Environments - MINING ENGINEER
Coal
Seam Gas - Dispute
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Sustainability
Priority
Cooperative
Learning Activity
1. Coal seam gas is natural gas. Coal seam gas (CSG) is primarily methane – a colourless and odourless gas, found in coal deposits formed over millions of years from fallen trees and other plant matter.
Natural gas collects in underground
coal seams by bonding to the surface of coal particles. The coal seams are
generally filled with water and it is the pressure of the water that keeps
the gas as a thin film on the surface of the coal. The technical term for
this is 'adsorption'.
Natural gas in coal seams in Australia is not a new discovery. It was first
identified when coal mining began in the early 1900s. With advances in
technology, CSG, also known as onshore ‘unconventional’ gas has developed
into a key fuel source, helping to lower our carbon emissions as we move to
a low carbon future.
In Australia, coal seam gas is plentiful. Australia's major coal seam gas
resources are found onshore in eastern Australia. Currently the largest
known proven reserves are in Queensland's Bowen and Surat basins.
CSG has been produced from these areas since the mid 1990s. Until recently,
the bulk of supply has been derived from the Bowen Basin. However,
production from the Surat Basin’s Walloon Coal Measures is now growing
rapidly.
For more information go to:
Parliament of Australia: The development of Australias coal seam gas
resources
Australia has vast gas resources
And, Coal Seam Gas resources:
But, that doesn't mean that all people agree with what should be done with this resource!
2. In groups of 4 - 5 students, read the following websites and write down
the pros and cons of mining this Coal Seam Gas.
Decide
beforehand which one of you will be:
a. A mining engineer
b. A land owner
c. A politician
d. An environmentalist
3. After reading the pros and cons of mining coal seam gas, what do you think if you were:
a. A mining engineer
b. A land owner
c. A politician
d. An environmentalist?
4. Set up a debate - each stating your perspective! Gather each perspectives into a group to share their ideas.
5. Debate. Who has the strongest case? Why?
