Fracking, horizontals best for Aussie coalgas. (hydraulic fracture stimulation and horizontal drilling; coalbed methane deposits in New South Wales, Australia)

Hydraulic fracture stimulation and horizontal drilling appear to be the most promising technologies for commercial development of vast coalbed methane deposits in New South Wales, Australia.

And while a recently released report acknowledges that most of the field practices available for coalbed methane extraction come from the U.S., much of that is not actually based on technology but, rather, on locally derived "rules of thumb."

Nevertheless, the state government-appointed Methane Drainage Task Force (MDTF) has called for urgency in researching drainage techniques, saying that NSW's major gas users will face a shortfall from existing sources within eight years.

Four areas in NSW …