Limiting global warming to a 2°C rise by the end of the century may require large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Due to the key role CCS plays in integrated assessment models of climate change mitigation, it is important that fundamental physical constraints are accounted for. This requires modelling tools that can reliably approximate subsurface behaviour while remaining computationally manageable. Simplified physics models serve as practical and accessible alternatives when data limitations prevent the use of full-scale numerical reservoir simulators. We evaluate the use of a simplified physics tool for various carbon storage analyses, including global storage resource estimates and legacy well risk analysis.

This thesis offers critical insight into the use of simplified physics models to assess pressure-limited carbon storage. Whilst we find rates of storage in line within the range of projected deployment in the IPCC and IEA to be feasible, we highlight the massive upscaling of CCS technologies and significant pressure management required to achieve these rates. The upscaling needed to meet projections may be less if additional reservoirs are available in secondary stratigraphic compartments, or more if the geometry of fault systems isolates structural compartments. We find that pressure migration will likely exceed field and storage license boundaries, meaning pressure fields will inevitably encounter legacy wells. These analyses highlight the need for pressure constraints to be carefully considered when modelling carbon storage.