The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) has announced that methane monitoring will be an ‘important step’ in getting the Northern Territory onshore gas industry back to work.

The association welcomed the announcement this morning that CSIRO will commence work to monitor landscape methane concentrations in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Sub-basin. CSIRO will measure the amount of naturally occurring methane present in the area and assist with determining any future levels of fugitive emissions from the onshore gas industry. Over the next six months, CSIRO researchers will use mobile survey methods and technology that has already been granted exploration permits in the area.

“As recommended in the independent report, the methane monitoring will take place over six months and, by starting now, it will cover both the dry season and the wet season,” commented Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, Ken Vowles, “monitoring will provide the government and the community with robust, transparent and representative baseline measurements of background methane emissions.”

APPEA’s Director External Affairs, Matthew Doman agreed, stating that the start of this six-month monitoring program is an important step towards the resumption of exploration activity in the 2019 dry season.

“It is vitally important that the Northern Territory Government meets its commitment to implement the inquiry’s pre-exploration recommendations by the end of the year,” he shared.

APPEA’s members reportedly stand-ready to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in further exploration activity over the next few years to further understand the potential of the NT’s onshore shale gas resources. The APPEA outlined that businesses, contractors and workers in the Territory are all relying on the resumption of exploration activities, in addition to private investments that will help get the NT economy moving again.

“As soon as we can get back to work, we will again employ local people, engage local companies and resume royalty payments to host Traditional Owners,” he said, “the development of an onshore gas industry in the Territory can position it as a key player in this cleaner energy future.”

The results from the survey will be made available to the public, more information on this is available here.