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Environmental impact assessments are a key component of the approval process for many onshore seismic surveys. Quantifying the environmental disturbance caused by such surveys is, however, problematic, as although they cover large areas only a small fraction will be impacted. In this paper, I describe how disturbance can be quantified using the tree fractional cover statistic calculated using LiDAR data. I demonstrate its application using both a synthetic dataset and a real dataset from the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia. For the latter, the application of a disturbance minimisation survey design technique resulted in environmental disturbance being reduced from 13% to just 3.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral matter in coals has been found to host valuable elements including germanium, lithium and rare-earth elements (REE), but such content of Australian coals remains under-explored. The aim of this paper is to provide a proof-of-concept study that determines elemental concentrations in the mineral matter of the high-ash, Fort Cooper Coal Measures (FCCM), Bowen Basin, Queensland. Coal in the FCCM has good coking properties but has not been extensively explored owing to its high ash content. This study performs a preliminary assessment of the elements from the coal portion that would typically become waste after washing or combustion. Given that the needs for industrial extraction methods will change over time, cataloguing and documenting the elemental composition of coal may assist future development of multiple products for the benefit of both the coal and mineral industries. This preliminary study has revealed similar elevations of REE and higher-than-average crustal concentrations of lithium, bismuth and scandium in some of the samples. Further analyses will be required on a larger dataset to better understand elemental associations and explore spatial patterns of elemental content that may indicate localised enrichments. Understanding the potential of valuable elements in the FCCM may stimulate interest in multiple-product-coal (or elemental-coal) mining in this under-exploited resource and further encourage the reduction of waste from other Australian coals at the wash-plant stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural homelessness has largely been silenced in homelessness narratives and social policy in Australia and throughout the world. This paper reports on data from a larger qualitative study about homelessness in rural and regional Central Queensland mining communities located within the Bowen Basin region, inland from Australia's eastern seaboard. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with people who had lived experience of homelessness in the rural mining communities of Mackay (regional), Moranbah and Dysart (rural), and service provider representatives and community advocates. The qualitative analysis revealed that people experience homelessness in rural and regional communities in unique ways that are different to metropolitan constructions of homelessness. This research identified rural and regional poverty, the nature of boom or bust economies, over-stressed human service providers, social isolation and lack of affordable housing as factors contributing to homelessness in rural and regional mining communities. This paper highlights the urgent need for more scholarly research to inform and promote more critical social policy approaches that frame homelessness as a public policy priority in rural and regional mining communities. • The article highlights the urgent need for Australian social policy makers to address housing and homelessness in rural and regional mining communities. • Rural and regional communities have largely been silenced in the development and implementation of housing and homelessness policy. • The unique contextual factors associated with rural and regional mining communities such as boom/bust cycles and associated demand and supply issues need to be better addressed in policy processes. • Learnings from previous boom phases of the cycle need to better inform policy development and resource allocation. • The lived experiences of people in rural and regional mining communities need to inform future policy design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: People living in rural and remote areas face substantial barriers to accessing timely and appropriate mental health services. In the Bowen Basin region of Queensland, Australia, barriers include: limited local providers, long waiting lists, unreliable telecommunication, and reluctance to trial telehealth. Isaac Navicare is a new, community co-designed care navigation service which addresses these barriers by coupling care navigation with supported telehealth, and referrals to mental health providers and other supports. We aimed to understand the reach and effectiveness of Isaac Navicare in improving access to mental health services and address an evidence gap on strategies for improving telehealth acceptability. Methods: This mixed-methods implementation science evaluation used the RE-AIM Framework. It involved a client database review, survey and semi-structured interviews with service users during the 12-month pilot from November 2021. Results: 197 clients (128 adults, 69 minors) were referred to Navicare during the pilot. Half of adult clients were unemployed, meaning referral options were limited to low-cost or bulk-billed services. Participants described Navicare as supportive and effective in helping to access timely and appropriate mental health supports. Most clients who expressed a treatment modality preference selected face-to-face (n = 111, 85.4%), however most referrals were for telehealth (n = 103, 66.0%) due to a lack of suitable alternatives. The rapport and trust developed with the care navigator was critical for increasing willingness to trial telehealth. Barriers to telehealth included privacy issues, technical difficulties, unreliable internet/phone, and perceived difficulties developing therapeutic rapport. The supported telehealth site was under-utilised. The majority (88.3%, n = 182) of referrals to Navicare were from local health or community service providers or schools. Discussion: Coupling supportive, individualised care navigation with tele-mental health provider options resulted in increased uptake and acceptance of telehealth. Many barriers could be addressed through better preparation of clients and improving promotion and uptake of the supported telehealth site. Conclusion: Attitudes towards telehealth have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, however although the need exists, barriers remain to uptake. Telehealth alone is not enough. Coupling telehealth with other supports such as care navigation improves acceptance and uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The select indicators of gender equity from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2006 reveal that women of the mining towns of the Bowen Basin region of central Queensland are at a substantial social and economic disadvantage to men. Through a review of select social science literature on mining communities the paper examines work, family and community structures and processes that promote and sustain patriarchy in mining communities and within households that could negatively influence mental health and relationship wellbeing of women in mining towns. This is a relatively neglected field of inquiry in the social impact assessment processes of large-scale mining in Australia. The paper suggests areas of research and policy initiatives to enhance women's economic self-sufficiency, gender equality and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inaccuracies in spatial modelling of coal properties can impact coal resource and reserve estimates. Geostatistical methods which account for compositional data have previously been recommended as a preferred method for modelling of coal properties. These methods can quantify uncertainty, can use auxiliary information to improve estimates, and ensure that compositional data (such as coal proximate analysis) is modelled in a mathematically consistent way. However, geostatistical methods have drawbacks in that have rigid statistical assumptions about the distribution and stationarity of the target variable and require variogram interpretation which can be onerous when then number of domains and target variables are numerous. Due to these drawback, inverse distance weighting (a simple deterministic method) remains the most popular method for modelling coal properties in Australian resource estimates. To address the drawbacks of geostatistical methods, a machine learning approach based on the quantile regression forest algorithm is proposed as an alternative method to spatially model coal properties. This newly proposed method, accounts for spatial arrangement of data, requires minimal pre-processing steps, can quantify uncertainty and can easily incorporate auxiliary information of various types. To evaluate the performance of this method, the accuracy of predictions of coal proximate analysis properties, and coal density are compared to the predictions of inverse distance weighting and regression kriging. All methods incorporate isometric log ratio transform and back-transform of data in order to account for the compositional nature of coal proximate analysis. Data from an active coal mine in the Bowen Basin, Queensland Australia was used as basis of the results. A unique feature of the mine site in this basin is the presence of intrusion which impacts coal quality properties to various degrees. Using evaluation metrics from leave-one-out cross-validation, this paper demonstrates that quantile regression forest has higher accuracy, lower bias and higher precision than inverses distance weighting across all coal properties. The paper also shows that results of the new method are very similar or better than regression kriging. It is also demonstrated that the prediction maps produced by quantile regression forest could be used to more accurately map out coal impacted by intrusion compared to inverse distance weighting, and that inverse distance weighting overestimates the impact of intrusion and intrusion extent. A drawback of the method compared to inverse distance weighting, is that it is more computationally demanding, less intuitive and is currently not available in existing geological packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large, incomplete fragment of arthropod cuticle with distinctive tuberculate ornamentation from the late Permian Kaloola Member, Baralaba Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin in central Queensland, is assigned to the mycteropoid clade of sea scorpions. It is Changhsingian (254–252 Ma) in age and occurs in a freshwater, possibly fluvial, environment. The cuticle ornamentation consists of round to oval tubercles in two size classes and differs, in detail, from all previously described mycteropoids. We therefore propose a new species, ?Woodwardopterus freemanorum sp. nov., to accomodate this new specimen. It is at least 11 Ma younger than any previously known eurypterid fossil. This significant discovery demonstrates that large sweep-feeding eurypterids persisted until the end-Permian extinction in the southern high latitudes of Gondwana. Ecological factors that may have contributed to the survival of these freshwater eurypterids into the late Palaeozoic are also briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal resource tonnage estimates are reliant on spatial modeling of critical data including in-situ density. To model coal in-situ density, numerous methods are available including deterministic, geostatistical, and machine learning-based methods. In most studies the focus is on comparing differing spatial model method accuracy, however, in this study, the focus is on determining if different in-situ density spatial model methods materially impact resource tonnage estimates. This study used data from an active open-cut coal mine located in the Bowen Basin, Queensland Australia. The coal mine has extensive areas that are impacted by lamprophyre and dolerite intrusion. This study compared tonnage estimates derived from in-situ density modeling from four spatial model methods including inverse distance weighting, ordinary kriging, geographic quantile regression forest, and random forest regression kriging. This study found that, at local scale and in areas highly impacted by intrusion, variation in tonnage estimates between in-situ density model methods was up to 4.40%. This variation was considered material as it was higher than the error of each spatial model. It is, therefore recommended that, especially in coal deposits which are impacted by intrusion, spatial model methods are carefully selected and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper Paleozoic–lower Mesozoic strata in the northeastern Galilee Basin are important for their hydrocarbon and groundwater potential; however, despite numerous previous investigations, the nature of this stratigraphic interval remains enigmatic. This study integrates lithostratigraphy, palynology and U–Pb zircon geochronology of well-exposed Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks and nearby stratigraphic cores from the Hughenden district to determine their maximum depositional ages and then revises the stratigraphy where necessary. The newly defined Galah Tuff Bed was discovered at the top of the Betts Creek beds in Porcupine Gorge and was dated at 251.9 ± 3 Ma. This provides an important age constraint for the Betts Creek beds and is a tie-point for correlations with coeval units in the adjacent Bowen Basin and the Sydney and Gunnedah basins to the southeast. The Galah Tuff Bed is interpreted to correlate with the Yarrabee Tuff in the Bowen Basin. Unconformably overlying the Betts Creek beds is a newly recognised stratigraphic unit, defined herein as the Porcupine Gorge Formation. Detrital zircon maximum depositional ages and palynology indicate a significant depositional hiatus of up to 20 million years between the Betts Creek beds and Porcupine Gorge Formation. The hiatus indicates that the lower part of the Porcupine Gorge Formation is at least upper Middle Triassic, whereas the upper part of the unit extends into the Late Triassic. This age also constrains the overlying Warang Sandstone, which is considerably younger locally than previously reported and is likely diachronous across the northeastern Galilee Basin. An integrated lithostratigraphy, palynology and U–Pb detrital zircon geochronology methodology is applied to the Permian–Triassic succession the northeastern Galilee Basin. Two new stratigraphic units were recognised: the upper Permian Galah Tuff Bed (251.9 ± 3 Ma) and the late Middle–Late Triassic Porcupine Gorge Formation (238.7 ± 3 Ma). The Galah Tuff Bed, correlative of the Yarrabee Tuff in the Bowen Basin, is evidence for widespread volcanism in the late Permian. The age of the Porcupine Gorge Formation indicates diachroneity of the Triassic succession in the Galilee Basin, warranting further examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a broad consensus that the corporate sector has an active role in facilitating community development through corporate-community investment. However, there remains uncertainty as to how much the sector should invest without taking on responsibilities and influencing decisions which are traditionally within the realm of the state. This paper explores the contemporary role of mining companies in regional governance through a case study of housing and residential land use planning and supply within the Bowen Basin coal mining and coal seam gas extraction region in Queensland, Australia. Mining companies were found to have a broad role in planning and development with far-reaching implications for land use and the wider regional community. These arrangements have emerged in response to corporate sensibilities, some recent policy requirements and most importantly, in pragmatic response to the institutional void apparent in many regional communities. In the absence of an effective regional framework with a clear and defined role for governments and corporations, powerful corporate interests risk effectively ‘capturing’ the regional development agenda within a framework that works on short-term paternalism rather than long-term regional partnerships. This also has implications for the efficiency of governance. Stronger institutional arrangements need to be developed to strengthen the capacity of the state to oversee these relationships. Regional governance and planning theory also needs to address this deficit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Late Permian age samples of black coal from the coeval Bandanna Formation and Baralaba Coal Measures of Queensland''s Bowen Basin, as well as Carboniferous coal from Germany''s Ruhr Basin, were investigated. This paper presents scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the mode of occurrence of minerals within these coals, and characterisation of the natural fractures present within the samples. The coal samples located proximal to orogenic fronts in both basins are structurally complex, with multiple generations of mineralisation evident. Stable isotope analyses of carbonates from selected samples indicate that methanogenesis-related CO2 reduction has occurred at two of the Bowen Basin sampling locations. Ankerite precipitated from a magmatic fluid or basinal brine is associated with significant sulphide mineralisation within brecciated Ruhr coal proximal to major fault intersections with anticlines, and has been meteorically altered to ferroan calcite and sulphates in coal from immediately below the Carboniferous/Cretaceous unconformity. Similar alteration has occurred within a Bowen Basin coal sample close to the present day land surface. Variation of mineralisation within both the cleats and the coal matrix occurs on a fine scale, with crystals of multiple mineral species often being present within micrometres of each other. