Net Zero Down Under: Subsurface Carbon Capture and Storage

The Australian Government has identified Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a priority low-emissions technology in its "2020 Technology Investment Roadmap: First Low Emissions Technology Statement". This has been further underscored by the inclusion of CCS in the "Emissions Reduction Fund" which provides the first financial incentive scheme for CCS in the Asia Pacific region.

TGS subsurface data and studies (including seismic and well data) cover all major basins on Australia's NW shelf, including those over the 2021 GHG awarded acreage. See the maps and additional information below, and use the contact form on this page to learn more.

Bonaparte

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Carnarvon

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TGS subsurface data and studies (including seismic and well data) cover those included in the 2021 GHG acreage release (blue polygons).

Hydrocarbon Data for Storage Insight 

Decades of oil and gas exploration have led to the acquisition of vast volumes of subsurface seismic and well data. Recently, attention has shifted to leveraging these data to evaluate the subsurface to identify saline aquifers for potential CCS sites. Strong parallels exist between hydrocarbon exploration workflows and the identification of suitable CCS sites. In both cases, a detailed understanding of historical wells, set within the basin's broader geological context, is crucial to evaluate a candidate site.

Reconciliation of all available well data, integrated with seismic data, can build a robust and detailed geological model to accurately predict the presence and properties of potential injection intervals. Existing datasets, such as the TGS Facies Map Browser (FMB), Olympus, Petrelex, Zeekoet, and Zenaide 3D seismic datasets, are suitable for the reconnaissance and identification of CCS sites.

Within the Bonaparte Basin, the Petrel Sub-basin has been identified as a promising site for CO2 storage due to its proximity to carbon-intensive industries and favorable geology. Geoscience Australia has estimated a total effective CO2 storage capacity of 15.9 gigatonnes within the Cretaceous and Jurassic Saline Reservoir-Seal pairs.
The FMB study delivers a detailed interpretation of available well data, including wireline, biostratigraphy, and core information, tied to regional seismic interpretation, to derive a stratigraphic model and depositional environment maps. The FMB desktop browser enables information pertinent to reservoir quality and CCS evaluations, such as a detailed lithologic interpretation, hydrocarbon shows and geochemistry, to be analyzed and visualized within the defined stratigraphic framework.

The section from a type well in the figure below shows the most likely candidates for CCS in the Bonaparte Basin, including the Plover, Elang, and Sandpiper Formations – the clean, blocky nature of the sands is witnessed by the wireline character. The encasing and interbedded shales are expected to form the sealing units required to contain the sequestered carbon.

Australia GHG Storage StratigraphyFigure 2: Cross-section of wells across the Bonaparte Basin shows the depositional and lithological heterogeneity of the BB9 Sandpiper Formation.

CCUS can make a significant contribution to a sustainable, economically viable, and integrated energy system. The technical success of CCS as a solution will undoubtedly be founded on high-quality subsurface data solutions and geoscience expertise. This needs to be coupled with the current momentum from stakeholders such as regulators, industrial partnerships, and the public to ensure the successful adoption of CCS in Australia.

TGS' FMB desktop browser provides a cost-efficient off-the-shelf tool, which, coupled with TGS' extensive well data and seismic library, provides a valuable resource and critical insights to accelerate current and future GHG evaluations in the region. Click to find out more about the Facies Map Browser technology.

 

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Contact us to learn more about how TGS data can enhance insight and accelerate the evaluation of GHG acreage offshore Australia: