QUEENSLAND'S $70 billion liquefied natural gas industry is about to get bigger: Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke yesterday cast aside environmental concerns and approved the $35 billion Australia Pacific LNG project planned by ­Origin Energy and US giant ­ConocoPhillips.

The ruling mirrors the clearances given by Mr Burke in October for BG Group's $US15 billion-plus Qld Curtis venture and Santos's $US16 billion GLNG project, both now in the early stages of construction, The Australian Financial Review reports.

Origin and Conoco still need to firm up contracts with LNG customers before making a final decision on whether to build the project. The first phase involves two 4.5 million tonnes-a-year LNG production units which use coal seam gas fields from the Bowen and Surat basins.

The partners have already missed their target of end-2010 to give the green light for the investment, which some now expect only later this year.