University of Queensland study of abandoned coal bore emissions using QLM Camera gets international attention

Scientists at the University of Queensland have made major news, and even the cartoons, by using a QLM camera to show that one abandoned coal exploration borehole in a paddock was leaking the same amount of greenhouse gases in a year as about 10,000 cars.

Phil Hayes and Sebastien Hoerning at the university’s Gas & Energy Transition Research Centre used a trailer mounted Quantum Lidar Methane camera system to enable continuous monitoring over multiple days and nights on several abandoned coal bores. They even found one that was forcing groundwater several metres into the air like a geyser.

Their study has attracted international attention, including reports in the Guardian newspaper in the UK and being featured in the cartoon ‘First Dog on the Moon.’

Commenting on his ‘15 minutes of fame’ Phil says, ‘photos are fine, videos are better, but don’t use a graph.’

https ://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725015657 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/03/abandoned-queensland-coal-borehole-found-to-be-emitting-10000-cars-worth-of-greenhouse-gas

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2025/sep/10/boreholes-leaking-methane-not-as-funny-as-it-sounds