Xiao Yang , Wei Cao , Shuaichen Liu , Ning Qi , Shengnan Chen
{"title":"Feasibility and economic analysis of hydrogen seasonal storage in depleted gas reservoirs: A case study in Alberta","authors":"Xiao Yang , Wei Cao , Shuaichen Liu , Ning Qi , Shengnan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jgsce.2025.205743","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in depleted gas reservoirs is a promising solution to address seasonal energy imbalances in regions like Alberta, where surplus renewable electricity in summer contrasts sharply with high winter demand. At present, most existing studies are based on synthetic reservoir models and do not adequately account for geological heterogeneity, operational constraints observed in field conditions, or the integrated optimization of technical performance and economic viability. This study investigates the feasibility and economic potential of UHS in a near-depleted gas reservoir within the Edson Formation, Alberta. Multiple hydrogen-related mechanisms, including permeability hysteresis, structural trapping, diffusivity, solubility, and the effect of cushion gas are explicitly simulated, offering a more realistic assessment of storage dynamics. A novel multi-objective Sparrow Search Algorithm (MOSSA) combined with Pareto non-dominated ranking is developed to simultaneously maximize hydrogen recovery factor and Net Present Value (NPV), incorporating both integer and continuous operational variables such as well count, location, injection rates, and conversion timing. Results show that optimal well configurations improve hydrogen recovery by up to 10 % over the base case, with economic scenarios achieving projected revenues exceeding CAD 23.78 million in the tenth year. Sensitivity analysis reveals that pressure and well scheduling significantly affect performance, while storage mechanisms exert minimal impact. This research provides a technically and economically robust framework for large-scale UHS deployment in real field settings, addressing key knowledge gaps and supporting Alberta's transition to a low-carbon energy system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100568,"journal":{"name":"Gas Science and Engineering","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 205743"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Gas Science and Engineering","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949908925002079","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in depleted gas reservoirs is a promising solution to address seasonal energy imbalances in regions like Alberta, where surplus renewable electricity in summer contrasts sharply with high winter demand. At present, most existing studies are based on synthetic reservoir models and do not adequately account for geological heterogeneity, operational constraints observed in field conditions, or the integrated optimization of technical performance and economic viability. This study investigates the feasibility and economic potential of UHS in a near-depleted gas reservoir within the Edson Formation, Alberta. Multiple hydrogen-related mechanisms, including permeability hysteresis, structural trapping, diffusivity, solubility, and the effect of cushion gas are explicitly simulated, offering a more realistic assessment of storage dynamics. A novel multi-objective Sparrow Search Algorithm (MOSSA) combined with Pareto non-dominated ranking is developed to simultaneously maximize hydrogen recovery factor and Net Present Value (NPV), incorporating both integer and continuous operational variables such as well count, location, injection rates, and conversion timing. Results show that optimal well configurations improve hydrogen recovery by up to 10 % over the base case, with economic scenarios achieving projected revenues exceeding CAD 23.78 million in the tenth year. Sensitivity analysis reveals that pressure and well scheduling significantly affect performance, while storage mechanisms exert minimal impact. This research provides a technically and economically robust framework for large-scale UHS deployment in real field settings, addressing key knowledge gaps and supporting Alberta's transition to a low-carbon energy system.