Destructive Analysis - X-ray diffraction results on Kinmore 1, Petrel Sub-basin

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is anticipated to play a crucial role in balancing fluctuations in renewable energy supply and demand, while also providing necessary seasonal storage capability to support Australia’s electricity network. Among the various options for hydrogen storage, salt (halite) caverns are preferred given their large scale, stability, comparatively low cost, and high rates of injection and withdrawal. 

Through Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative, Geoscience Australia is conducting a study on thick salt distribution in the offshore Petrel Sub-basin as a prospective area for UHS. This study aims to provide pre-competitive geoscience information on new prospective UHS locations, helping to lower investment risk and support Australia’s transition to net zero emissions. The prospective UHS site is located at Kinmore structure, approximately 26 km offshore Northern Territory, at a water depth of around 29 m. The Kinmore area contains extensive halite deposits distributed over approximately 45 km2 (around 6.7 km N-S and 8.5 km E-W) in an anticlinal structure near the Kinmore 1 well.  

As part of this study, Sietronics Pty Ltd, under contract to Geoscience Australia, conducted X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis on fourteen cuttings samples from Kinmore 1 well in the Kinmore structure of the Petrel Sub-basin. The analysis was performed to determine the mineral composition of Silurian-Devonian massive salt diapir, which is essential for assessing the suitability of each salt formation for UHS. The results of the XRD analysis are presented in this report.