The unanswered question in the rush for Queensland's hidden oil jackpot

Beneath Queensland's vast plains lies the Taroom Trough, a geological formation believed to hold one of Australia's most significant untapped oil reserves. First drilled over 60 years ago, technological limitations prevented its exploitation, but advancements in drilling and growing concerns over fuel security have reignited interest.

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It does require fracking.

Governments are eager to fast-track development, with Premier David Crisafulli describing it as a "sea of oil" and Resources Minister Dale Last stating, "I'll sign, you drill." Companies like Omega Oil and Gas, Shell QGC, Santos, and Elixir Energy are actively exploring the region, which is estimated to contain over 30 million barrels of oil. Shell is already producing approximately 200 barrels daily, but full commercial production requires further approvals.

The critical hurdle for unlocking these reserves is the extraction method: hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. This process involves pumping water at high pressure to fracture rock deep underground, between 3.5 and 4.5 kilometers below the surface. Independent hydrogeologist Ned Hamer, who has over 30 years of experience, highlights that fracking is water-intensive, using the equivalent of eight to 12 Olympic swimming pools per well over its lifetime.

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One of the biggest impacts is the amount of water that is used for the fracking process.

Hamer expressed concern that the state's enthusiasm for developing the Taroom Trough's oil has outpaced the necessary water planning. "We don't really have the water available for that extraction in these water-constrained areas," he stated. He advocates for a publicly available water plan, agreed upon with landholders, to forecast water use and identify sources before drilling intensifies.

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We don't really have the water available for that extraction in these water-constrained areas.

While Hamer believes the risk of contaminating the Great Artesian Basin from deep underground fracking is low, he stresses the importance of addressing water resource impacts on landholders. The question of where the millions of liters of water needed for extraction will come from remains the unanswered question in the rush for Queensland's hidden oil jackpot.

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I'll sign, you drill.