diff --git a/pipeline/utils.py b/pipeline/utils.py
index 33a8ba3..5eddde8 100644
--- a/pipeline/utils.py
+++ b/pipeline/utils.py
@@ -3,27 +3,74 @@
 __copyright__ = "Copyright 2023 United Kingdom Research and Innovation"
 
 import os
+import xarray as xr
+import json
+import fsspec
 
-from pipeline.errors import MissingVariableError
+from pipeline.errors import MissingVariableError, MissingKerchunkError, ChunkDataError
+
+def open_kerchunk(kfile: str, logger, isparq=False, remote_protocol='file'):
+    """Open kerchunk file from JSON/parquet formats"""
+    if isparq:
+        logger.debug('Opening Kerchunk Parquet store')
+        from fsspec.implementations.reference import ReferenceFileSystem
+        fs = ReferenceFileSystem(
+            kfile, 
+            remote_protocol='file', 
+            target_protocol="file", 
+            lazy=True)
+        return xr.open_dataset(
+            fs.get_mapper(), 
+            engine="zarr",
+            backend_kwargs={"consolidated": False, "decode_times": False}
+        )
+    else:
+        logger.debug('Opening Kerchunk JSON file')
+        try:
+            mapper  = fsspec.get_mapper('reference://',fo=kfile, target_options={"compression":None}, remote_protocol=remote_protocol)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError as err:
+            logger.error(f"Kerchunk file {kfile} appears to be empty")
+            raise MissingKerchunkError
+        # Need a safe repeat here
+        ds = None
+        attempts = 0
+        while attempts < 3 and not ds:
+            attempts += 1
+            try:
+                ds = xr.open_zarr(mapper, consolidated=False, decode_times=True)
+            except OverflowError:
+                ds = None
+            except Exception as err:
+                raise err #MissingKerchunkError(message=f'Failed to open kerchunk file {kfile}')
+        if not ds:
+            raise ChunkDataError
+        logger.debug('Successfully opened Kerchunk with virtual xarray ds')
+        return ds
 
 def get_attribute(env: str, args, var: str):
     """Assemble environment variable or take from passed argument.
     
     Finds value of variable from Environment or ParseArgs object, or reports failure
     """
-    if getattr(args, var):
-        return getattr(args, var)
-    elif os.getenv(env):
+    try:
+        if getattr(args, var):
+            return getattr(args, var)
+    except AttributeError:
+        pass
+    if os.getenv(env):
         return os.getenv(env)
     else:
         print(var)
         raise MissingVariableError(type=var)
-    
-def format_str(string: str, length: int):
+
+def format_str(string: str, length: int, concat=False):
     """Simple function to format a string to a correct length"""
     string = str(string)
-    while len(string) < length:
-        string += ' '
+    if len(string) >= length and concat:
+        string = string[:length-3] + '...'
+    else:
+        while len(string) < length:
+            string += ' '
     return string[:length]
 
 class BypassSwitch:
@@ -71,5 +118,56 @@ def mem_to_val(value):
 
 def get_codes(group, workdir, filename):
     """Returns a list of the project codes given a filename (repeat id)"""
-    with open(f'{workdir}/groups/{group}/{filename}.txt') as f:
-        return [r.strip() for r in f.readlines()]
\ No newline at end of file
+    if workdir:
+        codefile = f'{workdir}/groups/{group}/{filename}.txt'
+    else:
+        codefile = f'{group}/{filename}.txt'
+    if os.path.isfile(codefile):
+        with open(codefile) as f:
+            return [r.strip() for r in f.readlines()]
+    else:
+        return []
+    
+def set_codes(group, workdir, filename, contents, overwrite=0):
+    codefile = f'{group}/{filename}.txt'
+    if workdir:
+        codefile = f'{workdir}/groups/{group}/{filename}.txt'
+
+    ow = 'w'
+    if overwrite == 1:
+        ow = 'w+'
+
+    with open(codefile, ow) as f:
+        f.write(contents)
+    
+def get_proj_file(proj_dir, proj_file):
+    projfile = f'{proj_dir}/{proj_file}'
+    if os.path.isfile(projfile):
+        try:
+            with open(projfile) as f:
+                contents = json.load(f)
+            return contents
+        except:
+            with open(projfile) as f:
+                print(f.readlines())
+            return None
+    else:
+        return None
+    
+def set_proj_file(proj_dir, proj_file, contents, logger):
+    projfile = f'{proj_dir}/{proj_file}'
+    if not os.path.isfile(projfile):
+        os.system(f'touch {projfile}')
+    try:
+        with open(projfile,'w') as f:
+            f.write(json.dumps(contents))
+        logger.debug(f'{proj_file} updated')
+    except Exception as err:
+        logger.error(f'{proj_file} unable to update - {err}')
+    
+def get_proj_dir(proj_code, workdir, groupID):
+    if groupID:
+        return f'{workdir}/in_progress/{groupID}/{proj_code}'
+    else:
+        return f'{workdir}/in_progress/{proj_code}'
+