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Project overview

The NERC-funded Characterisation of Major Overburden Leakage Pathways above Sub-sea floor CO2 Storage Reservoirs in the North Sea (CHIMNEY) project investigated the risks of leaks from storing carbon dioxide (CO2) under the seabed. CHIMNEY involved investigators from the University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre in Southampton (NOC), and University of Edinburgh. These investigators worked closely with project partners GEOMAR, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CGG and Applied Acoustics. A multi-channel seismic dataset, together with multibeam bathymetry was acquired during RRS James Cook cruise JC152 (August - September 2017), around the Scanner Pockmark Complex in the North Sea.

Staff

Lead researcher

Professor Jonathan Bull

Professor in Ocean & Earth Science

Research interests

  • Fluid Flow and Carbon Capture and Storage
  • Monitoring, Measurement and Verification
  • Marine Geophysics
Connect with Jonathan

Email: bull@soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Professor Tim Minshull

Professor in Ocean & Earth Science

Research interests

  • Continental breakup and the onset of seafloor spreading
  • Methane hydrate beneath the seafloor and its role in the Earth system
  • Exploration geophysics: seismic and electromagnetic imaging
Connect with Tim

Email: tmin@soton.ac.uk

Emeritus Professor David Sanderson

Connect with David

Email: D.J.Sanderson@soton.ac.uk

Professor Tim Henstock

Professor of Geophysics
Connect with Tim

Email: T.J.Henstock@soton.ac.uk

Professor Juerg Matter

Professor of Geoengineering&Carbon Manag
Connect with Juerg

Email: J.Matter@southampton.ac.uk

Professor Rachael James

Professor of Geochemistry

Research interests

  • Enhanced rock weathering and other techniques for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
  • Novel isotopic signatures of biogeochemical cycling, including iron, chromium, lithium and magnesium, and the response of biogeochemcal cycles to global environmental change
  • Exploration for new sources of metals and elements critical for emerging green technologies, including lithium and the rare earth elements
Connect with Rachael

Email: R.H.James@soton.ac.uk

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Geochemistry

We use advanced facilities to perform the precise and accurate analysis of the chemical and isotopic composition of Earth materials.

Geology and Geophysics

We research a wide range of societally impactful areas of geology and geophysics for a sustainable future. The latest facilities and technology development support our activities.

Research outputs

Pockmarks in the Witch Ground Basin, Central North Sea
Christoph Böttner, Christian Berndt, Benedict T.I. Reinardy, Jacob Geersen, Jens Karstens, Jonathan M. Bull, Ben J. Callow, Anna Lichtschlag, Mark Schmidt, Judith Elger, Bettina Schramm & Matthias Haeckel, 2019, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
DOI: 10.1029/2018GC008068
Type: article
Constraining the physical properties of Chimney/pipe structures within sedimentary basins
Jonathan Bull, Christian Berndt, Timothy Minshull, Timothy Henstock, Gaye Bayrakci, Romina Gehrmann, Giuseppe Provenzano, Christoph Böttner, Bettina Schramm, Ben James Callow & mark chapman, 2018
Type: conference
Comparison of stress-dependent geophysical, hydraulic and mechanical properties of synthetic and natural sandstones for reservoir characterization and monitoring studies
2018, Geophysical Prospecting
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2478.12699
Type: article
Cruise Report RRS James Cook 152 - JC152
Jonathan Bull, 2018
Type: report
CO 2-brine flow-through on an Utsira Sand core sample
2017, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 68, 236-246
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2017.11.019
Type: article