The UK’s vital carbon storage industry will benefit from better access to high-quality subsurface data thanks to new regulations which came into force on the 9 January.

The regulations allow the NSTA to publicly disclose reported information and samples from wells, geophysical surveys and injection activities on carbon storage licences via our National Data Repository.

Data on long-term monitoring, which can help operators gauge the performance of storage sites, will also be made freely available.

Sharing this valuable information will help current and prospective licensees learn from each other, make better decisions and progress their projects to first injection more quickly and efficiently. 

It is expected that this will build confidence and attract investment into the sector, which, in turn, will help accelerate the UK’s energy transition to net zero.

Today’s milestone comes just two months after the NSTA published the response to its consultation [https://lnkd.in/eQCHVsk4] on proposals for these regulations, including the timescales for disclosing the data. DESNZ subsequently laid the relevant secondary legislation in Parliament. 

The petroleum industry has, for many years, reaped the rewards of similar rules allowing the NSTA to disclose the information that has been retained and reported to it.

Today’s announcement is the latest entry on a growing list of positive news stories for the UK’s carbon storage sector. In the past 13 months, the country’s first two carbon storage projects – Northern Endurance and HyNet – were granted permits by the NSTA, unlocking billions of pounds worth of contracting opportunities for the supply chain. 

In the Southern North Sea, Perenco concluded a carbon dioxide injection test on the Leman field and Eni drilled a carbon storage appraisal well on the Hewett field.

Last month, the NSTA launched the UK’s second carbon storage licensing round, offering 14 UKCS locations for exploration and appraisal. The UK’s first carbon storage licensing round in September 2023 resulted in the award of 21 carbon storage licences.

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