In this Q&A with Chris Hogle of Reliance Industries, he open up on how companies can ensure environmental compliance in CSG projects. Chris Hogle is speaking at the CSG Water Management 2011, and for more information about the event, please visit www.csgwatermgmt.com.au or call 61 2 9229 1000. Or you can email enquire@iqpc.com.au

1. Strategies to ensure environmental
compliance in CSG projects
Q&A with Chris Hogle, Reliance Industries
Coal Seam Gas Water Management 2011
Where does Coal Seam Gas fit in as a green energy source?
Coal Seam Gas is methane which is extremely clean burning; therefore
have lower greenhouse gas emissions than petrol or diesel fuels. Recovering
Coal Seam Gas from coal seams reduces the chance of methane emissions
which can cause green house gases if the gas is allowed to seep to the
surface and into the atmosphere.
How do you see the shape of your industry changing over the next few
years?
I see this industry growing tremendously not only in Australia but around the
world as the continued growth and demand for natural gas continues to rise
annually. In the US and Canada, Coal Seam Gas has already contributed
significantly to the shortfall of gas production from conventional oil and gas
fields to help reduce import of natural gas for the nation. Around the globe
with energy prices on the rise, Coal Seam Gas also provides for a good rate
of return for the operators, who in turn have stimulated these investments in
the recent years.
What strategies do you have in place to ensure environmental
compliance in your CSG projects?
Environmental Compliance for Coal Seam Gas is much easier than
conventional Oil and Gas development. The only discharge is water and
many times, this water is potable, thus making the impact minimal. If the
water is brine it often is only very slight and can be treated in many ways to
make it useful for agriculture, drinking, fish farming, creating habitat for wild
fowl, etc. Environmental Compliance is a top priority for all employees in the
energy business along with safety. There is a whole team dedicated to see
and insure all practices are best practices and insuring compliance with the
local, state, and national regulations.
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2. How does Reliance Infrastructure develop suitable plans for water and
brine management?
Water management planning has to take into account the water quality first to
determine the best practice for the development. It varies widely from basin
to basin. The water requirements of the local population are a critical factor
for water management planning. Generally we try to reinject the water if
possible as it will remain a resource for future generations and there is no
surface impact.
With so many water treatment systems and technologies in the market,
how do you determine the appropriate solutions for your projects?
Water management is a high capital expense for operators and it is all driven
by economics. The system that can deliver and meet the national water
quality standard (and at the lowest cost) determines the system that will be
used.
Some of Reliance Infrastructure’s projects involve the re-injection of
coal seam water - what are the cornerstones to best practice here?
The re-injection or often not produced water to surface is often solutions in
Coal Seam Gas overlooked by many operators. You can re-inject back into a
coal seam (just not the one you’re producing from) as in many basins the gas
is produced from several seams. You can inject the water without ever
bringing the water to surface if the well design using most any kind of artificial
lift system. These coal seams often have inter-bedded permeable sandstones
with similar water quality and these to can be used for injection. The key is
the geology of the basin and where do the potential injection horizons occur in
the well-bore.
Chris Hogle will be speaking at the Coal Seam Gas Water Management
Conference 2011 and will be presenting an international case study. For
more information about the event, please visit www.
CSGWaterMgmt.com.au or call 02 9229 1000. Alternatively, email
enquire@iqpc.com.au
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