Coals as methane bioreactors: significance of microbial methane generation in coal seams for coal seam gas (CSG) production and carbon dioxide (CO2) geosequestration. Australian coal seam gas, for domestic and export use, potentially rivals coal mining in national wealth creation. This project aims to demonstrate that coal seams can function as bioreactors, using naturally present micro-organisms to generate methane. The methane could come from injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the coal, cr ....Coals as methane bioreactors: significance of microbial methane generation in coal seams for coal seam gas (CSG) production and carbon dioxide (CO2) geosequestration. Australian coal seam gas, for domestic and export use, potentially rivals coal mining in national wealth creation. This project aims to demonstrate that coal seams can function as bioreactors, using naturally present micro-organisms to generate methane. The methane could come from injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the coal, creating a sustainable supply of clean burning gas by converting the CO2 into methane. A successful outcome will permit the reuse of wells and associated infrastructure, significantly increasing coal seam methane production and reserves, possibly several fold, as well as reducing the cost of their recovery. The project will investigate the geological, microbiological and engineering requirements to accomplish this.Read moreRead less
Links between marine biotic evolution and carbonate platform and petroleum reservoir development in the South China sea. This project will aim to discover the major environmental controls over the historical development of the high biodiversity of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. By investigating fossils from rocky outcrops we will enhance the ability of petroleum companies to predict the occurrence of hydrocarbons in sub-surface reef limestones.
From organo-mineral nanocomposite to Australian basins; an integrated approach to unconventional gas exploration and development. Gas production from unconventional shale reservoirs is a potential major energy boom in Australia that will lower carbon emissions over comparable coal and oil use. The geological controls of shale are currently too poorly understood to direct effective exploration. This project will be the largest international effort to develop this knowledge.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100065
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
A fully automated, fully shielded palaeomagnetic system. A fully automated, fully shielded palaeomagnetic system: This project aims to establish the first fully automated and magnetically fully shielded superconducting palaeomagnetic data acquisition system in Australia. Palaeomagnetism is a key research field that has applications to a broad range of pure and applied geoscience disciplines. Australia has been a world leader in this field, including the application of palaeomagnetism to both glo ....A fully automated, fully shielded palaeomagnetic system. A fully automated, fully shielded palaeomagnetic system: This project aims to establish the first fully automated and magnetically fully shielded superconducting palaeomagnetic data acquisition system in Australia. Palaeomagnetism is a key research field that has applications to a broad range of pure and applied geoscience disciplines. Australia has been a world leader in this field, including the application of palaeomagnetism to both global and regional tectonic studies. Palaeomagnetic studies demand a labour-intensive process of treating and measuring a large number of samples. The system will significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of palaeomagnetic analysis, and thus enhance Australia's research capacity in this and related research fields.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the flux of fugitive greenhouse gasses associated with coal seam gas and calibrating it to natural baseline and anthropogenic sources. Recent studies show that fugitive methane emissions associated with coal seam gas extraction pose a source of greenhouse gasses. In addition to the possible environmental impacts of methane emissions, quantifying the magnitude of emissions has potentially significant implications for future tax liabilities that could change the economics of the unconv ....Quantifying the flux of fugitive greenhouse gasses associated with coal seam gas and calibrating it to natural baseline and anthropogenic sources. Recent studies show that fugitive methane emissions associated with coal seam gas extraction pose a source of greenhouse gasses. In addition to the possible environmental impacts of methane emissions, quantifying the magnitude of emissions has potentially significant implications for future tax liabilities that could change the economics of the unconventional energy boom in Australia. The proposed research by an interdisciplinary team representing regulators, industry, and university researchers would establish a methodology for quantifying the flux of methane from gas fields. It would establish the range of natural baselines and determine the major sources of methane emissions using newly available highly sensitive instruments.Read moreRead less
Origin of the New England contorted mountain belt: implications for plate tectonics, magmatism and mineralisation. The southern New England mountain chain in eastern Australia is characterised by a tight curved geometry. This research will reconstruct the formation of these, hitherto unexplained, mountain curves, unravelling their driving mechanisms and tectonic processes. Results will provide a plate tectonic model for the formation of economic resources, thus facilitating future discoveries of ....Origin of the New England contorted mountain belt: implications for plate tectonics, magmatism and mineralisation. The southern New England mountain chain in eastern Australia is characterised by a tight curved geometry. This research will reconstruct the formation of these, hitherto unexplained, mountain curves, unravelling their driving mechanisms and tectonic processes. Results will provide a plate tectonic model for the formation of economic resources, thus facilitating future discoveries of ore deposits in the New England belt, or energy resources in the associated sedimentary basins. The project will foster a pool of highly trained professionals and researchers in the fields of structural geology and tectonics, and will enhance Australia's scientific reputation, maintaining its leading international standing in plate tectonic research.Read moreRead less
A mineral systems analysis of Australia's largest gold producing deposit: Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, Western Australia. This project will augment existing mineral resources at Australia's largest current gold producing mine, and guide exploration for additional resources in the surrounding district. By understanding the genesis of this exceptional deposit, the study will spawn a new set of targeting criteria that can be used to explore for other world-class deposits in Western Australia and similar ....A mineral systems analysis of Australia's largest gold producing deposit: Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, Western Australia. This project will augment existing mineral resources at Australia's largest current gold producing mine, and guide exploration for additional resources in the surrounding district. By understanding the genesis of this exceptional deposit, the study will spawn a new set of targeting criteria that can be used to explore for other world-class deposits in Western Australia and similar geological terranes throughout the world. In the context of high and rising gold prices, the project has the potential to generate billion dollar revenues and substantial employment, and it will deliver advanced training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100106
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$780,000.00
Summary
A global fireball observatory. This project aims to expand the Desert Fireball Network (DFN) and build a Global Fireball Observatory. Nearly everything known about the origin and evolution of the solar system comes from analysis of meteorite falls, but scientists have almost no constraint on where they come from. This project will address this constraint by tracking hundreds of meteorite falls, and pinpointing each one’s origin in the solar system. Benefits include capitalising on the innovation ....A global fireball observatory. This project aims to expand the Desert Fireball Network (DFN) and build a Global Fireball Observatory. Nearly everything known about the origin and evolution of the solar system comes from analysis of meteorite falls, but scientists have almost no constraint on where they come from. This project will address this constraint by tracking hundreds of meteorite falls, and pinpointing each one’s origin in the solar system. Benefits include capitalising on the innovations and technologies that underpinned the DFN, and leveraging a NASA partnership for administrative support and advanced instrumentation development. Tracking for space situational awareness is also expected to benefit Australian national security.Read moreRead less
Exploring solar system origins with the Desert Fireball Network. This project aims to explore the science delivered by the Desert Fireball Network (DFN), a continent-wide facility comprising dozens of observatories across remote and regional Australia, tracking material entering the atmosphere. Meteorites record early solar system processes, but there is no constraint on where they come from. Precise orbits for recovered meteorites can solve that problem. This project will use the largest datase ....Exploring solar system origins with the Desert Fireball Network. This project aims to explore the science delivered by the Desert Fireball Network (DFN), a continent-wide facility comprising dozens of observatories across remote and regional Australia, tracking material entering the atmosphere. Meteorites record early solar system processes, but there is no constraint on where they come from. Precise orbits for recovered meteorites can solve that problem. This project will use the largest dataset of fireball orbits ever acquired, while a supercomputer imagery archive provides a way-back machine for researchers. DFN tracking of satellites, debris re-entry and overseas rocket launches directly benefits Australian national security and a mature outreach programme aims to deliver the outcomes of this research to the public.Read moreRead less