Close to 350 jobs, plus contracts for local suppliers will flow on the Western Downs over the next two years from the latest Queensland natural gas expansion.

Shell QGC’s Goog-a-binge project will see close to 250 new wells spread across Shell’s QGC existing operations near Wandoan, Miles, Chinchilla and Tara.

Project Goog-a-binge is forecast to bring roughly 930 petajoules of gas to market over the next 30 years for its domestic and export customers. Goog-a-binge is the Iman name for a scrub turkey and was selected by the local Iman traditional owners.

The Shell QGC venture currently employs close to 1000 people in Queensland and has spent $140 million on goods and services in Toowoomba and Surat Basin communities in the first half of his year.

Queensland Mines Minister, Dr Anthony Lynham said this latest expansion plan will help ensure sustained gas supply to domestic customers as well as royalties to fund frontline services across the state.

“Most importantly, it will pump millions of dollars into local household budgets, local stores and local businesses for the next 30 years,” he announced.

QGC has already engaged three Chinchilla-based fabrication contractors for the project and Easternwell recently won a multi-million-dollar, five-year contract with QGC.

“Ongoing investment in Queensland’s $70 billion gas industry shows the policy settings are right. We expect the gas industry to continue to deliver for the south-west, and the Palaszczuk Government will continue to drive increased gas supply with innovative policy, to meet the needs of households and Australian manufacturers.”

Local businesses are being encouraged to register online with EconomX, where the project and its contractors will seek expressions of interest for work packages.

QGC will start pre-construction and site preparation activities at some sites next month, with wells to start being drilled from January 2019 through to December 2019, subject to government approvals.