A company that treats coal seam gas (CSG) water says a commercial scale plant in Queensland’s Surat Basin could inject $100 million into the region.
Saltwater is a by-product of the coal seam gas extraction process.
Penrice is conducting a trial in South Australia that cleans the water and turns it into by-products such as soda ash, sodium bicarbonate and table salt.
Managing director Guy Roberts says they want to establish a similar trial somewhere in the Surat Basin by the end of the year.
“The economic benefits will be centred around the jobs created both in building the plant and then operating and maintaining the plant, and then getting the product out to market,” he said.
“”We’re talking about a reasonable scale chemical plant and a reasonable scale water treatment plant alongside it.
“We’re talking about well in excess of $100 million.”
