Heriot-Watt researchers unveil ambitious plan to seal 100,000 methane-leaking wells by 2034

Rockit, a cleantech initiative from Heriot-Watt University, has announced plans to help seal 100,000 methane-leaking wells within the next decade using innovative chemical injection technology. 

The project’s unique solution can infiltrate even the smallest pores and cracks where existing methods fall short, offering a more comprehensive and effective sealing method for both shallow onshore and deeper offshore wells. It is predicted that Rockit’s technique will lock in toxic and greenhouse gases deep underground for thousands of years. 

Using existing methods, research suggests it would take over 300 years to plug millions of at-risk wells on the planet,” said Dr Oleg Ishkov, a lead researcher at the University’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society. “Our technology offers a radical new solution by transforming porous rocks into impermeable barriers, locking harmful gases underground for thousands of years.”