Abstract
Project Colocate Part 4 assesses the colocation potential of offshore wind (OW) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the Outer Moray Firth (OMF), a key sector within a multi-energy UK North Sea. The study focuses on the Acorn and East Mey CCS areas, evaluating potentially complex interactions among CCS, OW and current and future oil and gas projects.
The report assesses compatibility of measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) technologies with wind farm infrastructure. Conventional towed-streamer seismic surveys routinely used for CCS monitoring are impractical within wind farm exclusion zones. Alternative MMV approaches, including short streamers, ‘spot’ seismic, ocean bottom nodes (OBN), distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), microseismicity and microgravity, can offer partial solutions, but may not fully replace conventional seismic for the relatively deep CCS reservoirs of the OMF.
The report reviews the geological suitability of the Acorn (Goldeneye field, Captain Sandstone) and East Mey (Mey Sandstone) sites for long-term CO₂ storage, considering reservoir properties, storage capacity and seal integrity. There are >170 legacy wells in the wider East Mey area with >60 still to be abandoned, noting continuing access requirements for abandonment or future well remediation if needed. Future oil and gas drilling into CCS reservoirs should be avoided.
Colocation may present useful data sharing opportunities. Where colocation issues already exist, the advance acquisition of short streamer seismic data may safeguard later MMV using repeat low-cost sparse OBN, but new colocation conflicts should nevertheless not be created.
Early stakeholder collaboration, co-ordinated spatial planning and enhanced regulatory alignment can help to minimise operational conflicts while safeguarding robust MMV and future well access. There is an opportunity for an integrated, cross-sector leasing and licensing framework encompassing OW, CCS and oil and gas to optimise operations, assuring project viability and delivery of the UK’s legislated decarbonisation targets.
The report assesses compatibility of measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) technologies with wind farm infrastructure. Conventional towed-streamer seismic surveys routinely used for CCS monitoring are impractical within wind farm exclusion zones. Alternative MMV approaches, including short streamers, ‘spot’ seismic, ocean bottom nodes (OBN), distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), microseismicity and microgravity, can offer partial solutions, but may not fully replace conventional seismic for the relatively deep CCS reservoirs of the OMF.
The report reviews the geological suitability of the Acorn (Goldeneye field, Captain Sandstone) and East Mey (Mey Sandstone) sites for long-term CO₂ storage, considering reservoir properties, storage capacity and seal integrity. There are >170 legacy wells in the wider East Mey area with >60 still to be abandoned, noting continuing access requirements for abandonment or future well remediation if needed. Future oil and gas drilling into CCS reservoirs should be avoided.
Colocation may present useful data sharing opportunities. Where colocation issues already exist, the advance acquisition of short streamer seismic data may safeguard later MMV using repeat low-cost sparse OBN, but new colocation conflicts should nevertheless not be created.
Early stakeholder collaboration, co-ordinated spatial planning and enhanced regulatory alignment can help to minimise operational conflicts while safeguarding robust MMV and future well access. There is an opportunity for an integrated, cross-sector leasing and licensing framework encompassing OW, CCS and oil and gas to optimise operations, assuring project viability and delivery of the UK’s legislated decarbonisation targets.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Number of pages | 204 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Oct 2025 |
Keywords
- Carbon Capture
- Offshore Wind
- Co-location
- Monitoring Measurement
- UK Continental Shelf
- Subsurface