Authors / CoAuthors
Connors, K.A. | Wong, S. | Vilhena, J.F.M. | Rees, S. | Feitz, A.
Abstract
The discovery of strategically located salt structures, which meet the requirements for geological storage of hydrogen, is crucial to meeting Australia’s ambitions to become a major hydrogen producer, user and exporter. The use of the AusAEM airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey’s conductivity sections, integrated with multidisciplinary geoscientific datasets, provides an excellent tool for investigating the near-surface effects of salt-related structures, and contributes to assessment of their potential for underground geological hydrogen storage. Currently known salt in the Canning Basin includes the Mallowa and Minjoo salt units. The Mallowa Salt is 600-800 m thick over an area of 150 × 200 km, where it lies within the depth range prospective for hydrogen storage (500-1800 m below surface), whereas the underlying Minjoo Salt is generally less than 100 m thick within its much smaller prospective depth zone. The modelled AEM sections penetrate to ~500 m from the surface, however, the salt rarely reaches this level. We therefore investigate the shallow stratigraphy of the AEM sections for evidence of the presence of underlying salt or for the influence of salt movement evident by disruption of near-surface electrically conductive horizons. These horizons occur in several stratigraphic units, mainly of Carboniferous to Cretaceous age. Only a few examples of localised folding/faulting have been noted in the shallow conductive stratigraphy that have potentially formed above isolated salt domes. Distinct zones of disruption within the shallow conductive stratigraphy generally occur along the margins of the present-day salt depocentre, resulting from dissolution and movement of salt during several stages. This study demonstrates the potential AEM has to assist in mapping salt-related structures, with implications for geological storage of hydrogen. In addition, this study produces a regional near-surface multilayered chronostratigraphic interpretation, which contributes to constructing a 3D national geological architecture, in support of environmental management, hazard mapping and resource exploration. <b>Citation: </b>Connors K. A., Wong S. C. T., Vilhena J. F. M., Rees S. W. & Feitz A. J., 2022. Canning Basin AusAEM interpretation: multilayered chronostratigraphic mapping and investigating hydrogen storage potential. In: Czarnota, K (ed.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, https://dx.doi.org/10.26186/146376
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document
eCat Id
146376
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
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Keywords
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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- GEOPHYSICSEARTH SCIENCESPower and Energy Systems Engineering (excl. Renewable Power)ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESEnergy Generation, Conversion and Storage EngineeringOTHER EARTH SCIENCESGEOLOGY
- ( Project )
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- Exploring for the Future
- ( Project )
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- EFTF
- ( Product )
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- AusAEM
- ( Instrument )
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- Airborne Electromagnetics
- ( Place )
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- Canning Basin
- ( Feature type )
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- Hydrogen
- ( Feature type )
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- Salt
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- Australia's Future Energy Resources
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- Australia's Resources Framework
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- Published_External
Publication Date
2022-08-07T23:01:39
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onGoing
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EFTF Extended Abstract
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asNeeded
Topic Category
geoscientificInformation structure environment
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This study was conducted as part of Geoscience Australia’s Australia’s Future Energy Resources (AFER) and Australia’s Resources Framework (ARF) projects, in the Exploring for the Future program. The investigation of salt-related features for geological storage of hydrogen builds on the work of the Hydrogen Studies module in the AFER project. The multilayered chronostratigraphic mapping supports the National Geological Mapping module in the ARF project. This chronostratigraphic mapping uses an updated version of the interpretation workflow that was used to interpret the AusAEM1 survey, and contributes to the national multilayered chronostratigraphic interpretation of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data. The multilayered interpretation data produced in this study continues to provide attributed AEM interpretations to Geoscience Australia’s Estimates of Geological and Geophysical Surfaces database.
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GDA94 / MGA zone 51 (EPSG:28351)
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