The Gippsland Basin has been a prolific petroleum producing basin that was recently thought to be the ideal end point for a local Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) value chain. Previous studies have demonstrated sufficient sealing capacity above known structural closures to Latrobe Group reservoirs that could accommodate millions of tonnes of CO2 as petroleum production winds down. The aim remains to establish a near-shore opportunity for Geological CO2 Sequestration (GCS) with secure sealing capacity to significant closure beneath the threshold depth for sustaining CO 2 in a supercritical state. Another prospective use for Latrobe Group reservoir rocks has emerged. The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project began shipping liquefied hydrogen from the Mornington Peninsula to Japan in early 2022. Hydrogen generation methods for energy supply require intermediary storage systems to smooth the peaks and troughs of supply and demand. The Gippsland Basin provides a variety of prospective Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) opportunities in the form of known closures to Latrobe Group reservoir units. Sealing capacity to hydrogen gas is approximately equivalent to that of methane meaning closures to natural gas fields should be viable. However, there are other considerations such as how prone a containment system would be to hydrogen losses by dissolution, chemical reactions or microbial consumption. This study evaluates the viability of UHS within the Latrobe Group reservoir system across the Central Deep. The following factors are considered: hydrodynamic modification of closure; sealing unit thickness and capacity; a threshold depth that is both as shallow as possible but deep enough to limit microbial hydrogen consumption and ensure competitive hydrogen density. When these factors are considered together, the most prospective known closures for hydrogen storage appear to be those of the Bream and Luderick gas fields. Remora, SE Remora and North Turrum gas fields also look promising.

Open-Access Online Publication: May 31, 2023