Greenhouse Gas Storage (Transitional) Regulation 2026

1Short title

This regulation may be cited as the Greenhouse Gas Storage (Transitional) Regulation 2026.

2Commencement

This regulation commences on 24 January 2026.

3Declaration that regulation is transitional regulation—Act, s 483

This regulation is a transitional regulation.

Note—

This regulation expires on 18 June 2029.

4Definitions

The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in this regulation.

5Notice of intention to convert relevant GHG well—Act, s 467

(1)For section 467(1)(a)(i) of the Act, a notice of intention to convert a relevant GHG well must—

(a)be in writing; and

(b)state—

(i)the name used to identify the well; and

(ii)that CTSCo intends to convert the well into a water supply bore under chapter 8, part 8 of the Act; and

(iii)contact details of the landowner for the well; and

(iv)the day on which the conversion of the well is estimated to be completed; and

(c)be accompanied by the following documents—

(i)well schematics for the well;

(ii)a report, approved and signed by a licensed water bore driller, stating the well is suitable to be converted into a water supply bore.

(2)In this section—

well schematics, for a relevant GHG well, means technical drawings showing—

(a)the position of the well defined by reference to GDA2020; and

(b)how the well was originally constructed; and

(c)all modifications made to the well after the well completion report for the well was given to the chief executive.

6Requirements for conversion of relevant GHG well into water supply bore—Act, s 467

(1)This section states, for section 467(1)(c) of the Act, the requirements for the conversion of a relevant GHG well into a water supply bore.

(2)The water supply bore must—

(a)be controlled within the meaning of the GAB Water Plan, section 29(1); and

(b)have a casing, and be constructed of cement, that has a functional life equivalent to the casing and cement of a newly constructed water supply bore; and

(c)be constructed with internal cement plugs that prevent water from being taken from aquifers that are not targeted by the bore; and

(d)otherwise be constructed in accordance with the requirements for water bores stated in the water bore construction codes.

7Notice of completion—Act, s 467

For section 467(1)(e) of the Act, a notice of completion, in relation to the conversion of a relevant GHG well into a water supply bore, must—

(a)be in writing; and

(b)state—

(i)the name used to identify the well before the conversion was completed; and

(ii)the position of the well defined by reference to GDA2020; and

(iii)that conversion of the well into a water supply bore under chapter 8, part 8 of the Act has been completed; and

(iv)the day on which the conversion of the well was completed; and

(v)the name used to identify the water supply bore after the conversion was completed; and

(vi)the name and water bore driller’s licence number of the licensed water bore driller who carried out the works for the conversion; and

(c)be accompanied by a copy of the conversion certificate relating to the conversion of the well into the water supply bore.

8Conversion report—Act, s 477

(1)For section 477(1) of the Act, a conversion report, relating to the conversion of a relevant GHG well into a water supply bore, must be in writing and state—

(a)on the first page, the following details—

(i)the particulars of former EPQ10, including, for example, that CTSCo was the holder of former EPQ10;

(ii)the name used to identify the relevant GHG well before the conversion was completed;

(iii)the name and water bore driller’s licence number of the licensed water bore driller who carried out the works for the conversion;

(iv)the name of the author of the report;

(v)the name of the landowner for the water supply bore;

(vi)the name of the person submitting the report on behalf of CTSCo; and

(b)the following information about the well before the conversion—

(i)spatial information showing the location of the well;

(ii)the day on which a well completion report for the well was given to the chief executive;

(iii)the total depth of the well, in metres;

(iv)the position at the top and bottom, expressed as required under subsection (2), and the thickness of any coal seam, natural underground reservoir or aquifer intersected by the well;

(v)the depth in metres of any perforations in the casing of the well;

(vi)all surveys and measurements made in the well, including any detailed interpretation of a survey or measurement; and

(c)the following information about the bore after the conversion was completed—

(i)details of the casing and equipment installed in the bore for the purpose of the conversion, with diagrams showing the major dimensions and features of the casing and equipment;

(ii)a full description of all equipment, including prescribed equipment, installed or retained in the bore, including, for example, the size and nature of the equipment and any features of the equipment that may cause a hazard to underground mining operations;

Examples of features that may cause a hazard to underground mining operations—

aluminium, batteries, electronics

(iii)the surveyed location of any prescribed equipment installed or retained in the bore;

(iv)details of the cementing operations carried out for the purpose of the conversion, including, for example—

(A)the location and type of plugs installed; and

(B)the intervals covered by each plug installed; and

(C)the volume and type of cement used; and

(D)the volume of cement lost due to voids or permeable strata; and

(E)the methods used to address losses of cement; and

(F)the method, materials and volume of cement used to cement voids;

(v)for each requirement or standard that applied to the conversion under the water bore construction codes—how the conversion complies with the requirement or standard;

(vi)other details of the activities carried out for the conversion, and an assessment of their possible impacts, that would help another person in making an assessment of potential risks to safe and efficient underground mining.

(2)For subsection (1)(b)(iv), the position at the top and bottom of a coal seam, natural underground reservoir or aquifer, intersected by the relevant GHG well, must be expressed using—

(a)the total vertical depth in metres; and

(b)for a part of the well that was intentionally not drilled vertically—the horizontal plane.

