Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps explained that more than 16,400 square kilometres of land in Queensland’s north-west and south-west has now been released to the resources industry.
“This release of land delivers on the Government’s election promise to grow resources as one of the four pillars of the economy,” Mr Cripps said in an April 4 media release.
Any new resource discoveries in the six areas contained in the exploration tenders could deliver significant economic benefits for the state. Additionally, Mr Cripps estimates future projects have the potential to create tens of thousands of new jobs.
This is encouraging for those seeking mining and surveying apprenticeships and traineeships in Queensland, particularly in regions such as Roma and Emerald.
Supporting the mining of alternative fuels, such as liquid natural gas and coal seam gas, is a crucial step forward to enabling Queensland to remain an industry leader in resource supply around the world.
“It is vital we continue to have ongoing exploration as we still have large potential resources in the ground,” Mr Cripps expressed. “Queensland’s mining industry will benefit from the release of under-explored land, considered to be frontier areas with little or no previous exploration.
The land being released has the potential to be used as both a conventional and unconventional petroleum resources location. Conventional sources are oil and gas typically found in sandstone. This resource can be extracted using traditional methods.
Unconventional petroleum resources involves oil and gas supplies found in a variety of rocks. Extracting this resource often requires additional technology, such as directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Common examples of an unconventional resource are coal seam gas and shale oil.
“Discovery and development of these resources has the potential to improve energy security to some of Queensland’s most important mining areas in the west and north-west of the state,” said Mr Cripps.
The Queensland government is currently accepting tenders for the use of this land, and applications are expected to close at the end of September this year.
While the launch of any mining projects are not expected for the next year, those considering employment in this enduring industry in the future may want to consider taking part in apprenticeships in Roma and other regional towns now.
Undergoing training now will ensure that once these projects are underway or operational, you will hold the relevant qualifications to step into skilled roles.
By Leanne de Toerkenczy, Public Relations Coordinator
