Using Novel LiDAR Technology | Applies novel LiDAR technology to quantify methane emissions and improve the measurement and understanding of emissions from gas operations. |
| The University of Queensland Surat Deep Aquifer Appraisal Project (UQ-SDAAP) | Appraises deep aquifer systems in the Surat Basin to improve understanding of their geological characteristics and potential suitability for carbon storage. |
| Reservoir-Aquifer Connectivity with Strontium Isotopes | Uses strontium isotope analysis to investigate connectivity between reservoirs and aquifers and improve understanding of subsurface fluid movement. |
| Potential Methane Emissions from Aquifer and Coal Seam Gas Groundwater Extraction | Investigates the potential for methane emissions associated with groundwater extraction from aquifers and coal seam gas operations. |
| Impure CO₂ Reactivity in Aquifers Overlying CO₂ Storage Sites | Examines how impurities in carbon dioxide may react with aquifer environments overlying potential CO₂ storage sites. |
| Refining Aquifer Attribution for GAB Springs Using Integrated Hydrogeochemical and Isotopic Tracers | Combines hydrogeochemical analysis and isotopic tracers to improve identification of the aquifers supplying Great Artesian Basin springs. |
Production and Engineering
| Project title | Project description |
|---|---|
| Depletion mechanics: investigating bulk geomechanical properties of depleted coals | Investigated the geomechanical properties of depleted coals to inform engineering design, well drilling and completion, and wellbore stability. |
| Petrel Plug-in development: Geostatistical techniques: recoverable resources and fluid flow (copulas) | Developed geostatistical techniques to improve resource estimation in heterogeneous gas reservoirs and support better well placement and groundwater impact assessment. |
| Integrated sequence stratigraphy | Applied sequence stratigraphy to improve estimates of technically recoverable resources, reservoir flow and potential groundwater impacts. |
| Faults and fractures in the Surat Basin | Investigated faults and fractures in the Surat Basin to improve resource estimation in heterogeneous gas reservoirs and understanding of groundwater impacts. |
| Reservoir modelling: reducing uncertainty with polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) | Applied polynomial chaos expansion to reduce uncertainty in reservoir modelling and improve estimates of recoverable resources and potential groundwater impacts. |
| Well productivity: Environmental stimulation technologies | Investigated alternative well stimulation technologies that could improve recovery, reduce the need for hydraulic stimulation and potentially lessen the environmental footprint of gas production. |
| Enhancing CSG well production through well bottom-hole pressure control | Investigated bottom-hole pressure control as a means of enhancing gas production while potentially reducing operational costs, energy use and environmental impacts. |
| Reducing fines damage: Selective wellbore coatings | Investigated selective wellbore coatings to stabilise fines, reduce well workovers and downtime, and improve recovery per well. |
| Well abandonment: advanced plugging technology | Investigated advanced plugging technology as a potentially lower-cost approach to improving the sealing of gas wells and legacy coal wells. |
| Converting tight resources with graded particle injection in CSG stimulation | Investigated graded particle injection as a stimulation technique that could lower stimulation costs and increase recovery from tight resources. |
| Sustainable enhancement of coal seam gas production in Queensland | Explored opportunities to improve coal seam gas recovery, including the conversion of tight resources and the potential to reduce the number of wells required. |
| Well performance: Rock properties using existing field data and real-time drilling data | Investigated the use of existing field data and real-time drilling data to better characterise rock properties and optimise hydraulic stimulation. |
| Enhancing well deliverability and reducing the work-over cost using big data predictive analytics | Applied predictive analytics to optimise pump performance, reduce downtime and workover costs, and minimise the operational and environmental impacts of well maintenance. |
| Well productivity: High-pressure water and gas impact on permeability | Investigated how high-pressure water and gas affect permeability to improve understanding of the fundamental physics of gas recovery. |
| How does temperature affect gas production? | Conducted a scoping study into the potential for enhanced gas recovery through the application of heat. |
Social Performance and Policy
| Project title | Project description |
|---|---|
| Australia-USA lessons and comparisons | Compared Australian and United States experiences to identify relevant lessons for the development and management of the gas industry. |
| Cumulative socio-economic indicators – online tool to measure socio-economic change across communities | Developed an approach using independent, stakeholder-selected metrics to measure and track socio-economic changes in communities over time. |
| Golden rules of gas: how Queensland stacks up | Assessed Queensland's performance against the Golden Rules for unconventional gas development, highlighting opportunities for improvement and validating the importance of the principles. |
| Stakeholder trust in the CSG industry | Measured trust levels across key stakeholder groups and examined trends over time, providing advice on measures to enhance trust. |
| How do local small and medium businesses adapt to the arrival of CSG development? SME study: Economic trends and benefits | Examined how local small and medium businesses respond to coal seam gas development and identified practical lessons to help businesses adapt. |
| Improving co-existence between CSG and agriculture | Quantified the effects of coal seam gas development on agricultural production and profitability and investigated strategies to improve coexistence. |
| How has CSG been represented in the media and public discourse? | Examined changes in media and public discourse about coal seam gas, including the shift in focus from jobs and investment towards environmental concerns and groundwater. |
| Measuring effectiveness of investment in school education programs | Established a baseline to support future assessment of the effectiveness of STEM enrichment and school education programs. |
| Best-practice regulation and governance systems for the unconventional gas sector | Developed guidelines and robust processes for research integrity and governance to strengthen the quality and credibility of research outputs. |
| International biomethane policy review | Reviews policy approaches in international jurisdictions to identify lessons and potential pathways for advancing Australia's biomethane sector. |
| Public perceptions of CSG salt and brine management | Investigates public perceptions of salt and brine management practices associated with coal seam gas development. |
| Social acceptance of hydrogen | Examines community perceptions of hydrogen and the factors that influence its social acceptance as an emerging energy technology. |
| Tight Gas and Oil Exploration and Development in Queensland – Practical Information for Landholders and Communities | Provides practical information to help landholders and communities understand tight gas and oil exploration and development in Queensland. |
| Pathways for Aboriginal socioeconomic development in the Beetaloo (NT): Voices from the region | Explores perspectives from the Beetaloo region to identify pathways and opportunities for Aboriginal socioeconomic development. |
| Leveraging the Lessons from the Development of the Queensland Onshore Gas Industry | Draws on the Queensland onshore gas industry's development experience to identify lessons that can inform future resource development and policy. |
Energy Modelling and Systems
| Project title | Project description |
|---|---|
| Long-term back-casting of wind and solar capacity factors for the ISP Renewable Energy Zones | Develops long-term historical capacity factor estimates for wind and solar generation across the Integrated System Plan's Renewable Energy Zones to support electricity system analysis and planning. |
| Mapping Australia's gas production history: a linked open data-based dataset for energy transition analysis | Creates a linked open data dataset of Australia's gas production history to support research, analysis and modelling of the energy transition. |
| Wholesale price formation in NEM: Emerging effects of batteries | Examines how increasing battery storage capacity is influencing wholesale electricity price formation in the National Electricity Market. |