<p>Here in Gippsland Victoria, we have a project to store CO2 in offshore wells. The project was originally set up for the purpose of producing blue hydrogen, but is being touted as a storage solution for any captured industry emissions.</p>
<p><a href="https://djsir.vic.gov.au/carbonnet/about-the-project" rel="nofollow noreferrer">About the CarbonNet Project</a></p>
<p>They have called the structure Pelican, and they believe it will hold CO2 indefinitely.</p>
<p>My concern is that this structure has never had hydrocarbons, so the confidence in this structure being able to hold CO2 emissions for thousands of years is based on their confidence that they have tested this thoroughly. One would have to assume that the structures lack of hydrocarbons then is a result of having no source (organic rich) strata below or that there were no means by which hydrocarbons could have migrated into this structure.</p>
<p>I am not perfectly familiar with the local geology here, but I can point out that to the East was one of Australia's richest oil/gas fields (now mostly depleted) and to the west the Cretaceous formations outcrop along the coast and are Cretaceous fluvial sandstones rich in small coal seams.</p>
<p>I am interested in informed opinions here about the risk assessment.</p>
<p>Do you think a dry anticline structure can be trusted to store fossil fuel CO2 emissions?</p>
<p>Is it really possible to test such a structure for integrity and confidently use it to sequester CO2?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-23T11:20:30.427Z
I don’t see why it would hold hydrogen but not co2
Harrychink
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-23T21:38:29.690Z
I am not sure what your point is? It is currently holding water, but that does not require a seal.
I am not proposing this well should be used for storing hydrogen!
Gordon Rouse
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-17T05:20:46.453Z
I think I may have misunderstood your comment - I did mention blue hydrogen, but this refers to an industrial concept of producing hydrogen from coal reacting with water, which produces H2, CO and CO2. The hydrogen is called 'blue' on the assumption that the carbon emissions can be captured and stored. There is no intent to store hydrogen.
Gordon Rouse
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-17T12:55:49.847Z
Ahh ok i thought you meant hydrogen was being extracted from the porous rock
Harrychink
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-17T12:56:21.660Z
Ahh ok i thought you meant hydrogen was being extracted from the porous rock
Harrychink
<climate-change><co2><geoengineering><drilling>
Storing CO2 in porous reservoirs that have never had hydrocarbons - can the well integrity be assumed?
Gordon Rouse
# Storing CO2 in porous reservoirs that have never had hydrocarbons - can the well integrity be assumed?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-07-21)

Here in Gippsland Victoria, we have a project to store CO2 in offshore wells. The project was originally set up for the purpose of producing blue hydrogen, but is being touted as a storage solution for any captured industry emissions.

[About the CarbonNet Project](https://djsir.vic.gov.au/carbonnet/about-the-project)

They have called the structure Pelican, and they believe it will hold CO2 indefinitely.

My concern is that this structure has never had hydrocarbons, so the confidence in this structure being able to hold CO2 emissions for thousands of years is based on their confidence that they have tested this thoroughly. One would have to assume that the structures lack of hydrocarbons then is a result of having no source (organic rich) strata below or that there were no means by which hydrocarbons could have migrated into this structure.

I am not perfectly familiar with the local geology here, but I can point out that to the East was one of Australia's richest oil/gas fields (now mostly depleted) and to the west the Cretaceous formations outcrop along the coast and are Cretaceous fluvial sandstones rich in small coal seams.

I am interested in informed opinions here about the risk assessment.

Do you think a dry anticline structure can be trusted to store fossil fuel CO2 emissions?

Is it really possible to test such a structure for integrity and confidently use it to sequester CO2?

**Tags:** climate-change, co2, geoengineering, drilling

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don’t see why it would hold hydrogen but not co2  
> **username_0**: I am not sure what your point is? It is currently holding water, but that does not require a seal. I am not proposing this well should be used for storing hydrogen!  
> **username_0**: I think I may have misunderstood your comment - I did mention blue hydrogen, but this refers to an industrial concept of producing hydrogen from coal reacting with water, which produces H2, CO and CO2. The hydrogen is called 'blue' on the assumption that the carbon emissions can be captured and stored. There is no intent to store hydrogen.  
> **username_1**: Ahh ok i thought you meant hydrogen was being extracted from the porous rock  
> **username_1**: Ahh ok i thought you meant hydrogen was being extracted from the porous rock  

---

## 0 answers

