(Queensland) Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act 2014

The Queensland Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act of 2014 consolidates common provisions to each of the Resource Acts, provide for common processes applicable to resource authorities, and manage overlapping coal and petroleum resource authorities where coal seam gas (CSG) is concerned. 

Chapter 4 of the Act outlines requirements concerning the latter objective with the dual purposes of facilitating cooperation between coal and CSG authorities where authorities overlap and maximising the safe and optimal extraction of resources. With certain exceptions, "right of way" is granted to coal mining operations, followed by subsequent petroleum (gas) production. The Act also stipulates the following terms for optimising incidental CSG: in the case of incidental CSG, coal mining permit holders must offer to supply, on reasonable terms, the gas to a petroleum resource authority in the overlapping area. If the petroleum resource authority does not accept the offer, the coal mining permit holder may use the gas according to Section 318CN of the Mineral Resources Act of 1989: utilise it "beneficially" in internal operations, process, store or transport it.

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