PhD Studentship: Quantification of Southern North Sea Aquifers as CO2 Storage Sites in North East

Geological storage of CO₂ is recognised as a key technology for achieving net‑zero greenhouse gas emissions. The UK possesses almost one‑third of Europe’s estimated geological CO₂ storage capacity, with the Southern North Sea (SNS) representing one of its most strategically important regions. While depleted gas fields are already being developed for carbon storage, the extensive saline aquifers of the SNS offer substantially greater long‑term storage potential. However, many of these aquifer systems remain poorly characterised, particularly those within the Palaeozoic and several Mesozoic successions.

This PhD project will deliver the first integrated assessment of the full range of potential saline aquifer storage fairways across the UK sector of the Southern North Sea. The project will identify, characterise and rank candidate storage sites based on geological suitability, static storage capacity and likely injection performance. The successful applicant will work with a wide range of subsurface datasets, including well logs, seismic interpretation and published geological information, to map saline aquifer distributions from the Palaeozoic to the Mesozoic succession.

These datasets will be integrated within a GIS framework alongside existing offshore infrastructure, including production platforms, pipelines, subsea cables and offshore wind developments. Reservoir–seal pairs will be evaluated in terms of reservoir quality, seal integrity and the degree of geological compartmentalisation, providing a regional assessment of storage prospectivity. A particular focus of the project will be carbonate reservoir systems, including the Zechstein dolomites and Lower Carboniferous Limestone. Unlike sandstone reservoirs, carbonate formations may undergo significant geochemical alteration during CO₂ injection.

Using dynamic reservoir simulation and published analogue case studies from North America, the student will investigate how these carbonate systems may respond to long‑term CO₂ storage. The project will produce a comprehensive digital atlas of saline aquifer storage opportunities in the Southern North Sea, supported by well databases, representative type wells, geological maps and reservoir property datasets. A further outcome will be the development of an improved regional screening workflow that integrates geological characteristics with existing offshore infrastructure to identify and rank sites suitable for carbon capture and storage (CCS), while distinguishing formations that may be better suited to alternative subsurface energy storage applications.

The successful applicant will gain expertise in analysing large geological datasets, integrating multidisciplinary information and evaluating geological storage systems at regional scale. The outcomes will directly support the UK’s expanding CCS sector and contribute to the identification of future CO₂ storage resources on the UK Continental Shelf.

The 3.5 year project is funded by ENI S.p.A through the UK Energy Futures research partnership, bringing together geoscientists, engineers, and social scientists to advance geoenergy research across the N8 Research Partnership. The studentship is available to Home students only and includes a full stipend and full tuition fees, starting 1st October 2026.

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Stuart Jones: stuart.jones@durham.ac.uk

How to apply: www.durham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply. On the funding tab select ‘yes’ you are applying for a scholarship, select ‘Other’, write ENI/JONES in the name of the scholarship, and select 1st October 2026 as the start date. No scholarship documents are required.