OR/15/072 Foreword
| Gent, C M A1, Stewart, M A1, Evans, D J1, Lamb, R2, Alcalde, J3, 4, Heinemann, N4 and Akhurst, M C1. 2015. A summary of the methodology for the seismic stratigraphic interpretation for the 'GlaciStore' bid to IODP. (Energy and Marine Geoscience Programme) British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/15/072.
1 British Geological Survey 2 University of Manchester 3 University of Aberdeen 4 University of Edinburgh |
The report summarises the methodology used by UK CCS RC-funded, Call 1, ‘North Sea aquifers’ project to interpret the shallow North Sea strata that are the overburden sequence to prospective UK CO2 storage sites. The ‘North Sea aquifers’ project supported the interpretation of subsurface data in the UK Central North Sea needed to underpin a bid for scientific drilling. Collaboration with a Norwegian research consortium funded by the CLIMIT programme, with participants from industry and academia, has been crucial in achieving the objective of preparation of drilling proposal.
The methodology presented here is the ‘cross-border geology’ component of the submission that established both the geological framework and detailed investigation for drilling sites proposed within the UK sector of the North Sea. The results of the interpretation informed the two-stage submission of the ‘GlaciStore’ pre-proposal and full proposal for scientific drilling submitted to the International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP). The GlaciStore research proposes to investigate the strata that comprise the overburden sequence to operating and prospective North Sea CO2 storage sites. The scientific objectives proposed are to: establish a depositional and chronological framework for the multiple cycles of glacial advance and retreat in the centre of the North Sea; investigate temporal changes in depositional environment and pore water geochemistry of the stratigraphic units; determine the measurable impact on geomechanical properties caused by glacial loading and unloading.