The World Energy Congress, 5-9 September, is being held for the first time in Australia with more than 3,000 international delegates in attendance.

Mines minister Stephen Robertson said the untapped coal resources of the Surat Basin would be a feature of Queensland's display at the Congress.

"To date, we have identified up to 4 billion tonnes of coal, to a shallow depth of only 80 metres, which is ideally suited for low emissions power generation,” said Robertson.

"Global demand for Queensland coal continues to increase dramatically and this greenhouse-friendly Surat Basin coal will be of great interest to international energy companies.

"Thermal coal from the Surat Basin is greenhouse-friendly because it has lower nitrogen and sulphur content and a lower carbon dioxide output per unit of energy generated, due to its very low carbon and very high volatile content."

The Queensland display will feature a computer-based 3D virtual fly-through of the Surat Energy Resources Province.

"It will enable clients to 'fly over' the possible rail corridors and visit towns, coal mines, coal deposits and coal seam gas operations without having to leave the comfort of their chairs," said Robertson.

Robertson said three million tonnes of Surat Basin thermal coal are already being exported through the Port of Brisbane every year.

"At Taroom, feasibility studies have been completed that show up to four million tonnes of saleable open pit thermal coal could be produced from here each year.

"The catalyst for the next stage of development of the Surat Energy Resources Province is a high-capacity rail line between the vast Wandoan coal deposits to the existing rail line at Moura.

"This will enable coal from the northern and central Surat regions to be exported through the Port of Gladstone to world customers," he said.