South Australia’s national lead.
The South Australian Government amended the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Regulations 2013 in February 2021 to declare hydrogen, hydrogen compounds and byproducts from hydrogen production regulated substances under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 2000. This enabled companies to apply to explore for natural hydrogen via a petroleum exploration licence (PEL).
Exploration for hydrogen is likely to follow techniques used previously in the state to explore for oil and gas. Field sampling and airborne geophysics are proposed and, if results are encouraging, seismic surveying and exploration drilling are likely to occur.
To date 28 over-the-counter applications have been lodged for petroleum exploration licences targeting natural hydrogen and, in some cases, petroleum (Fig 1).
Figure 1 Selected petroleum exploration licences and applications targeting hydrogen and petroleum.
The first licence (PEL 687) was granted to Gold Hydrogen Pty Ltd on 22 July 2021 over Kangaroo Island and southern Yorke Peninsula. The company is planning to meet local stakeholders in 2022.
A licence application over the upper Yorke Peninsula and lower Fleurieu Peninsula – Murray Basin is held by Byrock Resources Pty Ltd. The company has common directors with Gold Hydrogen.
White Hydrogen Australia Pty Ltd lodged 6 licence applications over the Murray Basin in July 2021. It also has common directors with Gold Hydrogen and Byrock Resources.
Perth-based H2EX Pty Ltd has 4 licence applications over Lake Eyre, Lake Torrens, Ediacara – Anna Creek areas, the lower Flinders Ranges, upper Yorke Peninsula and eastern Eyre Peninsula. H2EX featured in the Australian Financial Review on 31 January 2022 and the article highlights South Australia’s national lead in facilitating natural hydrogen exploration: ‘The land grab in South Australia is backed by the state government’s forward-looking regulatory framework, specifically an amendment to its petroleum resources legislation to include hydrogen last year.’
Buru Energy, through their subsidiary 2H Resources Pty Ltd, has 6 licence applications over the Willochra Plains, northern Mount Lofty Ranges and adjacent the eastern Flinders Ranges.
Newgold Pty Ltd (also Perth-based) has 5 licence applications located in the Mid North.
More information:
– Elinor Alexander, March 2022
