The University of Queensland is launching a research centre focusing on coal seam gas, it was announced on 2 November.
The Centre for Coal Seam Gas, based within the university’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, will aim to establish itself as the pre-eminent global authority on vital CSG issues.
The university will part-fund the new centre and additional finance will be sought from industry and from federal and state governments.
Queensland is offering five professional chairs to develop research programmes and provide leadership for research staff and postgraduate students.
One professor will lead the centre and the other chairs will focus on the treatment and utilisation of coal seam water, social and community performance, geoscience and petroleum engineering.
“The new centre, backed by the UQ’s global research capabilities, will undertake critical research that will drive sustainable practice in this emerging industry, and bring the scientific rigour and data that have been lacking to date to the social, environmental and technical challenges the industry faces,” said Chris Moran, SMI director.