CCS monitoring synergies: integrating seismic and environmental campaigns for cost effectiveness

Ensuring conformance, containment, and environmental safety is essential for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) acceptance. Yet, the cost and complexity of repeated monitoring campaigns offshore remain a major barrier. This paper proposes integrating field-proven seismic and environmental monitoring approaches to enable annual marine sorties that reduce costs and environmental footprint while enhancing CCS safety through frequent surveillance. Plug and Play Seismic: Spot seismic methods have demonstrated offshore viability using containerised systems deployable from conventional supply vessels. At Denmark’s Greensand pilot in 2023, a compact 600 cui VSP (vertical seismic profile) source and seabed nodes tracked plume evolution with minimal impact. At the UK’s Poseidon license in 2025, a 1000 cui source and interoperable nodes enabled agile spot seismic and VSP acquisition. Plug and Play Environmental Monitoring: CSIRO’s offshore Gippsland campaigns deployed benthic sensors, water-column profilers, and autonomous vehicles to assess ecological impacts and validate CO2 storage safety. Synergy via Vessel of Opportunity: Both approaches use vessels of opportunity and support annual monitoring frequency. Their equipment can co-exist on a single back-deck, yet they are often planned separately. This paper advocates for simultaneous deployment, spot seismic, and environmental measurements on the same sortie, offering a cost-effective, regulation-compliant solution that ensures environmental assurance and builds public trust. Future integration could include shared landers and environmental protocols informed by subsurface risk assessments.