2014 Greenhouse Gas Storage Assessment Acreage Release Areas

In 2014, the Australian Government released offshore acreage for greenhouse gas storage assessment acreage. These areas are in the Gippsland Basin, offshore Victoria:

• VIC14-GHG-1
• VIC14-GHG-2
• VIC14-GHG-3

Since acreage was awarded in 2015 they have been investigated to see if they are suitable to store greenhouse gas.

This Information—which includes the area map, block listing, special notices and guidelines—was released in 2014.

Release areas

• Located in a world-class producing petroleum province
• Shallow water depths (15–50m)
• Moderate seismic and well coverage
• CO2 storage plays in anticlines, fault sealed anticlines and saline aquifer stratigraphic traps
• Located proximal to CO2 sources and infrastructure
• Special Notices apply, to each release area.

The Assessment Areas straddle the shallow shelfal portion of Bass Strait where water depth range from 15 to 50 metres. The areas are located in the western Central Deep part of the basin, adjacent to the onshore Seaspray Depression and overlap the western portion of the Southern Terrace.

Geological control is provided by exploration wells and seismic surveys of varying quality that have tested top-Latrobe Group and intra-Latrobe Group petroleum targets.

Indicative oil and gas discoveries at Barracouta, Dolphin, Golden Beach, Perch, Seahorse, Tarwhine, Mulloway and Whiptail, demonstrate the existence of top-Latrobe and numerous intra-Latrobe reservoir and seal pairs in the Area.

Guidance material

GHG Assessments Permits - Requirements of Bids and Renewal Applications [166KB PDF] [50KB DOCX]

GHG Acreage Release General and special notices [199KB PDF] [263KB DOCX]

GHG Acreage Release Legislative Framework [308KB PDF] [225KB DOCX]

Contact us

Email ghgacreage@industry.gov.au

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