The milestone would be marked with the opening of Origin Energy's CBM plant at Spring Gully, premier Peter Beattie said recently.
Origin Energy is planning to build a base load power station, using gas from its Spring Gully project. Already the company has invested $A200 million in Spring Gully, drilling 42 gas wells and installing gas processing and water and gas pipelines.
At the opening of the Spring Gully plant, Origin Energy managing director Grant King said CBM had now proven itself to be a competitive source for eastern Australian gas markets.
Within the last five years CBM reserves had increased 10-fold and CBM now supplied 30% of the Queensland market, according to King.
Queensland currently produces about 30 petajoules of CBM per year, 30% of total gas production. Production in 1998 was two petajoules a year.
Gas is now being delivered from Spring Gully to Queensland customers through a new pipeline connection to Roma, 80km to the south of the project.
