HW-3-7 Unlocking Migration Assisted Storage Potential in the UK Continental Shelf

About the Project

This PhD is one of a number of projects hosted by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Green Industrial Futures (CDT-GIF). We are offering pioneering research projects that will enable PhD researchers to explore key technologies and solutions that will support UK industry to reach net zero.

Project Description

Saline aquifers represent the largest long-term CO₂ storage option in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), offering vast capacity and fewer penetrations than depleted hydrocarbon fields. Recent assessments confirm that open aquifers dominate the offshore resource base, yet their potential is often underestimated when storage evaluations focus only on structural traps. Migration Assisted Storage (MAS) provides a promising alternative, allowing injected CO₂ to migrate within unconfined aquifers where it is progressively immobilised through residual and solubility trapping. Although the concept has been recognised in other regions, its capacity, behaviour and risks under UKCS conditions remain poorly constrained.

This PhD will advance the scientific basis and practical feasibility of MAS for UK aquifers by investigating the factors that control plume migration, trapping efficiency and long-term containment. The project will quantify the additional capacity that MAS could unlock compared to conventional structural storage, while evaluating how geological heterogeneity, facies connectivity and intraformational barriers influence plume behaviour and immobilisation. It will also develop approaches to predict dynamic plume footprints, providing a scientific foundation for defining safe site boundaries in migration-based storage systems. A further component will examine the interaction of migrating CO₂ with other subsurface users in the North Sea, including legacy wells, hydrogen storage and offshore renewables, to explore both risks and opportunities for coexistence. The project will also consider monitoring and verification strategies tailored to MAS, assessing how different technologies could be deployed to detect and track plumes in complex offshore environments.

This research will strengthen the UK’s storage portfolio and contribute directly to the safe, efficient and large-scale deployment of CO₂ storage in support of national net-zero targets.

Supervisors

• John Andresen / cdtgreenindustrialfutures@hw.ac.uk
• Susana Garcia
• Amir Jahanbakhsh

Application Criteria

As a minimum we require candidates to have a First-class or 2:1 MEng or and MSc with merit (over 60%) in a relevant area i.e. Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Geoscience etc. Candidates for socio-politico-economic research topics will also be considered with a relevant MA. Applicants who have a First-class BSc/BEng (Hons) and can demonstrate significant relevant industry/research experience may also be considered.

Candidates should be aware of and meet the entry requirements for the university hosting the PhD studentship.

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First-class or 2:1 MEng, MSc or equivalent in a relevant discipline such as Geoscience, Petroleum/Reservoir Engineering, or Earth Sciences. Candidates with a First-class BSc/BEng (Hons) and significant relevant industry or research experience in CO₂ storage, subsurface modelling, or reservoir engineering may also be considered. A strong quantitative background is essential. Experience with reservoir simulation, geological modelling, or multiphase flow in porous media will be highly valued. Familiarity with industry-standard simulators such as CMG or equivalent tools is advantageous. Coding and data analysis skills (e.g. Python, MATLAB, or similar) are desirable, as the project involves integrating simulation outputs with geological datasets.

Funding Notes

The programme is four years and starts in September 2026. Funding includes full UK fees, tax-free stipend (2025/2026 stipend is £20,780), plus budget for travel and consumables.

Enquiries

cdtgreenindustrialfutures@hw.ac.uk