The objective of this work was to understand the suitability and favorability of saline reservoirs for storing hydrogen and ensuring the maximum amount of hydrogen would be withdrawn. We used the Sacramento basin in California to demonstrate the feasibility. We carried out several numerical simulation studies to understand key factors affecting the storage and withdrawal of hydrogen. We combined the results from the numerical modeling to develop a screening and ranking set of criteria for hydrogen storage in saline reservoirs. We then used the screening and ranking set of criteria to rank the formations in the Sacramento basin.

We studied five formations in the Sacramento Basin. The numerical simulation study showed that to optimize storage and withdrawal of hydrogen, steeply dipping reservoirs up to 15 degrees, reservoirs with low pressures, reservoirs with good porosity (above 20%), and reservoirs with high permeabilities were most favorable for underground hydrogen storage.

This work applies a novel and comprehensive site screening and selection criteria for underground hydrogen storage in saline reservoirs. It builds on a similar work done for carbon dioxide storage and hydrogen storage in depleted gas fields but it considers additional objective of needing to withdraw the stored fluid. The case study in Sacramento Basin can be applied to any other basin.