Camden. Gas well drilling reduced

AGL has altered its proposal and its drilling techniques in the Camden area following community concerns. The company is now proposing to reduce the planned 20 wells to just 11 using a new technique which involves drilling horizontally along a coal seam instead of vertically through the seam. Head of operations at the Camden Gas Project, Mike Roy, said the introduction of the horizontal drilling technique allowed the company to limit the need to work on other people's land. He said the new wells would help AGL to increase its gas supply to NSW from 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the state's gas requirements.

Camden. AGL considering submissions

AGL is preparing a response to the more than 20 submissions lodged about its Northern Expansion project - an extension of its Camden Gas Project, which has been ongoing since 2002. The expansion, known as Camden Gas Project Stage 3, would comprise drilling wells 700 metres below the ground at 12 locations around the Camden and Campbelltown local government areas.

Campbelltown. Opposition to 'Texas oilfield'

AGL wants to expand its Camden gas project by building 12 gas extraction wells to collect coal-seam methane, five of which will be in the Campbelltown local government area. The wells will feed gas via underground pipes to an extraction plant located in the hills on the border of the two municipalities. The plant will include a compressor and a device to allow flaring of excess gas and a large evaporation pond. AGL said the plant's proposed site was ideal because of existing infrastructure While the Campbelltown City Council unanimously opposes the plan, it is being considered by the NSW Department of Planning as a project of state significance, which means the council's opposition can be ignored. ''My concern is that I don't want my Scenic Hills turning into a Texas oilfield,'' the Labor mayor, Aaron Rule, said.