Beetaloo gas, hydrogen and geothermal resources – insights from 3D basin modelling
Mohinudeen Faiz A * , Vincent Crombez B E , Claudio Delle Piane B , Laurent Langhi B , Nicholas Lupton C and Juan Carlos Hidalgo DA
B
C
D
E Present address:
Mohinudeen Faiz is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Energy focussing on the application of basin modelling to analyse petroleum systems and low-emission energy sources. Faiz holds PhD and MSc degrees from the University of Wollongong. Faiz is a member of AAPG, PESA and ICCP. |
Vincent Crombez is a Senior Geologist with Encounter Resources Ltd. Prior to this, he worked for the CSIRO. Over his career, he has worked on different basins located in various countries, including Canada, Argentina, Greece, Morocco, and Australia. He holds a PhD in geosciences from Sorbonne Université (Paris, France). |
Dr Claudio Delle Piane is a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO’s Energy Resources Research Program. He is a geologist with a degree in Earth Sciences from the Roma III University in Italy and a PhD in Geology from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute (ETH) of Zurich. |
Laurent Langhi is a Senior Principal Geoscientist at CSIRO Energy with over 20 years of experience in energy exploration and production globally. With an MSc and PhD in Geology and Geophysics, his expertise includes subsurface imaging and modelling, trap integrity and the influence of structures and geomechanics on fluid flow. |
Nicholas Lupton is a Senior Reservoir Engineer at CSIRO Energy, focussing on experimental characterisation of fluid flow and storage in the subsurface, and resources industry environmental impacts. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from UNSW. |
Juan Carlos Hidalgo is the Petromod Product Champion and Principal Exploration Geology consultant at slb. He holds an MSc in Basin Petroleum System Analysis from Jacobs University, Bremen-Germany. He has over 20 years of experience in basin analysis, petroleum system modelling, play and prospect assessment, reservoir characterisation, and CO2 site screening. |
Abstract
The Beetaloo Sub-basin hosts a large proven shale gas resource, and this study demonstrates the opportunities for other low-emission energy sources including geothermal energy and natural hydrogen. CSIRO has developed a 3D basin model that predicts reservoir rock properties, pore pressure, composition of hydrocarbons and gas capacity of the Velkerri and Kyalla shales. Kinetic modelling also demonstrates that where Velkerri shale is overmature for hydrocarbons it potentially generated significant amounts of free molecular hydrogen. However, the proportion of this hydrogen currently preserved in the basin is unknown. The model also reveals considerable temperature anomalies around specific structural domains with heat flow up to 100 mW/m−2, and these are likely associated with radiogenic basement lithologies. These thermal domains are targets to further investigate geothermal and natural hydrogen resource potential in the Beetaloo Sub-basin.
Keywords: Beetaloo Sub-basin, gas adsorption, geothermal energy, heat flow, Kyalla, Mesoproterozoic, natural hydrogen, oil, over-pressure, shale gas, Velkerri.
Mohinudeen Faiz is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Energy focussing on the application of basin modelling to analyse petroleum systems and low-emission energy sources. Faiz holds PhD and MSc degrees from the University of Wollongong. Faiz is a member of AAPG, PESA and ICCP. |
Vincent Crombez is a Senior Geologist with Encounter Resources Ltd. Prior to this, he worked for the CSIRO. Over his career, he has worked on different basins located in various countries, including Canada, Argentina, Greece, Morocco, and Australia. He holds a PhD in geosciences from Sorbonne Université (Paris, France). |
Dr Claudio Delle Piane is a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO’s Energy Resources Research Program. He is a geologist with a degree in Earth Sciences from the Roma III University in Italy and a PhD in Geology from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute (ETH) of Zurich. |
Laurent Langhi is a Senior Principal Geoscientist at CSIRO Energy with over 20 years of experience in energy exploration and production globally. With an MSc and PhD in Geology and Geophysics, his expertise includes subsurface imaging and modelling, trap integrity and the influence of structures and geomechanics on fluid flow. |
Nicholas Lupton is a Senior Reservoir Engineer at CSIRO Energy, focussing on experimental characterisation of fluid flow and storage in the subsurface, and resources industry environmental impacts. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Engineering from UNSW. |
Juan Carlos Hidalgo is the Petromod Product Champion and Principal Exploration Geology consultant at slb. He holds an MSc in Basin Petroleum System Analysis from Jacobs University, Bremen-Germany. He has over 20 years of experience in basin analysis, petroleum system modelling, play and prospect assessment, reservoir characterisation, and CO2 site screening. |
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