BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. Japan’s INPEX
Corporation and its partners have reached a key milestone in the
development of the Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
project offshore Australia, following the Australian government’s
declaration of an identified greenhouse gas storage formation,
INPEX said on Oct.16.
The declaration marks the first time Australia has approved an
offshore saline aquifer storage formation for greenhouse gases,
establishing the technical viability of the site for potential
carbon dioxide (CO₂) injection and storage operations, INPEX
said.
The Bonaparte CCS joint venture is operated by INPEX Browse
E&P Pty Ltd, which holds a 53% stake. TotalEnergies CCS
Australia Pty Ltd owns 26%, while Woodside Energy Ltd holds the
remaining 21%.
“The approval represents a significant milestone in the
continued advancement of the project and reflects the extensive
technical work undertaken to date. The approval builds on
recognition of the Bonaparte CCS Project as the first Australian
offshore CCS project to receive Major Project Status from the
Australian Government in 2025 and demonstrates continued progress
along its development pathway,” the company said.
Pre-front-end engineering and design work began in April 2025,
with the first CO₂ injection targeted for the early 2030s, subject
to regulatory approvals and commercial agreements. The Ichthys
joint venture is expected to serve as the project’s anchor
customer.
Located approximately 260 kilometers from Darwin in Australia’s
Northern Territory, the project could reduce CO₂ emissions from the
Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) project by around 40%,
supporting INPEX’s decarbonisation objectives under its Vision 2035
strategy.
The Bonaparte CCS joint venture will continue technical,
environmental, regulatory and commercial work to advance the
potential development of the offshore storage site, in cooperation
with federal and Northern Territory authorities, local communities
and other stakeholders.
INPEX is Japan’s largest exploration and production company,
with operations spanning oil and gas development worldwide. The
company is also pursuing lower-carbon solutions, including CCS,
hydrogen and integrated power supply.