(3)In this section—

natural underground reservoir see the P&G Act, section 13.

prescribed equipment means—

(a)metal equipment other than casing; or

(b)other equipment that may create a hazard to underground mining operations.

Examples of metal equipment—

drilling equipment, geophysical logging tools

9Notice of transfer—Act, s 474

For section 474 of the Act, a notice of transfer for a water supply bore must—

(a)be in writing; and

(b)state—

(i)the name used to identify the water supply bore; and

(ii)the contact details of the landowner for the bore; and

(iii)the position of the bore defined by reference to GDA2020; and

(iv)the purpose for which the landowner for the bore will use water from the bore; and

(v)that the requirements stated in section 467(1)(a) to (f) of the Act have been complied with in relation to the conversion of the relevant GHG well into the bore; and

(c)be accompanied by a signed statement in which the landowner consents to the transfer.

10Definitions for part

In this part—

acceptable level, for a risk associated with the plugging and abandonment of a relevant GHG well, see section 13(1)(b)(i).

chief inspector see the P&G Act, schedule 2.

construction and abandonment code means the document called ‘Code of practice for the construction and abandonment of petroleum wells and associated bores in Queensland’, published on a Queensland Government website.

petroleum well see the P&G Act, schedule 2.

proposed way see section 14(3)(c).

standard way see section 14(3)(d).

11Purpose of part

This part states, for section 467(2)(a) of the Act, the way for plugging and abandoning a relevant GHG well.

12Way for plugging and abandoning relevant GHG well

A relevant GHG well must be plugged and abandoned—

(a)in the way required for a petroleum well by the construction and abandonment code; or

(b)in another way approved by the chief inspector under section 15.

13Risk assessment

(1)Before starting works to plug and abandon a relevant GHG well, CTSCo must—

(a)carry out a systematic assessment (a safety assessment) of risks associated with the plugging and abandonment of the well; and

(b)prepare a written report for the safety assessment that states, for each risk identified by the assessment—

(i)an acceptable level of risk (the acceptable level) having regard to—

(A)the likelihood of injury or illness to a person, or of property damage, from the risk; and

(B)the probable severity of the injury, illness or damage; and

(C)whether or not the risk is avoidable by reasonable means; and

(ii)ways to control the risk to the acceptable level by—

(A)avoiding, eliminating or minimising the risk; and

(B)if the risk can not be avoided or eliminated—implementing measures to avoid, eliminate or minimise the likelihood of injury or illness to a person, or of property damage, associated with the risk.

(2)However, if works to plug and abandon the well started before the commencement, CTSCo must comply with subsection (1)(a) and (b) as soon as practicable after the commencement.

14Plugging and abandonment plan

(1)Before starting works to plug and abandon a relevant GHG well, CTSCo must give the chief inspector a plugging and abandonment plan for the well.

(2)However, if works to plug and abandon the well started before the commencement, CTSCo must comply with subsection (1) as soon as practicable after the commencement.

(3)A plugging and abandonment plan must—

(a)be in writing; and

(b)demonstrate consideration of all matters that, under the construction and abandonment code, must be considered before a petroleum well is abandoned; and

(c)show how the relevant GHG well will be plugged and abandoned (the proposed way); and

(d)state whether or not the proposed way will deviate from the way for plugging and abandoning the relevant GHG well mentioned in section 12(a) (the standard way); and

(e)if the proposed way will deviate from the standard way—state how the proposed way will deviate from the standard way; and

(f)include a copy of the safety report; and

(g)for each risk mentioned in the safety report—include a description of the technical and other measures that CTSCo has undertaken, or will undertake, to control the risk to the acceptable level for the risk.

(4)In this section—

safety report means the report mentioned in section 13(1)(b).

15Chief inspector may approve proposed way for plugging and abandonment

(1)This section applies if—

(a)CTSCo gives the chief inspector a plugging and abandonment plan under section 14(1) or (2); and

(b)the proposed way stated in the plugging and abandonment plan deviates from the standard way.

(2)The chief inspector may, by written notice to CTSCo—

(a)approve the proposed way for section 12(b); or

(b)request that CTSCo amend and resubmit the plugging and abandonment plan.

(3)However, the chief inspector may approve the proposed way only if the chief inspector is satisfied that, for each risk associated with the proposed way—

(a)the acceptable level for the risk is reasonable, having regard to the acceptable level for risks associated with the standard way; and

(b)CTSCo will control the risk to the acceptable level.

section 4

acceptable level, for a risk associated with the plugging and abandonment of a relevant GHG well, for part 4, see section 13(1)(b)(i).

aquifer see the Water Act, schedule 4.

chief inspector, for part 4, see section 10.

construction and abandonment code, for part 4, see section 10.

GDA2020 means the Reference Frame under the National Measurement (Recognized-Value Standard of Measurement of Position) Determination 2017 (Cwlth) as in force on 1 July 2020.

petroleum well, for part 4, see section 10.

proposed way, for part 4, see section 14(3)(c).

standard way, for part 4, see section 14(3)(d).

well completion report, for a relevant GHG well, means a report about the completion of the well required to have been given to the chief executive under section 257(1)(b) of the Act before the commencement.