Queensland launches petroleum, coal exploration programme

The Queensland government has launched a new exploration programme for oil, gas, and coal, it announced on September 8.

The Queensland Exploration Programme (QEP) includes seven oil and gas tender areas across the Bowen and Surat basins. The tender areas are prospective for a variety of resources, including coalbed methane, conventional oil and gas, and unconventional oil and gas.

The areas are also supported by a network of regional centres and existing infrastructure, providing access to labour and essential services, the government said.

The QEP offers two coal areas and will provide a successful tenderer with the opportunity to investigate coal reserves within the geological formations underlying the tender areas, located within the Bowen basin.

The tender process will open in October 2023 and close in April 2024.