Geology, Coal and Gas Resources of the Clarence Moreton Basin Mark Dawson 05/04/2017
2 Talk Outline Who am I? Regional Geology Stratigraphy Previous Mining Future Resource Areas
3 Who am I? Graduated from UNE in 2000 Department of Primary Industries (2001-2006) Mapping and Resource Geologist Whitehaven Coal (2006-2015) Projects Geologist / Group Manager Geology Principal Geologist CMES 2015-2017 AUSIMM Branch Secretary (Hunter) NSW Coalfields Geology Council Chairman (2013-2017) Current COALOG Chairman
CLARENCE-MORETON BASIN GEOLOGY MIDDLE TRIASSIC to EARLY CRETACEOUS STRUCTURAL BASIN MORE THAN 3KM THICK PART OF THE LARGER GREAT AUSTRALIAN BASIN SYSTEM EXTENDS FROM GLENREIGH IN THE SOUTH UP INTO SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND BASIN IS BOUND ON THE EAST AND WEST BY OUTCROP PART OF THE BASIN IS BENEATH THE TASMAN SEA EAST OF ILUKA 4 COAL IS HOSTED BY MIDDLE TO LATE TRIASSIC AND MIDDLE JURASSIC COAL MEASURES
CLARENCE-MORETON BASIN GEOLOGY LATE EARLY TO LATE TRIASSIC RIFTING PHASES OPENS UP BASIN (POST BOWEN OROGENY) LATE TRIASSIC TO MIDDLE JURASSIC UPWARDLY FINING BASIN FILL MIDDLE JURASSIC COAL MEASURES LATE JURASSIC TO EARLY CRETACEOUS UPWARDLY FINING BASIN FILL BASIN CLOSED TOWARDS THE END OF THE EARLY CRETACEOUS (CAPRICORNIAN OROGENY) LATE CRETACEOUS INTRUSIONS (GLENUGIE PEAK) EOCENE TO MIOCENE VOLCANISM (LISMORE BASALT, KYOGLE BASALT, MOUNT WARNING, MOUNT LINDSAY) 5
CLARENCE-MORETON BASIN STRATIGRAPHY MIDDLE TRIASSIC VOLCANICS (CHILLINGHAM VOLCANICS, TOWOLLUM BASALT) MIDDLE TRIASSIC COAL MEASURES (NYMBOIDA COAL MEASURES - LITHIC) LATE TRIASSIC COAL MEASURES (RED CLIFF COAL MEASURES, EVANS HEAD COAL MEASURES LITHIC) LATE TRIASSIC TO MIDDLE JURASSIC SEDIMENTARY PACKAGE (BUNDAMBA GROUP LITHIC QUARTZOSE) MIDDLE JURASSIC COAL MEASURES (WALLOON COAL MEASURES LITHIC) LATE JURASSIC SANDSTONES (KANGAROO CREEK SANDSTONE QUARTZOSE) LATE JURASSIC EARLY CRETACEOUS ARGILLITES (GRAFTON FORMATION) 6
7 NYMBOIDA GEOLOGY
COAL MINING HISTORY NEARLY ALL COAL MINED FROM THE CLARENCE MORETON BASIN WAS FROM THE NYMBOIDA COLLIERY TWO IDENTIFIED COAL SEAMS EXIST AT NYMBOIDA FARQUHARS CREEK SEAM (UPPER PART OF COAL MEASURES) AND AN UNNAMED SEAM NEAR THE BASE OF THE COAL MEASURES NYMBOIDA COLLIERY OPENNED IN THE LATE 1800s AND CLOSED IN 1974 DUE TO BANKRUPTCY UNDERGROUND MINE BRIEFLY OWNED BY UNIONS (START OF THE CFMEU) ALMOST 1 MILLION TONNES OF COAL PRODUCED FROM FARQUHARS CREEK SEAM 8 GASSY THIN SEAM UNDERGROUND MINE FUEL FOR THE KANCOOL POWERSTATION NEAR JUNCTION HILL AND OTHER DOMESTIC BOILERS
9 COAL MINING HISTORY COAL QUALITY AT NYMBOIDA WAS BITUMINOUS IN RANK WITH LOW VOLATILE MATTER HIGH ENERGY COAL (8500 Kcal DAF) MAY BE BENEFICATED TO COKING COAL CURRENT EXPLORATION LICENCE OVER AREA BY WARATAH COAL (MINERALOGY) EXPLORING FOR OPENCUT SEAMS NYMBOIDA COAL MEASURES UNPUBLISHED RESOURCE OF 46MT
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11 COAL MINING HISTORY EVANS HEAD OPENCUT OPERATED POST WW2 DURING LABOUR UNREST IN THE HUNTER VALLEY EVANS HEAD COAL MEASURES OUTCROP FRON HEADLAND TO NEAR THE AERODROME LOWER SEAM WAS UP TO 1.5M THICK UPPER SEAM TO 30CM THICK BITUMINOUS COAL PRODUCTION LESS THAN 10,000 TONNES PRODUCED FOR STEAM SHIPS NO RECORDS OF COAL QUALITY OR POTENTIAL METALLURGICAL PROPERTIES
