More than 14,400 square kilometres of regional Queensland will be made available for oil and gas exploration, including gas preserved for Australian buyers only.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart has released the 2021 Queensland Exploration Plan, providing advance notice of areas to be released for exploration tenders.
"Gas is an essential feedstock for our manufacturers as well as transitional fuel to our low emissions future," Minister Stewart said.
"The pandemic has shown how fragile global supply chains can be and how important local manufacturing is.
"The Palaszczuk Government continues to do the heavy lifting on domestic gas policy and supply to support our manufacturers and their workers.
"Boosting Queensland's manufacturing industry, through measures like our $61.1 million Made in Queensland program, is central to our economic recovery plan."
The exploration plan is the fifth to be released and sets out a program of eight tender areas for oil and gas exploration to be released in December.
The areas to go to tender are:
- 727km2 south of Springsure
- 308km2 southwest of Woorabinda
- 775km2 west of Taroom
- 102km2 north of Roma
- 6226km2 south of Blackall
- 5283km2 west of Charleville and
- 343km2 southeast of Springsure and 102km2 north of Roma with gas guaranteed for for the Australian market.
The plan was released alongside the draft Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan, out for three months' consultation. The 30-year draft strategy proposes 43 actions across six key themes to support the industry to grow, diversify and create jobs.
"The Queensland Exploration Plan gives certainty to local communities and traditional owners and opportunity for the resources sector and explorers about prospects ahead," Minister Stewart said.
"Exploration is the lifeblood of the resources sector and essential to maintain a pipeline of new projects and jobs into the future."
