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Journal of the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA)
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Non peer reviewed)

Success factors in the creation of a CCS Hub

Phil Grainger A * and Steve Ovenden A
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A INPEX, 22/100 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.

* Correspondence to: Phil.Grainger@Inpex.com.au

The APPEA Journal 63 S379-S381 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22203
Accepted: 31 March 2023   Published: 11 May 2023

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from industrial processes including gas processing and heavy industry. INPEX has a corporate goal to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 30% or more by 2030 on a path to net zero by 2050. Central to these goals is reduction of emissions associated with the Ichthys LNG operation, located on the Middle Arm of Darwin Harbour. Key to the reduction of emissions from Ichthys LNG is the development of a large-scale efficient CCS facility close to Darwin. To this end, INPEX (as Operator) and Joint Venture participants TotalEnergies and Woodside Energy were recently awarded the G-7-AP block in the promising Petrel Sub-basin. The work program associated with this bid includes new 3D seismic, a two-well-appraisal drilling campaign and a comprehensive post-well analysis program to prove up the previously identified storage intervals and allow INPEX to determine the potential storage capacities of these intervals. Scale is a critical driver of the efficiency of a storage solution, so INPEX is working collaboratively with wider industry, government and the CSIRO on the development of the Northern Territory Low Emissions Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Hub business case which seeks to identify and map the pathway for the development of a large-scale multi-sink carbon storage network. This paper will provide an update on INPEX’s vision for the role it intends to play in the development of this Hub.

Keywords: carbon capture and storage, CCS, collaboration, Darwin, decarbonising, economies of scale, hub, Middle Arm, sequestration.

Phil has worked for INPEX since 2010 in commercial roles. He started in the GHG management team at the time INPEX was doing initial evaluation work on implementation of CCS for the Ichthys Project. In his current role, his responsibilities include formulation of development plans which ensure INPEX’s long-term success in Australia, and has specific responsibility for developing CCS in Darwin. Prior to joining INPEX, Phil worked for BP for 26 years, mostly in its Refining Segment, with assignments in London, Scotland, Perth and Los Angeles. He enjoyed roles in operations, engineering and project management before moving into commercial management for the last 10 years of his time with BP. Phil holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Loughborough University in England, starting out with BP’s Engineering Department in London in 1983.

Steve joined INPEX in August 2022 as General Manager for Growth, where he is responsible for INPEX’s Bonaparte CCS opportunity in the Petrel Sub-basin offshore Darwin, as well as other growth-related business development and optimisation activities in Australia. Previously, Steve spent close to 20 years with US energy major ConocoPhillips, where he held various roles, across Australia and the US, of increasing responsibility in engineering, operations, commercial, strategy and planning, and asset management, culminating in being named interim President of the Australia-West Business Unit. In 2020, he transferred to Santos as part of the sale by ConocoPhillips of their Australia-West assets to Santos and was Vice President WA, responsible for Santos’ Upstream Business in WA. Steve graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor’s degree (honours) in Chemical Engineering from Curtin University and in 2007 received his Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Western Australia.


References

bp global (2020) New collaboration to develop offshore CCUS infrastructure | News and insights | Home. Available at https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/reimagining-energy/northern-endurance-partnership-to-develop-offshore-ccus-infrastructure.html [Accessed 30 March 2023]