The potential for hydrogen production in the Galilee Basin region is assessed to provide a joint information base for hydrogen generation potential from renewable energy, groundwater and natural gas coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Hydrogen generation requires water, whether using electrolysis with renewable energy or steam methane reforming (SMR) of gas with CCS. The data package includes the regional renewable energy capacity factor, aquifers and their properties (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity), natural gas resources, and geological storage potential of carbon dioxide (CO2). This data guide gives examples of how the compiled data can be used. The renewable hydrogen potential is assessed based on renewable energy capacity factor and groundwater information (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity). Nine aquifers from the Galilee and overlying Eromanga and the Lake Eyre basins are included in the assessment. The Galilee Basin region has low renewable hydrogen potential except for small areas in the north, south and south-west. Although the renewable energy capacity factor in the basin is high, aquifers tend to have poor groundwater reserves or storativity, which results in lower overall renewable hydrogen potential. The Galilee Basin contains modest contingent gas resources, while sizeable gas reserves and contingent resources were identified in the overlying Eromanga Basin (Geoscience Australia, 2022). The geological CO2 storage assessment suggests that the Betts Creek - Rewan Play interval is the most prospective for CCS, with the highest potential around the central basin region. Further work on identifying detailed gas potential is needed to assess hydrogen generation potential from gas.

Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Galilee Basin region. This data guide gives examples of how these data can be used. The data package included with this data guide captures existing knowledge of Lake Eyre Basin aquifers in the Galilee Basin region and their properties, including salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and indicators of surface water interactions. The methods used to derive these data for the Lake Eyre Basin aquifer in the Galilee Basin region are outlined in the associated metadata files. These are described in groundwater conceptualisation models (Hostetler et al., 2023). The Lake Eyre Basin overlying the Galilee Basin includes one broadly defined aquifer that includes multiple aquifer systems that are defined as Cenozoic aquifers. Compiled data was assigned to this interval and were used to characterise groundwater systems at the basin scale. The data are compiled for a point-in-time to inform decisions on resource development activities Basin. The available historical groundwater data can be used to assess the potential effects on groundwater for different development scenarios. The data can also be used for other purposes, such as exploring unallocated groundwater resource potential. Data to January 2022 are used for this compilation.

Across Australia, groundwater is a vital resource that supports and strengthens communities, culture, the environment and numerous industries. Movement of groundwater is complicated, taking place horizontally, vertically and across different timescales from weeks to millions of years. It is affected by changes in climate, human use and geological complexities such as the type, geometry and distribution of rocks. Understanding how all these factors interact is known as a groundwater conceptual model and it is an important first step. This groundwater conceptualisation includes the Adavale Basin and the overlying Galilee Basin. Conceptualisation of the Galilee, Eromanga and Lake Eyre basins can be found in Hostetler et al. (2023). In the Adavale Basin this includes 1 aquifer in the Lake Eyre Basin, 5 aquifers in the Eromanga Basin, 3 aquifers in the Galilee Basin and 1 aquifer in the Adavale Basin (Wainman et al., 2023a, b). Confidence for each aquifer was calculated for both salinity and water levels (Gouramanis et al., 2023a, b, c, d). The confidence for each aquifer was added to show the overall confidence for the basin. The level of knowledge across all aquifers are moderate to low. The groundwater conceptualisations summarises the groundwater flow and potential connectivity between aquifers. Figures in this fact sheet show the distribution of the aquifers and aquitards, average salinity, potential aquifer yield and confidence over an area of 50 km along the cross section lines.

