Publicly available data was compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, and environmental and regulatory decisions in the Cooper Basin. This web service summarises the geological storage of carbon dioxide prospectivity of the Cooper Basin.

Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Cooper Basin region. This web service summarises salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water–groundwater interactions for the Lake Eyre Basin located within the Cooper Basin region.

Publicly available geology data are compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, environmental and regulatory decisions in the Cooper Basin region. This data guide gives examples of how these data can be used and supports the data package that provides the existing knowledge of the key geological intervals of the Cooper Basin and the overlying Eromanga and Lake Eyre basins. The key geological intervals identified by the Trusted Environmental and Geological Information (TEGI) Program for resource assessment and groundwater system characterisation are termed play intervals and hydrostratigraphic intervals respectively. The Cooper Basin includes 7 plays, which are consolidated into 1 hydrostratigraphic interval. Overlying the Cooper Basin are 9 play intervals of the Eromanga Basin, which are consolidated into 7 hydrostratigraphic intervals and 1 Cenozoic play interval and 1 hydrostratigraphic interval for the Lake Eyre Basin. The geological groups and formations included in the play and hydrostratigraphic intervals are summarised in the stratigraphic charts of Wainman et al. (2023). Gross depositional, depth structure and thickness maps are provided with 3D model and cross-sections summarising the geology of the Cooper Basin and the overlying basins. The mapped depths and thicknesses of the key intervals are used to inform resource assessments and provide the framework for assigning groundwater data to hydrostratigraphic intervals.

<div>We have investigated whether water-saturated residual oil zones (ROZs), sometimes associated with conventional Australian hydrocarbon plays, could provide a CO2 storage resource and supplement depleted field storage. Our petrophysical study demonstrates that ROZs occur in Australia’s hydrocarbon-rich regions, particularly in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin. ROZs with more than 10% residual oil saturation are uncommon, likely due to small original oil columns and lower residual saturations retained in sandstone reservoirs than in classic, carbonate-hosted North American ROZs. Extensive, reservoir-quality rock is found below the deepest occurring conventional oil in many of the fields in the Eromanga Basin, potentially offering significant CO2 storage capacity. Multiphase compositional flow modelling was used to estimate the CO2 storage efficiency of typical Australian ROZs. We developed a novel modelling methodology that first captures oil migration events leading to the formation of ROZs. Modelling CO2 storage over a 20-year injection period demonstrates that CO2-oil interactions increase the density and viscosity of CO2, enhancing CO2 sweep efficiency and lateral flow, improving storage efficiency. The extent of these effects depends on the quantity and spatial distribution of residual oil in place and the miscibility of CO2 at reservoir conditions. Presented at the Australian Energy Producers (AEP) Conference & Exhibition (https://energyproducersconference.au/conference/)

Publicly available data was compiled to provide a common information base for resource development, and environmental and regulatory decisions in the Cooper 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 Cooper Basin. The geological storage of CO2 assessment for the Cooper Basin encompasses 4 of the 6 geological intervals, termed plays – these intervals have been defined by Wainman et al. (2023). The assessment captures data from the Great Artesian Basin geological and hydrogeological surfaces update (Vizy and Rollet, 2022), Cooper Region Shale, tight and deep coal gas prospectivity of the Cooper Basin (Lech et al., 2020) (GBA), Cooper Basin architecture and lithofacies: Regional hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Cooper Basin (Hall et al., 2015) (CBAL), National Geoscience Mapping Accord Cooper and Eromanga Basins, Australia, seismic mapping data sets (NGMA, 2002), Queensland Petroleum Exploration Database (QPED) from the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) Open Data Portal (2020a), and the Petroleum Exploration and Production System of South Australia (PEPS, 2021) along with the scientific literature to inform the 4 components required for a potential geological storage of CO2 system. These datasets are used to map out geological properties relevant for geological storage of CO2 assessments. 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 working geological storage of CO2 system is 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 interval and basin scale. As an example of assessments contained within the data package, this data guide showcases the geological storage of CO2 prospectivity the Toolachee 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 baseline surface water data are compiled to provide a common information base for resource development and regulatory decisions in the Cooper Basin region. This data guide captures existing knowledge of the catchments and watercourses overlying the Cooper Basin, including streamflow quality and quantity, inundation, and climatological data. The Cooper Basin underlies 3 surface water catchments: the Diamantina River, Cooper Creek and Bulloo River. All 3 rivers follow a similar flow pattern, with most of the run-off generated in the higher rainfall headwater areas (outside the Cooper Basin) before flowing down into extensive floodplains and ending up in terminal lake systems. The data on the catchments overlying the Cooper Basin have been summarised at a point in time to inform decisions on resource development activities. Key data sources are the Water Monitoring Information Portal (Queensland Government), Water Data Online (Bureau of Meteorology), DEA Water Observations (Geoscience Australia) and Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network.

Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Cooper 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 Cooper Basin aquifers and their properties, including salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water interactions. The methods used to derive these data for the Cooper Basin aquifer are outlined in the associated metadata files. These are described in groundwater conceptualisation models (Gouramanis et al., 2023). The Cooper Basin includes one broadly defined aquifer named the Nappamerri Group aquifer. Compiled data are assigned to these intervals and used to characterise groundwater systems at the basin scale. The data are compiled for a point-in-time to inform decisions on potential resource developments in the Basin. The available historical groundwater data can be used to assess the potential effects on groundwater. 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.

<div>The Australian Government's Trusted Environmental and Geological Information (TEGI) program is a collaboration between Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO that aims to provide access to baseline geological and environmental data and information for strategically important geological basins. The initial geological focus is on the north Bowen, Galilee, Cooper, Adavale, and their overlying basins. This paper presents seven stratigraphic frameworks from these basin regions that underpin groundwater, environmental and resource assessments, identify intervals of resource potential, and can assist in management of associated risks to groundwater resources and other environmental assets. The construction of stratigraphic frameworks for this program builds upon existing lithostratigraphic schemes to capture the current state of knowledge. The frameworks incorporate play divisions for resource and hydrogeological assessments. A total of 33 play intervals are defined for the north Bowen, Galilee, Cooper, Adavale, and their overlying basins, using chronostratigraphic principles. Where possible, unconformities and flooding surfaces are used to define the lower and upper limits of plays. Data availability and temporal resolution are considered in capturing significant changes in gross depositional environments. The results from this work enable the consistent assessment of shared play intervals between basins, and also highlight uncertainties in the age and correlation of lithostratigraphic units, notably in the Galilee and north Bowen Basins.</div> This presentation was given at the 2023 Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC) 13-18 March, Brisbane (https://2023.aegc.com.au/)

Publicly available groundwater data have been compiled to provide a common information base to inform environmental, resource development and regulatory decisions in the Cooper Basin region. This web service summarises salinity, water levels, resource size, potential aquifer yield and surface water–groundwater interactions for the Lake Eyre Basin located within the Cooper Basin region.