In response, the facts about why the seeps occur naturally and what has been learnt so far from a rigorous research project were summed up by Professor Damian Barrett, CSIRO’s research director of onshore gas and director of the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) in interviews with The Guardian and The Weekly Times. He said it was not likely that the origin of the seeps were linked to natural gas production in the region.
Barrett said there were naturally occurring fissures in the rock in that part of the Darling Downs where, owing to the coal beds being less than 100m from the surface, methane had been known to leak out. At least four of those fissures are in a 3km stretch of the Condamine River.
“The presence of the industry there has not caused that crack to occur or that fault to occur, it’s been there for aeons,” Barrett told Guardian Australia. “The gas has probably been coming to the surface there for as long as people have been there.”
The Condamine River runs through a region that is a world-scale source of natural gas. Methane seeps are a naturally-occurring phenomenon and have been present in the river for at least 100 years. Bubbling in the river makes good television but it is not new and it pre-dates our industry’s activities in the region.
The seeps have been increasing since 2012 and since that time companies have been participating in a comprehensive monitoring and investigation program, to assess the river seeps.
Rigorous research conducted as part of this program has shown that the seeps pose no safety or environmental risks.
The research has indicated that there are several scenarios that might be contributing to the seeps, including the underlying geology, natural events such as drought and flood cycles and human activity, which includes the use of water bores and natural gas operations.
You can read an explanation of the work underway to understand and manage the phenomenon here.
Finally : This guy is an absolute fucking moron for taking a naked flame to any natural gas leak and if it had burnt him alive, serves him right.