The Bonaparte CCS joint venture, involving Inpex Corporation, TotalEnergies and Woodside Energy, has started pre-fronte-end engineering design (pre-FEED) work to support the development of the Bonaparte carbon capture and storage (CCS) project offshore Australia.
Inpex considers the project has the potential to be one of the largest commercial CCS projects in the world. The Bonaparte CCS Joint Venture was formed in 2022 to appraise greenhouse gas (GHG) storage assessment acreage G-7-AP.
The decision to commence pre-FEED work follows the successful completion of the selection of engineering concept and a comprehensive appraisal program, which included up to 1,800 square kilometers of three-dimensional seismic surveying and two CCS appraisal wells.
The program confirmed the presence of a high-quality saline aquifer reservoir in the Bonaparte Basin with thick sealing formations considered suitable for safe and permanent carbon storage.
The Bonaparte CCS joint venture intends to transport and store carbon dioxide (CO2) safely and permanently offshore northern Australia in the Bonaparte Basin, which has a potential carbon storage capacity of more than 10 million tons per year.
The joint venture plans to commence CO2 injection around 2030 and expects the project to substantially contribute to decarbonizing northern Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
The joint venture is now conducting detailed analysis of the reservoir appraisal data to support a declaration of identified GHG storage formation application in advance of obtaining a GHG injection license.
The Ichthys Joint Venture is expected to be the anchor customer of Bonaparte CCS.
Inpex Energy, through its INPEX Browse E&P is the operator of the project with 53% working interest, with partners TotalEnergies CCS Australia and Woodside Energy holding 26% and 21%, respectively.