Personal statement

I am a first year PhD student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My main area of research is the use of microbially and enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (MICP/EICP) for improving subsurface storage integrity. The pore systems of depleted underground gas reservoirs provide storage capacity that can be used for geo-sequestration of CO2, hydrogen storage and compressed air energy storage. MICP has potential as a sustainable and affordable solution to sealing leakage pathways and to compartmentalize existing subsurface storage space. 

Understanding the interactions between biogeochemical reactions and transport properties at the reservoir scale first requires MICP/EICP experiments to be carried out at the pore (micron) scale. These studies are essential for understanding principles of crystal formation, growth and hydrodynamic feedback mechanisms. Using X-ray computed tomography it is now possible to observe and quantitatively analyse these processes in 3D, at incredibly high spatial resolution, and in real-time.

As the UK moves to a carbon free economy, it is the overarching goal of my project to demonstrate the effectiveness of MICP to key players in academia and industry.