The high-level roundtable was arranged by national consultancy firm Fyfe and included regulators from most Australian states and the Commonwealth, as well as senior industry representatives.
One of the world’s leading authorities on unconventional gas, EPT International Managing Partner and Albert B. Stevens Endowed Professor of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University, Dr Christine Ehlig-Economides, co-facilitated the roundtable.
Fyfe Managing Director Mark Dayman said Fyfe had organised the event as a way of bringing together industry heavyweights to discuss common issues.
“Australia is at a tipping point in the development of its unconventional energy reserves,” said Mr Dayman.
“We can either progress and develop the huge resources we have to the benefit of the whole of Australia, or miss the opportunity.
“In Queensland, government and industry has been able to work closely together and that state now has three major coal seam gas projects coming on stream.
“This has resulted in a huge boost to areas of regional Queensland in terms of jobs and development, as well as additional revenues to the Queensland and national economies.
“However, across the border in New South Wales the situation is much different and threatens the development of that state’s coal seam gas resources with the loss of potential economic activity.”
Mr Dayman said shale gas was another massive potential source of energy, but required a co-operative approach from business, government and regulators to ensure the development took place in an appropriate manner.
He said many of these issues had been raised and discussed during the roundtable.
Fyfe will now draw together all of the information gathered during the roundtable into a white paper, which will be presented to the Federal Government.