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Australian salt basins – options for underground hydrogen storage - paper presented at the 2023 APPEA Conference

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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As Australia and the world transition to net zero emissions, hydrogen will continue to grow in importance as a clean energy source, with underground hydrogen storage (UHS) expected to be a key component of this new industry. Salt (halite) caverns are a preferred storage option for hydrogen, given their scale, stability and the high injection and withdrawal rates they can support. The use of salt caverns for storing gas is an established industry in North America and Europe but not in Australia, where exploration for suitable storage locations is in the initial frontier stages. Australia’s known major halite deposits occur in Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic sequences and are predominantly located in western and central Australia. This analysis has identified potential in eastern Australia in addition to the proven thick halite in the Adavale Basin, Queensland. Building on Geoscience Australia’s previous salt studies in the Canning, Polda and Adavale basins, this study expands the portfolio of areas prospective for halite in onshore and offshore basins using both direct and indirect evidence. The study correlates paleogeography and paleoclimate reconstructions with evidence of salt in wells, and in geophysical and geochemical data. Salt cavern design for UHS, the solution mining process, and the preferred salt deposits are also discussed. The results will provide pre-competitive information through a comprehensive inventory of areas that may be prospective for UHS. Published in The APPEA Journal 63 285-304 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22153

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Field Value
Title Australian salt basins – options for underground hydrogen storage - paper presented at the 2023 APPEA Conference
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/a6dd0640-7813-45fe-8e75-e0d460e414f8
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 08/04/2019
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Australian salt basins – options for underground hydrogen storage - paper presented at the 2023 APPEA Conference". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/australian-salt-basins-options-for-underground-hydrogen-storage-paper-presented-at-the-2023-app