Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham tweeted a picture of a Santos television advertisement yesterday and said the campaign was launched during the NRL grand final.

A Santos spokesman confirmed to EnergyNews that the first TV ad aired on Sunday and newspaper ads will run in regional papers and the state’s major daily newspapers from tomorrow.

The spokesman said the first ads featured Jason Frater from Santos’ Narrabri operations team and Santos water manager Alan Feely.

The ads focus on the economic benefits of CSG to local communities and the measures Santos takes to protect water resources.

“In coming weeks we will air additional ads that address the common questions asked about CSG, including on the economic, environmental and energy security impacts,” the spokesman said in an email.

“The widespread public discussion of CSG reflects genuine community interest in the benefits and impacts of the industry, but the debate has also seen a lot of false and exaggerated claims.

“The Santos campaign, and a supporting website to be launched this week, attempts to inject some balance into the discussion.”

Last month, Santos vice president eastern Australia James Baulderstone said the NSW government’s decision to renew the company’s petroleum exploration licences would allow Santos to restart its exploration program, with 50 wells to be drilled over the next three years.

This article first appeared in ILN's sister publication EnergyNewsBulletin.net.