Sonardyne to deliver passive seismic monitoring for UK carbon storage project

Underwater technology company Sonardyne is to provide passive seismic monitoring services at the UK’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) site. The services, added to an existing contract with Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), will form part of a wider monitoring programme at the Endurance CO₂ storage site beneath the North Sea.

Sonardyne will adapt, deploy and operate advanced ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs), manufactured by Germany technology company KUM GmbH, on the seabed above the Endurance storage reservoir, about 75km off the coast of Yorkshire. NEP will enable carbon captured by emitters in Teesside and the Humber – collectively known as the East Coast Cluster – to be transported and then stored in Endurance and neighbouring storage sites. 

The initial phase of the project is expected to see up to 100 million tonnes of CO₂ stored in the Endurance aquifer over a 25-year period, helping to achieve net zero goals in one of the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial regions. 

Baseline data

The additional work scope at Endurance is a further endorsement of Sonardyne’s capabilities in support of CCS operations, building on its existing contract to provide environmental monitoring services using Sonardyne technologies across the Endurance site. 

“NEP is continuing to lead the UK’s journey to net zero through its development of carbon capture and storage at the Endurance site. Our collaboration with Sonardyne plays a critical role in ensuring carbon is stored safely and securely,” commented Michael McGhie, technical manager at NEP.

The passive seismic monitoring services to be provided will generate baseline data ahead of NEP operations, with a potential for these services to continue into injection, to provide longer-term surveillance of the subsurface.

Storage at the site is expected to start in 2028, making it the first operational CCS project in the UK. 

“Being trusted to deliver passive seismic monitoring, in addition to environmental monitoring, for the UK’s first CCS project is an honour and highlights Sonardyne’s technical leadership in subsea environmental monitoring,” said Stephen Auld, business development manager for custom projects at Sonardyne. He added: “We are committed to supporting NEP’s work to deliver safe, long-term containment of CO₂ offshore and are very proud to contribute our expertise to this landmark project.”

The OBS monitoring scope is expected to start in the summer of 2026, with the first seismic data delivered to NEP one year later. This will help to characterize any naturally occurring seismic activity in this region.