Enhancing CO2 injection well integrity with novel cements and predictive damage models

We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2025. Applications are invited for the project: Enhancing CO₂ injection well integrity with novel cements and predictive damage models

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of approximately £21,237 including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years). 

You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than two) studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency. 

You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Civil Engineering research and PhD programmes | Brunel University London

Storage of captured CO­₂ in deep subsurface reservoirs is being pursued to mitigate emissions from power plants and cement, steel and chemicals manufacture during the energy transition. The ability of these reservoirs to securely store CO₂ depends on the well casing, cement sheath and cap rock providing an effective barrier to upward leakage. To ensure storage security, there is a need to better understand and improve wellbore performance, especially for cold CO₂ injection.

Responding to this challenge, this project will explore the performance of novel cement formulations with optimisation of thermo-mechanical properties including strength, stiffness, thermal conductivity, thermal expansivity, and heat capacity. Self-expanding cements will also be studied with the aim of developing compressive prestress in the cement sheath after curing. Alongside the laboratory work, the research will develop and apply a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) numerical model to simulate wellbore damage under a wide range of site conditions.

Ultimately, the research will pursue new solutions and reduce uncertainty in wellbore performance under realistic operating conditions for CO₂ storage projects, minimising the risk of costly CO₂ leakage and contributing to confidence in the technology and its role in climate change mitigation.

Please contact Dr Lee Hosking at [Email Address Removed] for an informal discussion about the studentship.

Entry Criteria

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics, Earth Sciences or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Skills and Experience

Applicants will be required to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

·      Relevant experience (e.g. materials science, structural analysis, geomechanics, earth sciences) of using experimental and/or computational modelling approaches for research at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

·      Ability to apply (or demonstration of an enthusiasm to learn) programming skills such as MATLAB and software such as COMSOL Multiphysics.

You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.

How to Apply

There are two stages of the application:

1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link 

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/brunel/epsrc-dla-25-26-pre-application-form-brunel-university-of-londo

by 16.00 on Friday 17^th January 2025. 

2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to [Email Address Removed] within 72hrs.

·      Your up-to-date CV;

·      Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) first or upper-second class honours degree essential;

·      Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;

·      Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable; this must be valid up to 31^st October 2025.

·      Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.

Interviews will take place on 13^th and 14^th February 2025. For shortlisted international/EU applicants’ interviews will be via Microsoft Teams and for UK applicants’ interviews will be in person at Brunel University of London campus.