Southern North Sea
The Southern North Sea represents an important regional location for geological carbon storage as countries bordering the basin look to sequester industrial CO2 emissions, either in depleted gas reservoirs or saline aquifers, in order to meet national and intergovernmental Net Zero 2050 targets. CASP research is initially focusing on characterising both the reservoir and primary seal components of the Bunter Sandstone CO2 storage complex in the UK and Dutch sectors of the Southern North Sea. The results of this research will aid the interpretation of site-specific studies within and between licence blocks while also providing unique analogue studies of understudied primary seal units. Secondary seals within the sedimentary overburden play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and containment of geological carbon storage sites. To this end, CASP research is also conducting a detailed multiscale characterisation of lithological and compositional heterogeneity of the UK Lower Jurassic to determine the impact such variation has on seal potential. Additional research opportunities in other jurisdictions and stratigraphic intervals are being actively considered.
Map of Region
Regional Expertise
CASP has been carrying out extensive research in the region since 2021, primarily via the logging, sampling and analysis of UK and Dutch core, along with wireline log correlation. Detailed fieldwork has also been conducted on excellent coastal exposures in the Cleveland Basin of North Yorkshire. This work repurposes key biostratigraphical, sedimentological, stratigraphical, structural and analytical skillsets developed within the organisation over many decades to address the important new geological challenge of the cost-effective permanent storage of anthropogenic CO2.
Active Research Projects
- Bunter Sandstone Storage Complex Thematic Research
- Mudrock Seals in CO2 Storage Systems Thematic Research
Most Recent Reports
- Composition and sealing capacity of the Haisborough Group in the Southern North Sea CASP.BSSC.7
- Reservoir sedimentology, composition and diagenesis of the Bunter Sandstone Formation in the Southern North Sea CASP.BSSC.4
- A palynozonation of the Bunter Sandstone CO2 storage complex: offshore well study CASP.BSSC.2
- A heavy mineral provenance study of the Bunter Sandstone Formation in the Southern North Sea CASP.BSSC.5
- Composition and sealing capacity of the Haisborough Group in the SM14 borehole, North Yorkshire, UK: a reference well for the Southern North Sea CASP.BSSC.6