The hydrothermal laboratory is the leading laboratory within Europe for the study of the chemical and mineralogical changes caused by stored CO2 (including other acidic impurities within the CO2), on reservoir rocks (e.g. sandstones, limestones, and basalts) and caprocks (e.g. clays and evaporates), the impact of stored CO2on borehole infrastructure (i.e. borehole steel and cement), and how these contribute to long-term safe storage.

Static (batch) and flow-through equipment are available in the laboratory, with useable volumes ranging from less than one ml to over ten litres, although they have variable pressure and temperature limitations up to 600°C and 1500 bar.

Various arrangements of reactors are available, and include:

• Batch reactors (various pressure/temperature capabilities, with or without fluid sampling facilities).

• High pressure/temperature rocking batch reactors (Dickson-type autoclaves).

• High pressure column reactors for flow-through studies.

• High pressure core flood reactors for flow-through studies.

• Mixed flow reactors for reaction rate studies.

• Fluidised bed reactors for low pressure reaction rate studies.

• High pressure, windowed reactors for optical studies.

More extreme conditions can be simulated with minor modifications.

Most of the equipment in use in the laboratory has been custom designed to suit our specific needs, with much of it manufactured within the BGS workshops. It is possible therefore, to construct specialised equipment to address the needs of specific studies. Many of the experiments conducted are ‘one offs’, and are individually tailored to the needs of the project concerned. The Hydrothermal Laboratory is unique (within the UK at least) in the wide range of techniques and equipment it has available. Reactions are tracked by fluid chemical changes and detailed mineralogical analysis of the reacted solids. Additionally, the lab can derive the fundamental data on reaction processes.

The BGS Hydrothermal Laboratory has a long track-record of involvement in many national (NERC, EPSRC, UK government) and international projects, working with academics and operators across Europe, and worldwide (e.g. NDA, SKB, Nagra, JAEA, Statoil). The laboratory regularly attracts researchers from universities (MScs, PhDs and Post Docs) who have found the facilities and supervision very beneficial to their investigations. For example, the laboratory is a key part of the GeoEnergy Research Centre (GERC) a pioneering joint venture co-established by the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the University of Nottingham, and 3 GERC PhD students are currently linked to the lab. The laboratory personnel have a wide-reaching scientific impact, coordinating large-scale projects and publishing widely as a result.