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes the methodology used to derive the economics of CO2 storage in coal with enhanced coalbed methane recovery. A significant difference between CO2 storage in coal seams and storage in saline aquifers is that the incrementally recovered natural gas constitutes an additional revenue stream. In the case of CO2 storage in coal it is necessary to distinguish between CBM (primary coalbed methane recovery), CO2-ECBM (enhanced coalbed methane recovery caused by and including the injection of CO2), and CO2 storage with incremental CBM recovery (Storage-ICBM). The methodology is demonstrated by means of a case study that evaluates the economics of carbon capture and storage with incremental CBM recovery (CCS-ICBM) at the Spring Gully CBM prospect in the Bowen Basin, QLD, Australia–Australia’s most productive CBM basin. Economic analyses of the Spring Gully development show that the specific cost of CO2-ECBM is A$37/t CO2 avoided (equivalent to US$31/t at an assumed long term exchange rate of A$1.00 = US$0.85) including capture costs. However, this incorporates the benefits of the underlying CBM project and therefore underestimates the cost of CCS-ICBM. The incremental cost of CCS-ICBM is A$92/t (US$78/t) excluding these benefits. The results demonstrate the importance of using an appropriate methodology to determine and present storage economics. If no distinction between CO2-ECBM and Storage-ICBM is made, the real costs of storage will for most cases be significantly underestimated and could potentially lead to poor investment decisions and the selection of economically unviable storage sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces the development of a new predictive model in support of proppant injection in naturally fractured coal seam gas (CSG) reservoirs. In the proposed model, the finite element method (FEM) is used for the prediction of proppant embedment and elastoplastic deformation of the coal. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied to the modelling of fluid flow through propped fractures, in which the modified partially saturated method (MPSM) is implemented to characterise the fluid–solid interactions. Permeability diagrams of the fractures are then generated as functions of particle packing ratio and effective stress. Finally, these results are incorporated into a radial Darcy flow analytical solution to predict the productivity index of the CSG wells under various proppant injection pressures and cleat compressibilities. The developed model is applied to selected coal samples from the Bowen and Surat Basins in Queensland, Australia. Modelling results indicate that proppant injection leads to increased fracture permeabilities and enhanced well productivity indexes. The elastoplastic deformation results in smaller permeability increase and less production enhancement when compared to the traditional linear elastic models. Although focused on Australian coals, the developed workflow can be broadly applicable to the assessment of potential stimulation efficacy in other unconventional reservoirs. In addition, a better understanding and implementation of the proppant injection scheme can effectively improve the post-fracturing performance, particularly in low-permeability coal intervals, which benefits the CSG industry. • Elastoplasticity is incorporated into computational models of proppant embedment. • The deformation of idealised coal cleats is assessed for residual permeability. • Optimal monolayer packing is determined for selected Bowen and Surat Basin coals. • Resulting fracture permeaibilities used in well productivity sensitivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined the incidence and prevalence of male to female intimate partner abuse in the Bowen Basin region of Central Queensland. In particular, it was concerned to examine relationships between the incidence and prevalence of physical and non-physical abuse and rapid growth since 2004 of the regional mining industry. A telephone survey was conducted of 532 women resident either in the Bowen Basin or the nearby coastal city of Mackay, with a stratification strategy employed to ensure adequate numbers of women partnered to mine workers. The strongest covariates of all forms of intimate partner abuse were other forms of intimate partner abuse. Some relationships were also evident between involvement in mining or residence in a mining town and other forms of abuse. However, more consistent risk factors included drug and alcohol use, partner education, partner smoking habits, age, relationship status and debt. The research suggest that any direct influence of mining cultures and workforce management practices on the incidence or prevalence of intimate partner abuse is limited, but that substantial population growth stimulated by mining activity-coupled with serious negative mental health outcomes for women subjected to abuse- presents a compelling