Postgraduate Course: Future Geoenergy Resources (PGGE11225)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The geological subsurface is used as both a source of fluids (water, oil, gas); a sink (CO2; waste water; nuclear waste) and a store (compressed air; hydrogen; natural gas). All such industrial operations risk either damaging nearby subsurface resources, or creating pollution at the Earth's surface, and must be conducted to minimise these. The course introduces both the issues and the technical background to the responsible utilisation of subsurface resources. |
| Course description |
Practitioners involved in the utilisation of subsurface resources should be aware of the issues involving the exploitation of these resources, such as the unintentional contamination of adjacent resources, or leakage of pollution to the Earth's surface. The course covers the technical background to fluid containment in the subsurface, concentrating on the role of sealing rocks (shales) and the techniques used for tracing any alleged pollution. Applications include Geological Carbon Storage; the disposal of radioactive waste; fracking for shale oil and gas.
The nature of geological seals (petrography; diagenesis; mechanical properties); potential problems with extraction and injection technologies (e.g. fracking; waste water injection): pollution; induced seismic activity; and formal risk assessment protocols.
The classes will involve formal lectures, but anticipated small class sizes enable informal discussion both during and between lectures.
Formative feedback will be provided on individual (or group, class-size dependent) presentations on topical and/or controversial subjects e.g. fracking in the UK.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the physical and chemical components of subsurface barrier rocks (shales).
- Understand the mechanical properties of shale that are relevant to subsurface containment.
- Describe technologies for the underground storage of radwaste.
- Appreciate the downsides of subsurface energy extraction e.g. fracking.
- Prepare and/or present a focused presentation on a topical or controversial subsurface energy issue.
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Reading List
Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, 2009, by MacKay, DJC. free download https://www.withouthotair.com/
Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future Paperback, 2011, by Everett, Boyle & Peake
Elements (magazine of the Mineralogical Society): v12 number 4: Deep-mined Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste
Review of research on geological disposal of radioactive waste proposed by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, 2011, by R.S. Haszeldine.
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/rsh/Review_of_NDA_
research_on_geological_disposal_of_radioactive_waste_
V4_MRWS_Doc_146_Haszeldine_March2011.pdf
A review on hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoir, by Li et al., 2015, Petroleum (journal) v. 1, p.8 ¿ 15.
Seasonal storage of hydrogen in a depleted natural gas reservoir
International by AMID et al. 2016, Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41, 5549:5558.
Overview of current development in compressed air energy storage technology, by Luo et al., 2014, Energy Procedia, v. 62, p. 603 611.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking - some subsurface technologies are controversial, all require expert knowledge to assess independently.
Group working for preparation of a presentation
Presentation skills
Technical knowledge
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Wilkinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5943
Email: Mark.Wilkinson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Susie Crocker
Tel: (0131 6)51 7126
Email: Susie.Crocker@ed.ac.uk |
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