Jun 10, 2025
Aquaterra secures two contracts for the UK’s inaugural authorized offshore carbon storage initiative.
Aquaterra Energy, an offshore energy engineering firm based in the UK, has secured new contracts with the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), which includes BP, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, for the UK’s first offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) project with a carbon storage permit.
These contracts will assist Aquaterra Energy in supporting NEP, the CO2 transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster, initially catering to three carbon capture projects in Teesside. Sonardyne will provide baseline environmental monitoring for the project site.
Situated approximately 75 kilometers east of Flamborough Head off Teesside, the project is set to begin construction in mid-2025, with the first injection possible by 2027 and operational by 2028. Aquaterra's first contract will focus on re-abandoning two legacy wells, crucial for ensuring the site’s CO2 storage safety.
To achieve this, Aquaterra will utilize its well re-entry and re-abandonment services, including a new recoverable abandonment frame (RAF) that facilitates a vertical well re-entry tie-back method, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring the integrity of stored CO2.
George Morrison, CEO of Aquaterra Energy, stated that this project represents a significant step for CCS in the UK, emphasizing the firm’s proactive approach to engineering challenges. He voiced excitement about contributing to a potential global benchmark in offshore CO2 storage.
The second contract involves seabed-to-surface well access for drilling six new CO2 injection subsea wells, employing a CCS-ready high-pressure subsea drilling riser system equipped with proprietary AQC-CW connectors, designed for durability and performance.
Ben Cannell, Innovation Director at Aquaterra Energy, noted that obtaining both contracts reinforces trust in their CCS technology and well access skills, as the need for efficient drilling and abandonment solutions rises with more carbon storage projects.
Recently, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) granted NEP the UK’s first carbon storage permit, allowing an injection rate of 4 million tonnes annually, crucial to achieving the UK's goal of capturing and storing 20-30 million tonnes of CO2 each year by 2030.
Noble's Noble Innovator jack-up rig will drill six wells for NEP in the North Sea starting in Q3 2026. The NEP has also awarded contracts to four UK-based firms as part of the next phase for CCS infrastructure, aiding three initial Teesside carbon capture projects: NZT Power, H2Teesside, and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture.
The four contracted companies include Sonardyne, Aquaterra Energy, Noble Corporation, and Expro, which will provide integrated well testing services for assessing CCS suitability in the Endurance reservoir.
Rich Denny, NEP’s Managing Director, highlighted that these contract awards mark a significant step in developing the UK’s offshore carbon capture and storage infrastructure, advancing the aim of decarbonizing the East Coast industrial region and helping the UK meet its net-zero targets.
The NEP infrastructure comprises a CO2 gathering network, onshore compression facilities, a 145-kilometer offshore pipeline, and subsea injection and monitoring systems for the Endurance saline aquifer approximately 1,000 meters below the seabed.
These contracts will assist Aquaterra Energy in supporting NEP, the CO2 transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster, initially catering to three carbon capture projects in Teesside. Sonardyne will provide baseline environmental monitoring for the project site.
Situated approximately 75 kilometers east of Flamborough Head off Teesside, the project is set to begin construction in mid-2025, with the first injection possible by 2027 and operational by 2028. Aquaterra's first contract will focus on re-abandoning two legacy wells, crucial for ensuring the site’s CO2 storage safety.
To achieve this, Aquaterra will utilize its well re-entry and re-abandonment services, including a new recoverable abandonment frame (RAF) that facilitates a vertical well re-entry tie-back method, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring the integrity of stored CO2.
George Morrison, CEO of Aquaterra Energy, stated that this project represents a significant step for CCS in the UK, emphasizing the firm’s proactive approach to engineering challenges. He voiced excitement about contributing to a potential global benchmark in offshore CO2 storage.
The second contract involves seabed-to-surface well access for drilling six new CO2 injection subsea wells, employing a CCS-ready high-pressure subsea drilling riser system equipped with proprietary AQC-CW connectors, designed for durability and performance.
Ben Cannell, Innovation Director at Aquaterra Energy, noted that obtaining both contracts reinforces trust in their CCS technology and well access skills, as the need for efficient drilling and abandonment solutions rises with more carbon storage projects.
Recently, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) granted NEP the UK’s first carbon storage permit, allowing an injection rate of 4 million tonnes annually, crucial to achieving the UK's goal of capturing and storing 20-30 million tonnes of CO2 each year by 2030.
Noble's Noble Innovator jack-up rig will drill six wells for NEP in the North Sea starting in Q3 2026. The NEP has also awarded contracts to four UK-based firms as part of the next phase for CCS infrastructure, aiding three initial Teesside carbon capture projects: NZT Power, H2Teesside, and Teesside Hydrogen CO2 Capture.
The four contracted companies include Sonardyne, Aquaterra Energy, Noble Corporation, and Expro, which will provide integrated well testing services for assessing CCS suitability in the Endurance reservoir.
Rich Denny, NEP’s Managing Director, highlighted that these contract awards mark a significant step in developing the UK’s offshore carbon capture and storage infrastructure, advancing the aim of decarbonizing the East Coast industrial region and helping the UK meet its net-zero targets.
The NEP infrastructure comprises a CO2 gathering network, onshore compression facilities, a 145-kilometer offshore pipeline, and subsea injection and monitoring systems for the Endurance saline aquifer approximately 1,000 meters below the seabed.