Petroleum and coal seam gas

Since 2015, the petroleum and gas industry has significantly contributed to Queensland's economy. On average it has employed an average of more than 6,500 people, and generated over $15 billion in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, each year. Queensland's petroleum and gas industry has a large portion of foreign ownership. For example, LNG industry has investment from companies in the United Kingdom, United States, China, Malaysia, Netherlands, South Korea, and France.

Exploration expenditure in petroleum and gas has seen strong growth following the peak and expected decline during the end of the initial LNG boom. In 2024, exploration expenditure was $320 million, nearly triple the level in 2016.

The production and consumption of coal seam gas (CSG) has grown rapidly over the past 2 decades, drilling over 12,000 wells since 2010. This growth has helped the development and expansion of the LNG export industry. Since 2016, it has exported over 22 million tonnes of LNG each year on average, supporting Australia as a leading LNG supplier.

CSG production from the Bowen (Permian Coal Measures) and Surat (Jurassic Walloon Coal Measures) basins represents more than 95% of the total gas produced in the state. Many of the state's basins with petroleum or coal resources also have deposits or formations with potential for oil shale, tight gas, and CSG, including:

• oil shale deposits
  • Alpha deposit in the Galilee Basin
  • Julia Creek deposit in the Eromanga Basin
  • McFarlane deposit in the Hillsborough Basin (currently under moratorium until 2028)
  • Rundle and Stuart deposits in The Narrows Graben
• oil shale potential (Cambrian formations in the Georgina Basin and Cenozoic basins and Grabens)
• tight gas exploration in the Cooper Basin, southern Bowen Basin, and western Bowen Basin (Denison Trough)
• CSG potential
  • Permian coal measures in the Galilee and Cooper basins
  • Jurassic coal seams in the Laura and Nambour basins
  • Cretaceous coal measures or seams in Styx, Eromanga, and Maryborough basins.

Find out how we approach compliance for mineral and energy resources.

Production and reserve statistics

You can download 6-monthly production and reserve statistics (from 30 June 2016) for coal seam gas, condensate, crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas. You can also download production and reserve statistics historical data (pre-30 June 2016).

Applying for a resource authority

To explore for petroleum and gas, you need an authority to prospect. You can apply through a call for tenders.

Exploration and investment resources

For more information on exploring and investing in Queensland, see the following resources.

Queensland's petroleum and gas resources and industry

• Petroleum and gas production and reserves statistics