An unusual geological event will take place soon in Mackay, according to scientists familiar with the Central Queensland Bowen Basin.

"This will be all encompassing for big and small operators alike, coal seam gas companies, research organisations and experts from universities including CQUniversity Australia," said Joan Esterle, University of Queensland Professor and Chair of Coal Geoscience.

She is talking about the 6^th Bowen Basin Symposium on October 6-8 at the Mackay Entertainment Centre --- a major international geological conference that occurs every five years, which is likely to draw some 500 geoscientists and other coal stakeholders focused on the Bowen Basin.

The symposium will cover the step changes noted within the coal industry, coal technologies, techniques utilised and a research focus. In addition to the key areas such as advances in coal quality, geophysics, resource evaluation, exploration and mine geology, for the first time this symposium will cover key areas of industry focus such as coal seam gas, underground coal gasification and fugitive emissions evaluation.

The Bowen Basin is home to over 50 operating coal mines and 50 proposed coal projects worth $17 billion and it produces 90% of Queensland's coal or about 235 million tonnes of unprocessed coal.

For more information or to register for this major event visit http://www.bbgg.cqu.edu.au/ and follow the links.