OzGeoHyNet

What/who

OzGeoHyNet is a collaborative initiative that brings together scientists from various institutions across Australia to advance the understanding of geologic hydrogen systems. The network currently includes researchers from key organisations such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geoscience Australia (GA), the University of Western Australia (UWA), and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), connecting more than 120 scientists working on natural hydrogen across Australia. The network’s inclusive nature encourages the participation of additional members.

Scope

The network focuses on different elements of the natural or geologic hydrogen system, with a broad spectrum of studies and projects. One of the primary areas of research is hydrogen prospectivity, which involves identifying regions with potential hydrogen resources. This includes geological, geochemical, biological and geophysical investigations to understand natural hydrogen generation, seepages and accumulation.
This network aims to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among scientists, industry and government bodies to enhance the understanding of natural hydrogen systems, and support the sustainable development of hydrogen resources in Australia.

Key members and responsibilities

Co-Chairs

Ema Frery, Research team leader, CSIRO Energy

David Waite, Scientia Professor, UNSW Sydney

Network Coordinator

Andrew Feitz, Director, Geoscience Australia

Technical Advisors

Laure Martin, Senior research scientist, UWA Perth

Chris Boreham, Principal geochemist, Geoscience Australia

Please send any enquiries through to hydrogen_mission@csiro.au

Key projects

CSIRO FSP research – Geogenic hydrogen exploration

Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations (UNSW Sydney, Geoscience Australia, Geological Survey of Western Australia, SA Department of Energy and Mining, NSW Geological Survey, Mineral Resources Tasmania)

Natural Hydrogen project under Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program

iPhD project Natural hydrogen production in fault zones with H2EX, UWA and CSIRO

Key publications

Aimar, L., Frery, E., Strand, J., Heath, C., Khan, S., Moretti, I., & Ong, C. (2023). Natural hydrogen seeps or salt lakes: how to make a difference? Grass Patch example, Western. Frontiers in Earth Science, 11, 1236673. Collaboration with UPPA & Sorbonne University (France)

Black, E., Boreham, C., Czado, K., Taylor, G. and Feitz, A. 2023. Natural hydrogen occurrences and generation potential throughout the Eastern Trans-Australian corridor, NSW. Australian Hydrogen Research Conference, Canberra, 8-10 February 2023.

Black, E., Boreham, C., Czado, K., Taylor, G., von Spulak, R. and Feitz, A. 2023. Natural hydrogen and helium occurrences of the Eastern Trans-Australian Corridor (Darling-Curnamonda-Delamerian) in New South Wales, Australia. Natural Hydrogen: A New Frontier for Energy Geoscience Conference, London, 4-5 July 2023.

Black, E., Miller, C., Li, J., Armstrong, R., Feitz, A., Waite, D. (2024). Identification of natural hydrogen generation environments in Australia. Goldschmidt Conference, Chicago.

Boreham, C.J., van der Wielen, S., Brennan, T., Edwards, D.S. and Feitz, A., 2023. Australia’s Geology – Providing Natural Hydrogen for the Future. 26th World Mining Congress, Brisbane, Australia 26-29 November, 2023. 1340-1353. https://wmc2023.org/proceedings

Boreham, C.J., Edwards, D.S., Czado, K., B., Rollet, N., Wang, L., van der Wielen, S., Champion, D., Blewett, R., Feitz, A. and Henson, P.A. 2021. Hydrogen in Australian natural gas: occurrences, sources and resources. The APPEA Journal. 61, 163-191. https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ20044

Boreham, C.J., Edwards, D.S., Feitz, A.J., Murray, A.P., Mahlstedt, N. and Horsfield, B. 2023. Modelling of hydrogen gas generation from overmature organic matter in the Cooper Basin, Australia. The APPEA Journal 63, S351-S356. https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ22084

Boreham, C.J., Murray, A, Mahlstedt, N. and Horsfield, B, 2022. Geologic H2 from overmature organic sources: numerical modelling application in the Cooper Basin, Australia. Goldschmidt Conference 10-15 July 2022 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, USA. https://doi.org/10.46427/gold2022.9709

Boreham, C.J., Sohn, J.H., Cox, N., Williams, J., Hong, Z. and Kendrick, M.A. 2021. Hydrogen and hydrocarbons associated with the Neoarchean Frog’s Leg Gold Camp, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, Chemical Geology. 575, 120098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120098

Boreham, C.J., Wang, L., Sohn, J., Jinadasa, N., Hong, Z, Chen, J., Grosjean, E. and Jarrett, A. 2022. Exploring for the Future – NDI Carrara 1 gas geochemistry: molecular composition, carbon and hydrogen isotopes of hydrocarbon gases and the sources of molecular hydrogen and helium. Record 2022-014. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2022.014

Bourdet, J., Delle Piane, C., Wilske, C., Mallants, D., Suckow, A., Questiaux, D., Gerber, C., Crane, P., Deslandes, A., Martin, L. and Aleshin, M., 2023. Natural hydrogen in low temperature geofluids in a Precambrian granite, South Australia. Implications for hydrogen generation and movement in the upper crust. Chemical Geology, 638, p.121698.

Davies, K., Esteban, L., Keshavarz, A., & Iglauer, S. (2024). Advancing Natural Hydrogen Exploration: Headspace Gas Analysis in Water-Logged Environments. Energy & Fuels, 38(3), 2010-2017.

Faiz, M., Crombez, V., Delle Piane, C., Langhi, L., Lupton, N., & Hidalgo, J. C. (2024). Beetaloo gas, hydrogen and geothermal resources–insights from 3D basin modelling. Australian Energy Producers Journal, 64(2), S371-S375.

Frery, E., Langhi, L., Maison, M., & Moretti, I. (2021). Natural hydrogen seeps identified in the North Perth Basin, Western Australia. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(61), 31158-31173.

Lodhia, B. H., Peeters, L., & Frery, E. (2024). A review of the migration of hydrogen from the planetary to basin scale. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 129(6), e2024JB028715

Mahlstedt, N., Horsfield, B., Weniger, P., Misch, D., Shi, X., Noah, M and Boreham, C. 2022. Molecular hydrogen from organic sources in geological systems. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 105, 104704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2022.104704

Miller, C.J., Black, E., Feitz, A. and Waite, T.D. 2023. Kinetic modelling of hydrogen generation via subsurface iron mineral transformations. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://dx.doi.org/10.26186/148629

Stalker, L., Talukder, A., Strand, J., Josh, M., & Faiz, M. (2022). Gold (hydrogen) rush: risks and uncertainties in exploring for naturally occurring hydrogen. The APPEA Journal, 62(1), 361-380.

Waite, D., Miller, C., Black, E. & Feitz, A. (2023). Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations. Available at SSRN 4477913.

Links

Contact

Please email your enquiry to hydrogen_mission@csiro.au