Bowen gas project
Project summary
Arrow Energy Pty Ltd (Arrow) proposes to develop coal seam gas (CSG) resources in an area of approximately 8000km2 that extends from approximately 30km north of Glenden to 10km south of Blackwater. The Bowen Gas Project forms part of the Arrow LNG Project, which involves a number of other separate but related projects including the Arrow Bowen Pipeline, Surat Gas Project, and Arrow Surat Pipeline, which are subject to separate environmental assessment and approval processes.
The gas field has been defined as two regions:
- Northern CSG fields encompassing Authority to Prospect (ATP) 742, ATP749, ATP1103, part of ATP759, and ATP1031 running south from Glenden to Middlemount, located mainly within the Isaac Regional Council area with a small section in the Whitsunday Regional Council area.
- Southern CSG fields encompassing ATP1025, located near Blackwater and mainly within the Central Highlands Regional Council area, with a small section located within the southern region of the Isaac Regional Council area.
Up to 4000 wells are proposed in staged production areas over the project life of approximately 40 years with each well operating for 15 to 20 years.
Commonwealth assessment process
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The project is a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The controlling provisions are sections 18 and 18A (listed threatened species and communities), sections 20 and 20A (listed migratory species) and sections 24D and 24E (impacts of coal seam gas development and large coal mining development on water resources).
The State's EIS process has been accredited for the assessment under Part 8 of the EPBC Act in accordance with the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland.
Controlling provisions – sections 18, 18A, 20 and 20A have been assessed by the Queensland EIS process (Environmental Protection Act 1994) accredited under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Queensland.
Queensland assessment process
Environmental Protection Act 1994
The process for the assessment of the Bowen Gas Project was as follows:
- Submission of draft TOR
- Public notification of draft TOR
- Final TOR issued—EIS in preparation
- Public notification of EIS
- Proponent responds to submissions
- EIS assessment report
The EIS Assessment Report was issued to Arrow Energy Pty Ltd on 8 September 2014 in accordance with Section 60 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The EIS process under Chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 is now completed.
Further information
Copies of publicly available documents can be obtained by accessing the links below:
Current documents
Superseded documents
For further information about the EIS process for the Bowen Gas Project, please contact the EIS coordinator or email eis@des.qld.gov.au. A copy of the EIS can be viewed from the Arrow website.