The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has granted consent to drill a carbon storage appraisal well off the coast of Teesside, UK, as part of the Endurance carbon-storage project.
The proposed well is another step toward first injection and meeting the UK government’s target of storing 100 million tonnes of CO2 per year, which the UK's Climate Change Committee calculates is necessary for the UK to meet net zero by 2050.
“The green light for this appraisal well is the latest exciting milestone for the UK’s growing carbon storage industry, which continues to gain momentum and create opportunities for the offshore supply chain,” said Andy Brooks, director of New Ventures for the NSTA. “This is the energy transition in action.”
The UK government has signaled its support by committing nearly £21.7million in funding for the industry, which the NSTA says could create 50,000 jobs in the long term.
The NSTA is offering 14 locations in the UK’s second carbon storage licensing round, building on the 21 licenses awarded in the first round in 2023.
The Endurance project, off the coast of Teesside, was awarded the first carbon storage permit in December 2024, with HyNet in the East Irish Sea awarded three permits in April 2025.
The appraisal well was due to spud on 7 March, and drilling and a comprehensive data acquisition and analysis program is scheduled to take approximately 90 days. The consent term is 2 years.