A fire in a long-abandoned coal exploration bore in southeast Queensland has been extinguished.

The fire was discovered in the old exploration well on a public road reserve north west of Dalby following a bushfire last weekend.

The flames were extinguished on Friday by pumping water into the bore hole from a water tanker.

The Department of Natural Resources and Mines said that Arrow Energy work crews will continue to flush the test bore and surrounding area with water.

The hole will be monitored for approximately 24 hours before the second stage of the operation commences.

A department spokesperson said that once the hole and the area around it has cooled, a drilling rig will be positioned over it and crews will backfill the bore with concrete, and seal it.

That will take several days.

The spokesperson said departmental records indicate the test hole was drilled 32 years ago in June 1980 during coal exploration activities.

Source - AAP

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