Galilee Basin
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Statements of existing knowledge are compiled for known mineral, coal, hydrocarbon and carbon capture and storage (CCS) resources and reserves in the Galilee Basin region. This data guide illustrates the current understanding of the distribution of these key resource types within the Galilee Basin region based on trusted information sources. It provides important contextual information on the Galilee Basin and where additional details on discovered resources can be found. The Galilee Basin region contains 6 known metallic mineral deposits, with most of these containing the critical mineral vanadium. There are 17 coal deposits found in the basin containing thermal and metallurgical coal. The primary form of coal in the deposits is thermal coal. The Galilee Basin hosts large coal tonnages, with known black coal resources of approximately 33 billion tonnes. The Galilee Basin and overlying basins are known to contain significant hydrocarbon resources. The majority of the known hydrocarbon resources are found in the Julia Creek oil shale deposits located in the Eromanga Basin above the Galilee Basin. Moderate coal seam gas (CSG) resources have also been identified in the basin; however, conventional gas resources are more limited. At this time, there are no active or planned Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in the basin.
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Publicly available baseline surface water data are compiled to provide a common information base for resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This data guide captures existing knowledge of the catchments and watercourses overlying the Galilee Basin, including streamflow quality and quantity, inundation, and climatological data. The Galilee Basin straddles the Great Dividing Range and encompasses the headwaters of 9 major river basins, with the largest area underlying Cooper Creek, Diamantina River and Flinders River catchments. The Galilee Basin geological boundary also intersects parts of the catchment of the Burdekin River, Fitzroy River, Warrego River, Bulloo River, Paroo River and Condamine-Balonne rivers. The data on the catchments overlying the Galilee Basin have been summarised at a point in time to inform decisions on resource development activities. Key data sources are the Water Monitoring Information Portal (Queensland Government), Water Data Online (Bureau of Meteorology), DEA Water Observations (Geoscience Australia) and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network.
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Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This web service summarises salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water–groundwater interactions for the Lake Eyre Basin located within the Galilee Basin region.
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Publicly available baseline ecology data are compiled to provide a common information base for environment, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This web service summarises existing knowledge of the ecosystems and environmental assets in the Galilee Basin region.
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The potential for hydrogen production in the Galilee Basin region is assessed to provide a joint information base for hydrogen generation potential from renewable energy, groundwater and natural gas coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). This web service summarises hydrogen potential in the Galilee Basin region.
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Publicly available geology data are compiled to provide a common information base for resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This web service summarises the geology of the Galilee Basin.
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Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This data guide gives examples of how these data can be used. The data package included with this data guide captures existing knowledge of Galilee Basin aquifers and their properties, including salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water - groundwater interactions. The methods used to derive these data for all Galilee Basin aquifers in the Galilee Basin region are outlined in the associated metadata files. These are described in groundwater conceptual models (Hostetler et al., 2023). The Galilee Basin includes 3 broadly defined aquifer intervals: from deepest to shallowest, these are the Joe Joe Group, Betts Creek beds and Clematis aquifers. Compiled data have been assigned to these intervals and used to characterise groundwater systems at the basin scale. The data were compiled for a point-in-time to inform decisions on potential resource developments in the Basin. The available historical groundwater data can be used to assess the potential effects on groundwater. The data can also be used for other purposes, such as exploring unallocated groundwater resource potential. Data to January 2022 were used for this compilation.
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Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This web service summarises salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water–groundwater interactions for the Eromanga Basin located within the Galilee Basin region.
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<div>The Trusted Environmental and Geological Information (TEGI) Program (2021-2023) was a multi-disciplinary program that brought together the geology, energy resources, groundwater, carbon and hydrogen storage, mineral occurrences, surface water and ecology for four Australian basin regions. This talk covers how the team leveraged their varied scientific expertise to deliver integrated scientific outcomes for the North Bowen, Galilee, Cooper and Adavale basin regions. This talk highlights the approach and importance of meaningful engagement with those that live in, work in, rely on and care for the regions. The story of the TEGI program outlines how a committed team, collaborating across Australia’s leading scientific organisations, delivered genuine impact during a time of political change.</div><div><br></div>
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Publicly available baseline ecology data are compiled to provide a common information base for environment, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This data guide captures existing knowledge of the ecosystems and environmental assets overlying the Galilee Basin. The land overlying the Galilee Basin is dominated by the Mitchell Grass Downs Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) bioregion and contains nearly the entire Desert Uplands bioregion. There are also smaller areas of Mulga, Brigalow Belt bioregions, Channel Country, Gulf Plains and Einasleigh Uplands bioregions. The data on the ecosystems and environmental assets overlying the Galilee Basin have been summarised in July 2021 to inform decisions on resource development activities. Key data sources are broad vegetation groups - pre-clearing and 2019 remnant - Queensland series (Queensland Government), Field Environmental Data, Australian Wetlands Database and Heritage places and lists (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), and the Atlas of Living Australia.