Study finds areas of ‘super basin’ suitable for storing industrial emissions

Scientists from the University’s Centre for Energy Transition used subsurface data and techniques usually employed in oil and gas exploration to produce a detailed technical study of the Anglo-Polish Super Basin in the Southern North Sea to determine its suitability for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

Their results confirm the potential of the area – a hydrocarbon basin – as a future CCUS hub where industrial emissions can be stored in former gas fields and other geological formations.

The basin could play a major role in helping European nations sequester carbon emissions and meet net zero targets while promoting energy security, protecting industrial activity and prolonging the life of North Sea basin infrastructure.

As well as showing the geological criteria that determine the areas with the greatest potential, the study also highlights the need to assess non-geological risks – such as the potential for leaks along legacy wells and the need to avoid co-location conflicts with other stakeholders such as windfarm operators.