Postgraduate Course: Hydrocarbons (EASC11004)
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 | Hydrocarbon resources fuel the entire Western-World lifestyle, yet the easily located resources are rapidly depleting, those remaining are in geologically complex and difficult of access settings. Prospecting requires a high degree of understanding of both geological and geophysical aspects of basin exploration, and particularly the interplay between these two disciplines.
This course aims to bridge the gap between geology and geophysics, helping to produce geology graduates with a working knowledge of exploration geophysics, and geophysics graduates with some geological knowledge as applied to the hydrocarbon industry, where many will be employed. The course covers the application of geophysical techniques to exploration and other subsurface problems; and the basic principles of petroleum geology, petroleum geochemistry, subsurface fluids & wireline logging in 11 lectures and accompanying practical classes.
|
| Course description |
W1:
Session 1
Lecture 1: Introduction to course; petroleum systems; unconventional hydrocarbon resources (MW)
Session 2
Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 1 (MC)
W2:
Session 1
Lecture: Introduction to the geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth, as background for the seismic interpretation exercise (MW)
Session 2
Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 2 (MC)
Online test: Geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth
Online discussion: Geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth
W3:
Session 1
Lecture: Origin of oil and gas; source rocks (MW)
Practical: UK Hydrocarbon resources (MW)
Session 2
Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 3 (MC)
W4:
Session 1
Lecture: Maturation of source rocks; geochemical compositions of crude oils (MW)
Practical: Calculation of burial and maturation using PetroMod¿ basin modelling software (MW)
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W5:
Session 1
Lecture: Migration from the source rock; migration to the trap; sealing of trap; fluid pressure in the subsurface. (MW)
Practical: Estimating the reserves of an oilfield (MW)
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W6:
Session 1
Lecture: Petroleum systems, plays, traps and fluids (MW)
Practical: Moderated discussion of future sources of energy (MW)
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W7:
Session 1
Lecture: Drilling and wireline logs (MW)
Practical: Wireline log interpretation (MW)
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W8:
Session 1
Lecture: Introduction to Southern North Sea plays (MW)
Practical: Core logging JCMB Room 6307 for practical ¿ note that this exercise will only take place if approval can be gained from the School¿s safety officer.
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W9:
Session 1
Lecture: Introduction to Northern North Sea plays (MW)
Practical: Digital seismic interpretation: Southern North Sea (MW).
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
W10:
Session 1
Lecture: Using the subsurface including Carbon Capture and Storage (MW)
Practical: Geological Carbon Storage (MW)
Session 2
Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation (MC)
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Not available to students who have taken Petroleum Systems. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Draw on a broad and integrated knowledge of the basic principles and industrial applications of petroleum geology, petroleum geochemistry, subsurface fluids, geophysical exploration and wireline well logging.
- Display detailed knowledge of the plays in the North and South North Sea.
- Appreciate some of the specialised seismic techniques used in the hydrocarbon industry.
- Understand the principles of interpretation of the main logging devices used in the hydrocarbon industry.
|
Reading List
(*, ** indicate usefulness)
** Selley RC (1998) Elements of Petroleum Geology, 2nd ed. Academic Press
* Gluyas JG & Swarbrick R (2004) Petroleum Geoscience. Blackwell.
ISBN 0632 03767 9. Good for integration of geology and geophysics applied to hydrocarbon exploration and production
* Glennie KW (1998) Introduction to the Petroleum Geology of the North Sea. 4th ed. Blackwell Science AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORM via the UoE LIBRARY - do library search on Glennie KW.
Note there are several versions of this book from c. 1984 to present. Most of the paper copies in the library are older editions. For this course they are probably fine, the geology doesn't change very fast, though data about individual oil and gas fields may be out of date.
* Kearey P, Brooks M and Hill, I. (2003) An Introduction to Geophysical Exploration. Blackwell. ISBN 0 632 04929 4. Good for seismic reflection, magnetics & gravity.
Also refer to:
- Hunt, J.M. (1995) Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology ISBN 0-7167-2441 3. A bit advanced for this course but still good. Out of print but in library.
- Rider M (1996) The geological interpretation of well logs, 2nd ed. Whittles Publishing, Caithness. ISBN 1 870325 36 2
- North FK (1985) Petroleum Geology. Allen and Unwin. Out of print but in library.
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Practical classes encourage data analysis and synthesis of a wide range of geoscience topics. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Lecture: Monday 9-9.50 AM, Room 304B, Grant Institute
Practical: Monday 10-11.50 AM, Room 6231 in JCMB unless otherwise indicated.
|
| Keywords | Hydrocarbons,Oil industry,Natural gas,Carbon Capture and Storage,Wireline logs |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Wilkinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5943
Email: Mark.Wilkinson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Kathryn Will
Tel: (0131 6)50 2624
Email: Kath.Will@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage