JOURNAL: Evaluation of the Röt Halite Member as a top seal for carbon dioxide storage in the Southern North Sea
Summary
Authors:
H. A. Morris
J. D. O. Williams
L. E. Abel
E. Hough
L. P. Field
R. Parsons
British Geological Survey
Evaluation of the Röt Halite Member as a top seal for carbon dioxide storage in the Southern North Sea
Geoenergy
March 2026
This paper examines the Röt Halite Member, a thick layer of ancient salt deposits above the Bunter Sandstone Formation in the UK Southern North Sea, which is being explored as a major site for storing captured CO2. Using data from 600 wells, researchers mapped how this salt layer varies in thickness and structure, revealing up to five separate cycles laid down as an ancient sea repeatedly grew and shrank. Combined with rock sample analysis, the findings show where the salt layer should form a strong seal and where faulting may weaken it, helping ensure CO2 storage sites are chosen and assessed safely.