Cleaning Up After Coal Seam Gas  

The SMH has a report on interest by General Electric in processing polluted waste water from coal seam gas extraction to produce chemicals and usable water - Penrice Soda strikes coal seam gas deal.

Penrice Soda Holdings Ltd has struck a deal with US giant General Electric to provide the coal seam gas (CSG) industry in Australia with a process to remove brine from its wastewater. In doing so, the process produces saleable chemicals and wastewater that's clean enough to be returned to the environment, Penrice says. ...

Drilling coal seam gas involves "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing, using an array of chemicals, which has raised concerns in the broader community about the potential for toxic rock to contaminate surrounding water supply. ...

Penrice makes soda ash, which is used in glass and washing powder, and sodium bicarbonate, and says it would diversity its chemicals business by using the brine Penrice managing director Guy Roberts said the technology would mean treated CSG water would be clean enough to be returned to the environment, used for agriculture or as potable water.