12 COAL MINING HISTORY NO RECORDED PRODUCTION FROM THE RED CLIFF COAL MEASURES BANDED COAL SEAM 3.5M THICK EXISTS AT THE REDCLIFF HEADLAND (SPOT X COAL MEMBER) TOTAL COAL EXCLUDING BANDS IS APPROXIMATELY 1.9M BITUMINOUS COAL WITH POTENTIAL COKING PROPERTIES OUTCROP EXTENT IS ENTIRELY WITHIN NATIONAL PARK
13 COAL MINING HISTORY WALOON COAL MEASURES MINED IN THE LATE 1800s IN THE COALDALE AREA NORTHWEST OF GRAFTON HIGH-VOLATILE, HIGH-ASH BITUMINOUS COAL NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO MINE THE WALLOON COAL MEASURES HAVE BEEN MADE WITH LITTLE CONTINUOUS SUCCESS BEST PREVOIUS MINING AREA WAS AT BONALBO (WEST OF KYOGLE) WHERE 40,000 TONNES WAS MINED FROM A 1.5m BITUMINOUS COAL SEAM (1945-1967) OTHER AREAS OF COAL MINING/PROSPECTING INCLUDE:- Nymbin-Tyalgum Pillar Valley Woodenbong-Legume Nymboida to Glenreagh Moonem Bexhill
14 REMAINING COAL RESOURCES OPENCUT AND UNDERGROUND COKING COAL REMAINS IN THE NYMBOIDA COAL MEASURES BUT NEEDS TO BE QUANTIFIED WITH FURTHER EXPLORATION LONG EXTENTS OF REDCLIFF COAL MEASURES STRIKE FROM REDCLIFF TO BROOMS HEAD LIMITED POTENTIAL FOR ANY FURTHER MINING AT EVANS HEAD COAL MEASURES DUE TO POOR QUALITY AND PROXIMITY TO ALLUVIAL AREAS BEST WALOON COAL MEASURES RESOURCES ARE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE CLARENCE MORETON BASIN NORTH OF NYMBIN, NORTHWEST OF MALANGANEE
OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION HISTORY EARLIEST EXPLORATION HOLE IS 1959 - Clarence River Basin Oil Exploration Company NL THE COMPANY DRILLED 12 DEEP REGIONAL HOLES IN THE BASIN DURING THE 1960S, ESTABLISHED THE GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK AND TESTED REGIONAL RESERVOIRS 15 BRIDGE OIL (8 HOLES) AND ENDEVOUR RESOURCES (3 HOLES) DRILLED SHALLOW WELLS IN THE 1980s CONTEMPORARY EXPLORATION RECOMMENCED IN 1999 AND CONTINUED THROUGH TO 2011. 80 HOLES MAINLY TARGETING CSG RESOURCES IN THE WALLOON COAL MEASURES COMPANIES INCLUDE:- PACIFIC POWER, METGASCO, MOLOPO, SUNCOR, ARROW ENERGY
16 GAS RESOURCES DEEP OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION HOLES HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE FULL SEQUENCE OF CLARENCE MORETON BASIN 7 HOLES DRILLED TO DEPTHS OF MORE THE 2000M DEEPEST HOLE KYOGLE 1-2490M COAL SEAM GAS IDENTIFIED IN THE WALLOON AND IPSWITCH COAL MEASURES GAS RESERVOIRS AND SHOWS ARE WITHIN THE KANGAROO CREEK SANDSTONE, HUTTON SANDSTONE AND RIPLEY ROAD SANDSTONE
17 GAS RESOURCES LARGE COAL SEAM GAS RESOURCE AT CASINO HOSTED IN THE WALOON COAL MEASURES GAS CONTENTS BETWEEN 17 AND 22 CUBIC METRES PER TONNE DEPTH BETWEEN 100 AND 800m BANDED AND POOR QUALITY COAL SEAMS PROVIDE POOR TO AVERAGE PERMEABILITY WITHIN AND BETWEEN SEAMS
CSG EXPLORATION 18
CSG EXPLORATION 19
CSG EXPLORATION 20
CSG EXPLORATION 21
CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS RESOURCES 22 RESERVOIRS IN THE COARSE QUARTZOSE SANDSTONE UNITS WITHIN THE KANGAROO CREEK SANDSTONE, GATTON SANDSTONE AND RIPLEY ROAD SANDSTONE CSG EXPLORATION FOR WALOON COAL MEASURES DID NOT EVALUATE CONVENTIONAL GAS SHOWS IN THE KANGAROO CREEK SANDSTONE (FOLLOWED UP BY METGASCO)
23 CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS RESOURCES
QUESTIONS 24