Origin Signs First Deals with Landholders (Australia)

A new milestone has been reached in attempts to better combine coal seam gas and agriculture on rural properties in Queensland’s Surat Basin, with the signing of the first agreements between landholders and Origin for its new Working Together pilot program.

Origin is a partner in the Australia Pacific LNG Project and operator in the gasfields.

Working Together has been devised to increase landholders’ stake in CSG operations on their properties. Under the program they are providied training, and then contracted by Origin to carry out land management and monitoring work around the company’s gas infrastructure.

Origin Upstream CEO, Mr Paul Zealand said, “We plan to be operating in Queensland communities for a long time, and we want to collaborate with landholders to ensure they can share in the benefits of our industry.”

“Farmers know their land better than anybody, and the idea behind this program is to draw on that knowledge” he said.

The Drury family runs a 5,000 head feedlot outside Miles. They were first approached five years ago by Origin about the possibility of drilling four exploration wells on their land.

“We decided from the outset to embrace CSG as an opportunity,” said Simon Drury, one of the first two signatories to the Working Together program.

“We’ve already been coexisting. Agriculture and CSG can work, it can marry.”

Mr Drury’s 18 year old son, Will, has undertaken the training, recently returning to the property after finishing school. He loves the peace and solitude of life on the land, an aspect the program will help maintain.

“The less vehicles we have driving on our place the better,” Will said.

“I think it’s great that Origin is letting us be a part of the CSG industry.”

There is interest from other gas companies in the program, which was developed following industry consultation with landholders. Farming groups AgForce and the Queensland Farmers Federation have been active partners in developing training programs and landholder agreements.

AgForce Vice President, Mr Ian Burnett said, “We would like to see these types of partnerships between CSG companies and farmers become the industry standard.”

Origin will share the results with others in the industry, and welcomes the prospect of the trial creating a new benchmark.

“That will help cement the place of the CSG industry alongside the agricultural industry in the Surat Basin, while providing certainty for people who intend to continue working and living on the land for generations to come,” Mr Zealand said.

For the Drury family, that is now assured.

“The succession plan is already in progress on our property. This just secures our family’s future, co-existing with CSG,” Simon Drury said.

[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, August 01, 2012; Image: APLNG