Underground Water Impact Report for the Surat Cumulative Management Area 18 July 2012 Prepared by: Coal Seam Gas Water Queensland Water Commission © State of Queensland (Queensland Water Commission) 2012 Surat Underground Water Impact Report Contents Tables......................................................................................................................................... iv Figures........................................................................................................................................ iv Appendices..................................................................................................................................v Abbreviations.............................................................................................................................. vi Overview ................................................................................................................................ ix 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Water Rights.........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Cumulative Management......................................................................................................................1 1.3 Surat Underground Water Impact Report .............................................................................................1 1.4 Implementation of Surat Underground Water Impact Report................................................................3 1.5 Inter-jurisdiction Interaction...................................................................................................................3 2. Petroleum and Gas Production..........................................................................................5 2.1 Petroleum and Gas Production and Methods .......................................................................................5 2.1.1 Conventional Petroleum and Gas Production ...............................................................................................................5 2.1.2 Coal Seam Gas Production...........................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Types of Tenures and Authorities.........................................................................................................7 2.2.1 Petroleum Tenures........................................................................................................................................................7 2.2.2 Water Monitoring Authority............................................................................................................................................7 2.3 Petroleum Tenures within the Surat Cumulative Management Area ....................................................7 2.3.1 Existing Coal Seam Gas Production Tenures...............................................................................................................9 2.3.2 Planned Coal Seam Gas Production Tenures ............................................................................................................12 2.3.3 Conventional Petroleum and Gas Production Tenures...............................................................................................12 3. Regional Landscape and Geology...................................................................................13 3.1 Landscape..........................................................................................................................................13 3.1.1 Topography .................................................................................................................................................................13 3.1.2 Surface Drainage ........................................................................................................................................................13 3.1.3 Climate ........................................................................................................................................................................13 3.1.4 Land Use.....................................................................................................................................................................15 3.2 Geology ..............................................................................................................................................15 3.2.1 Bowen Basin ...............................................................................................................................................................15 3.2.2 Surat Basin..................................................................................................................................................................19 3.2.3 Clarence-Moreton Basin..............................................................................................................................................19 3.2.4 Cenozoic Formations ..................................................................................................................................................20 i Surat Underground Water Impact Report 4. Hydrogeology...................................................................................................................21 4.1 Basic Concept of Groundwater Flow ..................................................................................................21 4.2 Description of Groundwater Systems in the Surat CMA .....................................................................21 4.2.1 Great Artesian Basin (GAB) ........................................................................................................................................21 4.2.2 Bowen Basin ...............................................................................................................................................................23 4.2.3 Alluvial Systems ..........................................................................................................................................................25 4.2.4 Basalts.........................................................................................................................................................................25 4.3 Hydrogeology of the Coal Sequences ................................................................................................26 4.3.1 Walloon Coal Measures ..............................................................................................................................................26 4.3.2 Bandanna Formation...................................................................................................................................................26 4.4 Interconnectivity..................................................................................................................................28 4.4.1 Walloon Coal Measures and the Condamine Alluvium ...............................................................................................28 4.4.2 Walloon Coal Measures and the Aquifers of the GAB ................................................................................................32 4.4.3 Bandanna Formation and Surrounding Aquifers.........................................................................................................35 4.5 The Influence of Geologic Structures..................................................................................................37 5. Historic and Current Groundwater Extraction ..................................................................39 5.1 Groundwater Extraction Associated with Non-Petroleum and Gas Activities......................................39 5.2 Groundwater Extraction Associated with Petroleum and Gas Activities .............................................42 5.2.1 Conventional Petroleum and Gas Water Extraction....................................................................................................42 5.2.2 Coal Seam Gas Water Extraction ...............................................................................................................................42 6. Predictions of Groundwater Impacts................................................................................45 6.1 Methods and Techniques Used for Groundwater Impact Predictions.................................................45 6.2 The Regional Model............................................................................................................................46 6.2.1 Conceptual Framework for the Model .........................................................................................................................48 6.2.2 Groundwater Model Construction and Calibration ......................................................................................................51 6.2.3 Model Set-up for Making Predictions ..........................................................................................................................52 6.3 Results of Groundwater Impact Predictions........................................................................................53 6.3.1 Immediately Affected Area (IAA).................................................................................................................................53