Postgraduate Course: Future GeoEnergy Resources (PGGE11261)
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 | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| 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 in a manner which minimises these risks. The course introduces both the issues and the technical background to the responsible utilisation of these subsurface resources. |
| Course description |
Future GeoEnergy resources encompass the broad range of energy technologies and sources that interact with the geological subsurface. This includes both established energy technologies such as conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon extraction, the production of geothermal energy, water resources and developing areas such as energy storage (via compressed air or hydrogen), nuclear waste storage and the influence of the deep biosphere.
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 in a manner which minimises these risks.
This course introduces the technical background and covers the environmental issues associated with the responsible utilisation of Future GeoEnergy resources.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Students MUST have passed:
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students must have studied basic geology to the satisfaction of the Course Organiser |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework: 100 %
Students will be required to submit the following coursework items to constitute the assessed
component of this course:
A written 2,500 word (excluding figures and references) report on a chosen Future GeoEnergy
Technology to be submitted digitally for assessment by 12 noon on Wednesday 1st December 2021 in Week 11 of Semester 1.
An A0 size digital poster on a selected operating GeoEnergy site (excluding CCS sites as these
are covered in Carbon Storage and Monitoring course). This is expected to be the same site
as that presented orally in Week 4 of Semester 2, in order for the formative feedback on the
presentations to be acted upon in poster preparation. This poster is to be submitted digitally
for assessment by 12 noon on Wednesday 16th February 2022 in the Flexible Learning Week |
| Feedback |
Feedback is a key component of your learning experience, and something that is given a high priority in the Future GeoEnergy course. Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback in the following instances:
- Personal 1-to-1 feedback during the practical sessions, as students progress on the exercises during the course (once a week). Teaching staff will provide feedback.
- Individual feedback will be provided on each student's individual presentations on a chosen relevant GeoEnergy project scheduled to be given during the course. This will include recommendations as to how you can improve your presentations in the future.
Students are expected to build on this feedback to progress and produce work of a high standard. Course team members are happy to give individual feedback to students who ask.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- A broad, integrated knowledge of the range of future GeoEnergy Resources and the geological constraints associated with their use
- A critical understanding of the geomechanical controls on the subsurface injection of fluids
- Knowledge of the properties of fine grained rocks and their ability to act as geological seals
- An insight into the experimental approachs used to understand subsurface processes relevant to utilisation of GeoEnergy Resources
- Familiarity with common tools used to monitor GeoEnergy Resources
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Reading List
| Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, 2009, by MacKay, DJC. Free to download here: https://www.withouthotair.com/ Energy Systems and Sustainability: Power for a Sustainable Future Paperback, 2011, by Everett, Boyle & PeakeLi et al., 2015 - A review on hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoir, by, Petroleum (journal) v. 1, p.8 - 15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405656115000140Amid et al. 2016 - Seasonal storage of hydrogen in a depleted natural gas reservoir, Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41, 5549:5558 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036031991531781XLuo et al., 2014 - Overview of current development in compressed air energy storage technology, by, Energy Procedia, v. 62, p. 603 611. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610214034547 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking- some subsurface technologies are controversial; all require expert knowledge to assess independently.
Presentation and data interpretation skills will also be gained from the course. |
| Keywords | Earth Resources,GeoEnergy,Geothermal energy,Energy Storage |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stuart Gilfillan
Tel: (0131 6)51 3462
Email: stuart.gilfillan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Kathryn Will
Tel: (0131 6)50 2624
Email: Kath.Will@ed.ac.uk |
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