The CSIRO today - sometimes the threat to Australian water and food security is found in unexpected places

The commercially-driven Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Earth Science and Resource Engineering division reveals that ‘fracking’ is now considered mainstream mining technology which it supports:

* Hydraulic fracturing is a core technology in conventional petroleum production and in fast growing areas of unconventional gas, geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage.

It is also a cornerstone of innovative new methods in mining.

The CSIRO hydraulic fracture group combines theoretical development and experimental investigations with application-ready capabilities to provide basic research and novel technologies aligned with the needs of an expanding range of industries.

* Outcomes from our fundamental mechanics studies provide building blocks for a new generation of commercial and research hydraulic fracturing simulators that account for multi-scale processes in hydraulic fracturing and the interaction of hydraulic fractures with natural fractures in the reservoir rock.

We are actively pioneering new applications of hydraulic fracturing to:

·         pre-condition ore bodies for caving-type mining operations

·         enhanced gas drainage from coal seams

·         geothermal reservoir development

·         carbon capture and storage operations.