Hopeland (ex-Linc Energy) remediation project

Linc Energy operated an underground coal gasification (UCG) project in Hopeland (between Dalby and Chinchilla). The company was placed in liquidation in May 2016. The liquidators disclaimed the resource authorities in July 2016 without completing decommissioning or rehabilitation. The site is now classified as an abandoned operating plant, as defined under the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004.

• View a glossary of mining terms used on this page.

Since the site was abandoned, the Department continued to manage and progressively decommission the site, including working with the former Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) regarding environmental management.

In 2016, the Hopeland site included:

• a gas-to-liquid plant
• gasifiers
• gathering system and other inoperable infrastructure
• 5 dams used for operations and to store process waters
• waste and other substances
• 205 wells requiring decommissioning, previously used to access the gasifiers and for monitoring purposes.

The Department has consulted with adjoining landholders on any potential for off-site impacts from site activities.

Photo gallery

Key risks

Health and safety risks associated with:

• gas-to-liquid plant and unmaintained infrastructure
• wells and process water dams
• chemical and hazardous material.

Environmental risks associated with:

• groundwater contamination (under investigation)
• gasifiers
• wells
• process water dams.

Completed works

• Remediation investigation, option assessment and design.
• Decommissioned, dismantled and removed gas-to-liquid plant and surface infrastructure.
• Remediated 5 process water dams.
• Consolidated and encapsulated contaminants in an on-site cell.
• Installed new wells to expand groundwater monitoring network.
• Finalised telemetry for groundwater monitoring network.
• Established and enforced Site Safety Management System.
• Removed and disposed 160,000L of hazardous liquid and 40m³ of packaged goods and waste.
• Plugged and abandoned 205 legacy petroleum wells and bores.

Planned works

• Gasifier investigations and decommissioning strategy (if required).
• Ongoing monitoring and care and maintenance activities.

Groundwater monitoring

Groundwater monitoring and sampling of bores across the Hopeland site is conducted regularly with data received from a third party. The bores are sampled and analysed for a comprehensive suite of parameters, elements and contaminants.

• See map of bores monitored at the Hopeland site (JPG, 647.5 KB) .
• View all groundwater sampling results on the Open Data Portal.
• Read about the historical management of the Hopeland site – for queries about this data, contact the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.