State Gas eyes carbon management in Queensland

Australian gas company State Gas has agreed on terms with minerals company Rockminsolutions for a joint venture for a carbon management project in central Queensland, it said on May 9. The parties initially entered into a memorandum of understanding last year.

The joint venture will investigate the potential of the Buckland Basaltic Sequence, located within EPM 27596, and adjacent to the western area of State Gas' Rolleston-West Project ATP 2062, to enable decarbonisation through carbon mineralisation, either in- and ex-situ.

The Buckland Basaltic Sequence is an extensive area of tertiary aged basaltic ignimbrites up to 330 m thick. The particular characteristics of this deposit suggest very high permeability and porosity, facilitating the availability of the minerals within the basalt to react rapidly with carbon dioxide, State Gas said.

"While State Gas remains focussed on development of its Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West Gas Projects, the carbon mineralisation approach has the potential to be a gamechanger in carbon management," State Gas executive chairman, Richard Cottee, said. "Carbon management is an increasingly pressing need as we move towards a net zero world, and I am very pleased State Gas is playing its part."

Under the terms of the joint venture, State Gas will undertake investigatory works to progressively farm-in to Rockminsolutions' EPM 27596. Initial works of drilling two chipholes into the formation are expected to be undertaken this year. These holes will provide samples for laboratory analysis and to commence the ex-situ studies, State Gas said.