Publicly available geological data in the Galilee Basin region are compiled to produce statements of existing knowledge for natural hydrogen, hydrogen storage, coal and mineral occurrences. This data guide also contains assessment of the potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) geological storage and minerals in the basin region. The mineral occurrences are mostly found in the overlying basins, and they are often small and of little economic significance. There are some exceptions, such as the Lilyvale vanadium deposit found in the northern Galilee region, in the overlying Eromanga Basin. The Galilee Basin has limited potential for uranium and precious metal deposits due to relative lack of suitable formation conditions, but the depth of much of the basin makes exploration and mining difficult and expensive. There are some large coal measures found in the Galilee Basin, with 17 deposits in the Galilee and overlying Eromanga basins, containing about 38 billion tonnes of black coal. An assessment of geological storage of CO2 potential suggests the Galilee Basin Betts Creek - Rewan Play is the most prospective for storing CO2, with the highest potential around the central basin region. There are no reports of natural hydrogen in the Galilee Basin.

Publicly available data was compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, and environmental and regulatory decisions in the Adavale Basin. This data guide gives examples of how these data can be used to create the components of a workflow to identify geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) opportunities. The data guide is designed to support the data package that provide insights on the geological storage of CO2 in the Adavale Basin. The geological storage assessment for the Adavale Basin encompasses 8 geological intervals, termed plays – these intervals have been defined by Wainman et al. (2023). The assessment captures data from well completion reports and government data sources (e.g. Queensland Petroleum Exploration Database (QPED) from the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) Open Data Portal) to inform the 4 components required for a potential geological storage of CO2 system. Thirty-nine boreholes in the Adavale Basin were used to map out gross depositional environments and their geological properties relevant for geological storage of CO2. From these datasets, the following properties have been evaluated and mapped across the basin: injectivity, storage efficiency, containment and structural complexity. The data are compiled at a point in time to inform decisions on resource development opportunities. The data guide outlines the play-based workflow for assessing geological storage of CO2 prospectivity. Each of the elements required for a prospective geological storage of CO2 system are explained and mapped. These data were then merged and spatially multiplied to show the relative assessment of geological storage of CO2 prospectivity across the basin at both play and basin scale. As an example of assessments contained within the data package, this data guide showcases the geological storage of CO2 prospectivity in the Gumbardo Play interval.

The potential for hydrogen production in the Cooper Basin region is assessed to provide a joint information base for hydrogen generation potential from renewable energy, groundwater, and natural gas coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Hydrogen generation requires water, whether using electrolysis with renewable energy or steam methane reforming (SMR) of gas with CCS. The data package includes the regional renewable energy capacity factor, aquifers and their properties (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity), and geological storage potential of carbon dioxide (CO2). This data guide gives examples of how the compiled data can be used. The renewable hydrogen potential is assessed based on renewable energy capacity factor and groundwater information (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity). Three aquifers from overlying basins (Eromanga and Lake Eyre basins) are included in the assessment. The Cooper Basin region has high renewable hydrogen potential. The presence of good aquifer throughout the basin combined with high renewable energy capacity factor resulted in significant areas with high hydrogen potential. The Cooper Basin has significant hydrocarbon resources, primarily for gas (Geoscience Australia, 2022). Although most known hydrocarbon resources have depleted since production began in the 1960s (Smith et al., 2015), a large amount of gas remains, including conventional gas (1,058 PJ reserves and 1,598 PJ resources) and unconventional basin-centred gas (2,265 PJ resources). An assessment in the overlying Eromanga Basin suggests that most areas over the Cooper Basin are prospective for potential CO2 geological storage (Bradshaw et al., 2023). Further work on identifying detailed gas potential is needed to assess hydrogen generation potential from SMR coupled with CCS.

Publicly available data was compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, environmental and regulatory decisions in the Eromanga Basin region. This data guide gives an example of how these data can be used to create the components of a workflow to identify unconventional hydrocarbon resource opportunities. The data guide is designed to support the data package that provide insights on unconventional hydrocarbon resources in the Eromanga Basin. The unconventional hydrocarbon assessment for the Eromanga Basin includes shale resources (shale oil and gas) and coal seam gas for 6 of the 9 geological intervals, termed plays – these intervals have been defined by Wainman et al. (2023a, 2023b). Tight gas was not assessed due to play intervals lying above the zone of significant overpressure zone (2,800 m below ground level) in the Cooper-Eromanga region. The assessment captures data from well completion reports and government data sources to inform the components required for unconventional hydrocarbons to be present in the Eromanga Basin. The assessment captures data from the Great Artesian Basin geological and hydrogeological surfaces update (Vizy and Rollet, 2022), the Queensland Petroleum Exploration Database (QPED) from the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) Open Data Portal (2020a), the Petroleum Exploration and Production System of South Australia (PEPS, 2021) and Draper 2002. These datasets were used to map out gross depositional environments and their geological properties relevant for unconventional hydrocarbon assessments. The data are compiled at a point in time to inform decisions on resource development activities. The data guide will outline the play-based workflow for assessing unconventional hydrocarbon prospectivity. Each of the elements required for a prospective unconventional hydrocarbon system is explained and mapped. These data are integrated and merged to show the relative assessment of unconventional prospectivity across the basin, at both play interval and basin scale. As an example of assessments contained within the dataset, this data guide showcases the prospectivity of shale resources in the Birkhead Play interval.

Publicly available data was compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, environmental and regulatory decisions in the north Bowen Basin. This web service summarises oil and gas prospectivity of the north Bowen Basin.

The potential for hydrogen production in the Adavale Basin region is assessed to provide a joint information base for hydrogen generation potential from renewable energy, groundwater, and natural gas coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Hydrogen generation requires water, whether using electrolysis with renewable energy or steam methane reforming (SMR) with CCS. The data package includes the regional renewable energy capacity factor, aquifers and their properties (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity), natural gas resources, and geological storage potential for carbon dioxide (CO2). This data guide gives examples of how the compiled data can be used. The renewable hydrogen potential is assessed based on renewable energy capacity factor and groundwater information (potential yield, salinity, and reserves or storativity). Eight aquifers from overlying basins (Galilee, Eromanga and Lake Eyre basins) are included in the assessment. The Adavale Basin region has low renewable hydrogen potential, except for some locations in the south-east and south-west. Although the renewable energy capacity factor in the basin is high, aquifers tend to have poor groundwater reserves or storativity, which results in lower overall renewable hydrogen potential. The Adavale Basin itself has no newly identified gas accumulation. However, gas reserves and contingent resources were identified in the overlying Galilee and Eromanga basins (Geoscience Australia, 2022). An assessment of CO2 geological storage also shows prospective storage areas in the Eromanga Basin within the Adavale Basin region (Bradshaw et al., 2023). Further work on identifying detailed gas potential is needed to assess hydrogen generation potential from gas.

Across Australia, groundwater is a vital resource that supports and strengthens communities, culture, the environment and numerous industries. Movement of groundwater is complicated, taking place horizontally, vertically and across different timescales from weeks to millions of years. It is affected by changes in climate, human use, and geological complexities such as the type, geometry and distribution of rocks. Understanding how all these factors interact is known as a groundwater conceptual model and it is an important first step. This groundwater conceptualisation includes the Galilee Basin and the overlying Eromanga and Lake Eyre basins and other Cenozoic units as well as surface-groundwater interactions. Figure 1 shows the locations of the cross sections used to conceptualise groundwater in the Galilee Basin region. In the Galilee Basin extended region this includes 1 aquifer in the Lake Eyre Basin, 5 aquifers in the Eromanga Basin and 3 aquifers in the Galilee Basin (Wainman et al., 2023a, b). Confidence for each aquifer was calculated for both salinity and water levels (Hostetler et al., 2023a, b, c). The confidence for each aquifer was added to show the overall confidence for the basin. The level of knowledge across all aquifers are moderate to low. The groundwater conceptualisations summarise the groundwater flow and potential connectivity between aquifers. Figures also show the distribution of the aquifers and aquitards, average salinity, potential aquifer yield and confidence over an area of 50 km along the cross section lines.