Cheshire Geoenergy Observatory releases key geological datasets for UK thermal energy storage scheme design

The UK Geoenergy Observatories (UKGEOS) team at BGS has released the drilling report and the final 17 borehole data packs from the construction of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire.

The UKGEOS project set out to deliver essential new data from the subsurface to build knowledge about clean energy. Opened in 2024, the Cheshire Observatory provides scientists with at-scale test facilities that can be used to optimise and de-risk subsurface energy storage systems and geothermal heat in an aquifer setting.

Together with the three data packs released in 2025, a ground investigation borehole dataset pack released in 2023 and the core scanning dataset released in 2022, the 17 new borehole data packs have been made available on an open-access basis and are key deliverables from the UKGEOS capital project. They provide high-resolution data on the physical properties, geochemistry and interpreted geology of the rocks in which the Cheshire Observatory was built and are a unique resource for scientists working on the geology and hydrogeology of the Sherwood Sandstone Formation, which is an important aquifer and reservoir rock for heat and carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage.

The drilling report is also a valuable resource for future subsurface science and engineering, as it documents novel construction methods, lessons learned, drilling decision trees and how the difficulties of installing complex, closely separated boreholes were overcome.

We are pleased to announce the release of the drilling report alongside the borehole data packs for the construction of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire. These will provide a unique resource for scientists working on the geology and hydrogeology of the Sherwood Sandstone Formation, which is well suited for geothermal energy in the UK, ensuring this valuable information can be used for future subsurface science and engineering.

Dr Mike Spence, science and operations lead at BGS for the Cheshire Observatory.

The Cheshire Observatory was delivered through close collaboration between BGS, the UKGEOS external science advisory group, AECOM (the principal contractor for the observatory), the drilling company Marriott and the dedication of over 200 project scientists and engineers. The drilling report and data packs are available to download free of charge on the UKGEOS website.

The Cheshire Observatory is available to the whole of the UK science community for research, innovation and training activities. Research studies funded through any source are welcome, including outside UKRI and industry-led research. Find out more about the UK Geoenergy Observatories or contact the UKGEOS team (ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk).