Geological and Petrophysical Properties of Underground Gas Storage Facilities in Ukraine and Their Potential for Hydrogen and CO2 Storage

This article provides detailed geological and reservoir data on the existing underground gas storage (UGS) facilities in Ukraine and their prospects for hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. The H2 and CO2 storage issue is an integral part of the decarbonisation of Ukraine and Europe as a whole. A detailed assessment of UGS in Ukraine was carried out in the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 project Hystories, which is about the possibility of the geological storage of H2. A database of the available geological data on reservoir and caprock properties was compiled and standardised (reservoir geometry, petrophysics, tectonics, and reservoir fluids). General environmental criteria were defined in terms of geology and surface context. The total estimated H2 energy storage capacity in 13 studied UGS facilities is about 89.8 TWh, with 459.6 and 228.2 Mt of H2 using the total (cushion and working gas) and working gas volumes, respectively. The estimated optimistic and conservative CO2 storage capacities in the 13 studied UGS facilities are about 37.6/18.8 Gt, respectively. The largest and deepest UGS facilities are favourable for H2 and CO2 storage, while shallower UGS facilities are suitable only for H2 storage. Studies could be conducted to determine if CO2 and H2 storage could be applied in synergy with CO2 being used as a cushion gas for H2 storage. The underground storage of H2 and CO2 plays key roles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting clean energy while enhancing energy security. Increasing the share of renewable energy and integrating sustainable development across various sectors of the economy is crucial for achieving climate goals.