Oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Oct. 10 that it plans to develop new onshore natural gas fields in Queensland, Australia as part of its operated QGC venture.

Under a program called "Project Goog-a-binge," the oil major will drill 250 wells in the Western Downs region of Queensland over the next two years which will then be connected to existing QGC gas processing plants, bringing an estimated 930 petajoules of gas into the market over the next 30 years.

"Project Goog-a-binge will deliver more and cleaner energy for both our Australian and LNG export customers for decades," Shell Australia chairman Zoe Yujnovich said. "The project is expected to create or sustain up to 350 jobs, the majority of which will be in regional Queensland and generate business opportunities for local suppliers – a substantial and ongoing boost for the local economy."

The project is subject to satisfying both Australian federal and state government regulatory approvals.