CASP has a reputation for conducting focused, cost-effective field-based research to provide insights into key elements of sedimentary basin evolution.

CASP’s multinational, post-doctoral research staff are highly experienced field geologists possessing a range of specialisms. In addition, many staff have regional expertise derived from the long-term involvement in geographical areas, and collaborate with key individual researchers and institutes.

CASP manages large analytical datasets that are standardised and georeferenced. Our petrographic and heavy mineral datasets are internally consistent thanks to a long-term policy of using the same analysts.

The high technical standard of CASP work is demonstrated by the publication of numerous studies in peer-reviewed international journals, following an appropriate period of confidentiality.

CASP research typically addresses the following themes:

Regional geological evolution. Our research routinely synthesises literature reviews and novel field-based sedimentological and structural geological studies within sedimentary basins and their potential sediment source areas. In combination with a wide variety of analyses, particularly multi-proxy provenance techniques, CASP provides critical insights into the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation, sediment transport routes, and age constraints for deformation.

Reservoirs. CASP’s integrated field-based studies of reservoir analogues, augmented with compositional and petrophysical analyses, provide predictions for reservoir quality as well as documenting the distribution of sub-seismic to pore-scale heterogeneities.  Geochemical modelling of mineralogically complex sandstones in response to injected CO₂.

Provenance. A major CASP strength is the application of a wide range of complementary single-grain geochronological and geochemical analytical techniques to determine the link between reservoir quality and provenance region. This approach also identifies the major sedimentary systems supplying a basin, and ultimately establishes a predictive framework for likely reservoir presence and quality.

Seals. The presence of an effective seal unit(s) is essential for carbon storage plays. Through detailed sedimentological and analytical studies of exposed potential seal units, together with integrated Mercury Injected Capillary Pressure (MICP) measurements, CASP provide regional insight to de-risk seal integrity.

Volcanic impact on sedimentary basins. Through analogue studies, CASP addresses uncertainties surrounding lava field sedimentation, reservoir architectures and properties, and the effects of volcanism on sub-volcanic sedimentary sections. This work is also relevant to the impact of basaltic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks within potential carbon storage targets.

Stratigraphic calibration using integrated biostratigraphy. Integrated micro- and macro-biostratigraphy, along with absolute age dating techniques, are used to construct age models for key pieces of stratigraphy and provide records of environmental change.