Pilot Energy secures approval to store carbon at Cliff Head Mid West Clean Energy Project

Pilot Energy has announced a major milestone for their Mid West Clean Energy Project, after a declaration for the Cliff Head off-shore CO2 storage project was approved. Federal Minister for Resources Madeleine King recently approved the company’s application to declare the Cliff Head CO2 Storage Formation in the WA 31-L licence area. The Cliff Head Storage Formation can hold up to 13.4mt of CO2, a capacity sufficient for the initial stage of Pilot’s CO2 storage project. The approval follows Pilot’s application to the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) in November 2022. Pilot Energy, along with their engineering partner Genesis, plan to complete preliminary engineering work for MWCEP by June 2024. Engagement with traditional owners and stakeholders and selecting technology partners for hydrogen and ammonia production will follow. The conversion from a depleted offshore oil field into a permanent carbon storage operation is expected to start in 2026. Pilot Energy plan to transform existing oil and gas operations and infrastructure into carbon management projects to produce hydrogen and clean ammonia for export to emerging markets. On Monday, the company announced a $4 million capital raise to secure funding to go towards activities, including closing out preparatory work and Cliff Head operations. Executive chair Brad Lingo thanked NOPTA and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) for their support throughout the approval process. “As the Pilot team worked through this application, it has been with a singular goal of delivering a project that can enable Western Australian emitters to take action with a clear opportunity to reduce carbon emissions through abatement and permanent storage on a cost-effective basis,” he said. “I’d like to also acknowledge the hard work of the NOPTA, NOPSEMA and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISR) teams as they assessed this first of its kind application.” The declaration is one of the first for an offshore CO2 storage project in Australia.