Mystery surrounds bubbling Queensland river that burns when match is held to water
Shocking pictures have emerged of the Condamine River in Queensland being set on fire when a match was held to the bubbling water.
The exploding methane gas bubbles were caught on camera near Chinchilla in Queensland's Darling Downs region by local landowner John Jenkyn.
ABC reports that Mr Jenkyn says the bubbles have intensified in recent months since the arrival of the coal seam gas mining in the area.
He told the network: "I think [it's] the de-watering. As [the CSG companies] take all the water out of the wells I presume the gas has found the easiest route out of the ground, which happens to be in the river. So up she comes."
Mr Jenkyn told ABC the mining processes were responsible for the flammable gas methane gas that he has photographed and filmed bubbling up in the river.
A series of investigations into the mysterious bubbles began in 2012 when they were first reported to authorities.
ABC reports that the government claimed there was not enough information to establish the cause of the leak.
CSIRO's lead researcher into unconventional gas, Professor Damian Barrett, has been monitoring gas seeps at the river and says it has got worse in the last 12 months.
