Origin steps up gas search  

The SMH has an article on the search for more coal seam gas in Queensland - Origin steps up gas search.

ORIGIN ENERGY and its joint-venture partner ConocoPhillips have taken another step in the race to export Queensland's coal-seam gas reserves, awarding a $220 million drilling contract to the US firm Savanna Energy Services.

Under the contract, Savanna will supply two drilling rigs for five years from September next year, helping in the extensive drilling needed to extract gas from underground coal seams.

The move comes amid growing market concern that Origin and Conoco are losing ground to rival projects also planning to export liquefied natural gas from the region. ...

The contract will create 50 jobs and is a milestone for Origin, which is responsible for extracting the gas from coal deposits across southern Queensland. Coal-seam gas is dispersed across a large area, and for each LNG project that goes ahead, the proponents will have to drill approximately one hole a day to supply enough gas over the life of the project.

"This contract is designed to provide the very latest in drilling and rig technology, supplement our existing drilling operations, and help us to meet our target of between 300 and 500 wells a year over the life of the project,'' Origin's executive general manager of upstream oil and gas, Paul Zealand, said.