case for the expansion of specialist support services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regional seismic synthesis of the 10 km-thick continental and shallow-marine succession of the Bowen Basin has revealed the basin-filling episodes and nine depositional supersequences (A-I). An Early Permian extensional phase, characterised by thick volcanics and half-graben development in a number of separated troughs, allowed fluviolacustrine sediments, including coal, to accumulate (Supersequence A). In the subsequent thermal subsidence phase, four marine supersequences (B-E) were generated. The onsets of supersequences B and C appear to be primarily tectonically controlled, but there is no evidence of tectonism initiating D, E and F. Supersequences B, D and E start with marine-flooding events, and in the Denison Trough end with either non-marine progradation (B), or high-energy nearshore sands (D and E). The first evidence of the compressional deformation associated with the development of a foreland basin occurs at the base of deltaic to marine Supersequence C. The thrust-induced loading of the foreland caused rapid subsidence in the adjacent Taroom Trough. It took about 10 Ma for the effects of thrust loading to spread across the basin from east to west. The foreland loading first affected the entire basin at the time of Late Permian Supersequence F, and lasted until the end of Triassic deposition. Four supersequences (F-I) have been identified in this phase of basin evolution. The later part of Supersequence F is almost wholly non-marine coal measures. The tectonism and base-level fall that generated the sequence boundary between Supersequences F and G, and ended coal deposition, represents a significant hiatus, and in places is characterised by low-angle unconformity and erosion. The pattern of the remaining units of the foreland basin phase indicates episodic basin filling as accommodation space became available, related to pulses of thrust loading. The regional geometry of the units, and the overstepping of Supersequence G by H, and then by I, indicates continuing westward progradation of foreland loading and corresponding changes in accommodation. It is striking that although the late foreland-loading phase displays the greatest rate of subsidence affecting the basin since the initial rift phase, there is little evidence of widespread flooding by the sea. The reasons were probably that the Late Permian-Early Triassic was a time of global first-order lowstand, and that foreland loading was able to provide simultaneously high rates of subsidence in the basin and greatly increased sediment supply from erosion in the mountains thrust up to the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Platypus Tuff Bed in the Permian Moranbah Coal Measures provides a basin-wide marker horizon traceable for over 300 km along strike. The bed is a tephra event unit, the product of a large-scale volcanic eruptive episode involving a pyroclastic volume > 10 km[sub 3]. The relatively even thickness (∼1–1.5 m) of the tuff across the entire northern Bowen Basin (∼10 000 km[sub 2]) implies a distant source. The tuff is ash-rich and its original geochemistry has been compromised by diagenetic alteration. Crystal content (10–15%) is dominated by quartz, suggesting a rhyolitic association. SHRIMP U-Pb analysis of zircons indicates an age of 258.9 ± 2.7 Ma for the Platypus Tuff Bed, confirming the Late Permian age that has generally been assigned to the Blackwater Group. The age framework now apparent for the coal-bearing Blackwater Group suggests an average depositional rate ranging from ∼133 m/10[sup 6] years for its eastern depocentre in the northern Bowen Basin to ∼70 m/10[sub 6] years in more marginal settings to the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New in situ data based on hydraulic fracturing and overcoring have been compiled for eastern Australia, increasing from 23 to 110 the number of in situ stress analyses available for the area between and including the Bowen and Sydney Basins. The Bowen Basin displays a consistent north-northeast maximum horizontal stress (σH) orientation over some 500 km. Stress orientations in the Sydney Basin are more variable than in the Bowen Basin, with areas of the Sydney Basin exhibiting north- northeast, northeast, east–west and bimodal σH orientations. Most new data indicate that the overburden stress (σV) is the minimum principal stress in both the Bowen and Sydney Basins. The Sydney Basin is relatively seismically active, whereas the Bowen Basin is relatively aseismic. Despite the fact that in situ stress measurements sample the stress field at shallower depth than the seismogenic zone, there is a correlation between the stress measurements and seismicity in the two areas. Mohr-Coulomb analysis of the propensity for failure in the Sydney Basin suggests 41% of the new in situ stress data are indicative of failure, as opposed to 13% in the Bowen Basin. The multiple pre-existing structural grains in the Sydney Basin further emphasise the difference between propensity for failure in the two areas. Previous modelling of intraplate stresses due to plate boundary forces has been less successful at predicting stress orientations in eastern than in western and central Australia. Nonetheless, stress orientation in the Bowen Basin is consistent with that predicted by modelling of stresses due to plate boundary forces. Variable stress orientations in the Sydney Basin suggest that more local sources of stress, such as those associated with the continental margin and with local structure, significantly influence stress orientation. The effect of local sources of stress may be relatively pronounced because stresses due to... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]