As gas prices and supply remain at the centre of national debate, scientists are active around the south-west testing groundwater as part of efforts to survey Victoria’s gas reserves.
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The Victorian Gas Program, backed by $42.5 million in state government funding, is scoping out conventional gas in the area between Colac’s west and the border with South Australia.
The Otway Basin was a strong gas producer in the past.
In March, the state government permanently banned fracking – or unconventional gas exploration – and placed a moratorium on onshore conventional gas exploration until June 30, 2020.
Since mid-August, scientists have started testing water at more than 100 government-owned groundwater bores around the region for conventional gas and chemical elements.
On Thursday, Geological Survey of Victoria scientists Mark Hocking and Charlotte Iverach were testing water at a bore near the corner of Hopkins Point and Kinnear roads.
Mr Hocking said the testing was part of the environmental monitoring component of the program.
“The aim of the environmental monitoring is providing a baseline of what the current environmental conditions are,” Mr Hocking said.
“As part of that we are sampling groundwater chemistry and variation and dissolved gas in the groundwater.
“Another component of the environmental monitoring program is looking at air quality and the variation in air quality.”
Mr Hocking said the groundwater-monitoring bores were evenly spread across the south-west, and the team could sample between three and six in a day.
In testing the water, elements the scientists are looking for include bromine, chloride, fluoride, sulfate and calcium.
Due to the south-west’s promising conventional gas prospects, a team of up to 15 people will be based in Warrnambool over three years as part of the Victorian Gas Program.
The program will examine the potential risks, benefits and impact of future onshore conventional gas projects ahead of the expiration of the moratorium.
