Spirit Energy secures seismic survey vessel for MNZ carbon capture project in UK

Energy transition company Spirit Energy has reached a major milestone for its Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) project in the UK with the successful securing of a seismic survey vessel to undertake a scope of work in the East Irish Sea, the company said on Tuesday.

The development reaffirms Spirit Energy's commitment towards a low carbon future for its operations as it continues to work towards transitioning its existing operations and strengthens its position as an energy transition business, it said in a statement.

The survey will acquire and process around 500 sq km of high-resolution 3D seismic data over the Morecambe Bay gas fields to provide the detailed definition of the potential carbon storage sites. The survey fulfils a requirement on the recently awarded carbon storage licence, and the data acquired will support all subsequent models and mapping for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) initiatives, Spirit Energy said.

“This achievement marks a pivotal point in our MNZ journey. We are progressing very well against our carbon storage licence commitments and utilising advanced technical approaches to further expand our 40 year operational knowledge of our East Irish Sea assets is another crucial step towards our goal of at scale, commercial carbon storage by 2030,” Spirit Energy’s Energy Transition Director and MNZ project lead, Matt Browell-Hook, commented.

The company has contracted Shearwater GeoServices Holding AS to enable the progress of the MNZ project. The survey will acquire a much higher resolution dataset than seen previously to enable detailed characterisation of the subsurface and, in conjunction with other existing data, provide confirmation of the significant potential for CO2 storage identified in the Morecambe Bay gas fields, Spirit Energy said.

MNZ has the potential to be one of the largest carbon stores in the UK and Europe, offering industrial emitters a world-leading decarbonisation solution. As well as contributing to the UK’s Net Zero goals, MNZ offers a vast, multi-billion-pound regeneration opportunity for the North West of England through securing the future of hundreds of existing jobs and livelihoods, and creating even more new green jobs, it will deliver a significant economic boost to Barrow-in-Furness.