Why is Underground Gas Storage Crucial for Climate Mitigation?
Underground gas storage is one of the most important research areas in the world and a key strategy for tackling human-driven climate change. As nations work towards net-zero targets, being able to safely and effectively store carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen (H₂) underground has become essential for cutting greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the transition to clean energy.
At NOC, our Marine Geosciences (MG) group leads this research. We focus on understanding how stored gases behave in subsurface reservoirs and, crucially, how to detect any potential leaks up to shallower areas and the seabed.
By developing new ways to generate, analyse and interpret data, we're improving our understanding of how these reservoirs behave during Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) operations.
What is the NOC Rock Physics Lab?
The NOC Rock Physics Lab (RPL) is a world-leading laboratory. Here, we combine geophysical and hydromechanical (how fluids and pressure affect them) data collection from rock samples under realistic, real-world conditions. This unique facility lets us simulate the complex conditions found deep beneath the seabed to provide insights into how rocks behave when gases are injected and stored.
The datasets we generate are essential for building accurate numerical tools to predict how a reservoir will behave during and after gas storage operations. These tools also have wider uses, helping us understand the natural flow of other greenhouse gases and fluids below the seafloor, which is vital knowledge for assessing and managing climate risks.
What Research Does NOC Conduct on Underground Gas Storage?
Our research focuses on all the complex, linked processes (involving temperature, water, mechanics, and chemistry) that get triggered in geological formations during net-zero storage solutions, specifically CCUS and UHS.
Over the last decade, we've transformed the NOC RPL into a world-class facility for running multi-flow tests. We can acquire geophysical and hydromechanical data at the same time and interpret the results in an integrated way. This transformation involved:
- Designing multi-sensor experimental setups to capture complex subsurface processes.
- Generating comprehensive datasets that improve our understanding of reservoir behaviour.
- Programming codes and software for data interpretation to generate cutting-edge outcomes.
Which Projects has NOC Contributed to?
Our research has contributed to multiple national and international projects, showing NOC's leadership in this critical field. This extensive portfolio shows our commitment to addressing the technical challenges of underground gas storage through collaborative, cutting-edge research.
UK Research Projects
What Have we Learnt From Our Research?
We've helped reduce the uncertainties around storing CO₂ in geological reservoirs, providing the CCUS scientific community with valuable empirical relationships. These help to distinguish between fluid pressure and distribution effects using geophysical remote sensing tools, which is crucial for monitoring storage sites and ensuring containment.
We've deepened our understanding of how to detect and quantify "fatigue" in reservoir rocks during storage operations. This research has revealed how repeated injection and extraction cycles affect rock properties over time, letting us better predict long-term storage safety.
Our research has provided unprecedented evidence of CO₂-induced salt precipitation weakening CCUS reservoir integrity. When CO₂ is injected into saline reservoirs, it can cause salt to precipitate from the solution, which can affect the rock's mechanical properties. Understanding this is essential for designing safe, long-term storage.
We have developed early warning strategies to reduce the risks linked to underground gas storage. By identifying the geophysical and mechanical signatures of potential problems before they become critical, we help ensure storage operations remain safe and effective.
How Does this Research Support Climate Policy?
Through improving the safety and reliability of carbon storage, our research helps enable the large-scale deployment of CCUS technology, which is essential for meeting net-zero targets.
Our work on Underground Hydrogen Storage helps facilitate the transition to hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, supporting a low-carbon energy system.
The empirical data and predictive tools we develop inform the regulatory frameworks for underground gas storage, ensuring operations meet the highest safety standards.
Our early warning strategies and integrity monitoring approaches help operators and regulators assess and manage the risks involved.
Through our part in EU and international projects, we contribute to global knowledge sharing and best practices in climate mitigation technologies.
What's Next for Underground Gas Storage Research at NOC?
Our research continues to evolve as we address new challenges in climate mitigation. We are:
- Advancing monitoring technologies for long-term storage surveillance.
- Understanding the interaction between different storage gases and geological formations.
- Developing predictive models for multi-decade storage security.
- Investigating the potential for offshore storage beneath UK waters.
- Contributing to national and international policy frameworks for safe deployment.
By combining world-class laboratory facilities with cutting-edge analytical approaches, NOC is helping to ensure that underground gas storage can play its essential role in addressing climate change.
Science Spotlight: Climate Solutions
NOC's research in our Climate mission is actively supporting and informing projects, industry and other research efforts to provide and implement solutions to the affects of climate change.