Undergraduate Course: Petroleum Systems (EASC10108)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Hydrocarbon resources have fuelled the Western-World lifestyle for around 100 years, yet global climate change threatens the prosperity, if not the survival, of mankind and many other species. A move from using the subsurface from a source of hydrocarbons to the disposal of waste CO2 (in carbon capture and storage) and energy storage is essential for the energy transition. Prospecting for old resources (oil, gas) and new (geological storage) requires a high degree of understanding of both geological and geophysical aspects of basin exploration, and particularly the interplay between these two disciplines. Subsurface exploration provides many intellectual challenges, interpreting the subsurface, based in limited (and very expensive) data to optimise resource recovery or utilisation requires a deep understanding of geology and geophysics, with prediction into data-poor areas a key skill. Fortunately, the knowledge and techniques developed for hydrocarbon exploration are transferable to the more sustainable geoenergy technologies.
The course utilises a variety of teaching methods:
Lectures and practical classes cover the petroleum system and other subsurface usage, and the application of geophysical techniques to exploration.
Interpretation of seismic reflection profiles of a sedimentary succession at the basin margin near Helmsdale using state-of-the-art digital software (Petrel) and seismic data, kindly donated by Schlumberger.
A 4 day field excursion to Helmsdale (NE Scotland) to study rocks analogous to those used in the subsurface.
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| Course description |
Syllabus:
Conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Geological energy storage
Origin of oil and gas, plus CO2 for storage, and hydrogen.
Shales as source rocks and seals
Maturation and migration
Reservoirs, traps and field volumes
Drilling and wireline logs
Introduction to Northern and Southern Sea petroleum geology
Introduction to digital seismic interpretation
Introduction to digital basin modelling
Fieldwork as an aid to understanding subsurface geology
Course summary by week (MW = Mark Wilkinson, MC = Mark Chapman)
W1:
Friday AM Lecture: Introduction to course; petroleum systems; unconventional hydrocarbon resources; future uses of the subsurface (CCS; energy storage)
Friday PM Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 1
W2:
Friday AM Lecture: Introduction to the geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth, as background for the seismic interpretation exercise (MW)
Friday PM Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 2
W3:
Friday AM Lecture: Subsurface fluids: water, origin of oil and gas; capturing CO2; generating H2
Friday AM Practical: Estimating resources: how much is down there?
Friday PM Lecture: Introduction to seismic reflection interpretation 3
W4:
Friday AM Lecture: Migration, seals and leakage
Friday AM Practical: Calculation of burial and maturation using PetroMod basin modelling software
Friday PM Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation
W5:
Friday AM Lecture: Reservoirs, traps and pressure
Friday AM Practical: Oil field reserves estimate
Friday PM Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation
W6:
Friday AM Lecture: Drilling and wireline logs
Friday AM Practical: Wireline log interpretation
Friday PM Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation
W7:
Friday AM Lecture: Introduction to Southern North Sea
Friday AM Practical: Core loggin
Friday PM Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation
W8:
Friday AM Lecture: Introduction to Northern North Sea
Friday PM Practical: Digital Seismic Interpretation
W9:
Friday AM Lecture: Carbon Capture and Storage
W10:
Friday AM Lecture: Geological energy storage
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Understand the geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth - how and when rifting initiated, sedimentary facies, subsidence history including effects of fault segmentation on sediment dispersal within the basin
Perform a simple seismic interpretation using industry-standard software (PETREL) including a simple volume calculation for an oilfield or CO2 storage site.
Describe the individual components of a petroleum system for both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon plays
Understand how the knowledge gained from hydrocarbon exploration can be applied to clener geoenergy technologies including carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Analyse and understand typical data from petroleum production, e.g. produced volumes of hydrocarbons; a traditional suite of wireline logs
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 11,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 24,
Fieldwork Hours 32,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 6,
Summative Assessment Hours 65,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
58 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment details
Written Exam 50%
Coursework 50%
Assessment will consist of:
Coursework, set in Week 5, consisting of 2 essays from 4 available, to cover a reasonable range of the course material. 2 weeks will be allowed for the assessment. Defined word limit per essay and expectation of modest extra reading (2 - 4 references per essay). The questions will be of similar style to the exam ones, to give students experience of the format and feedback on progress. (50%)
Exam, 1 hour 30 minutes duration. 2 long-answer questions chosen from 4 options; 1 or more of the questions may have multiple sub-questions. There is no practical element to the exam e.g. no accurate plotting of graph, calculation or use of computers. No length limit to answers. (50 %)
NOTE: The exam will have questions based upon some or all of the following parts of the course:
The practical classes
The lectures
The field excursion
Assessment deadlines:
Coursework essays:
Essay A Monday week 7, 12:00 noon.
Essay B Monday week 7, 12:00 noon.
Moderation: In this course, all assessments will be moderated via Sampled Second Marking. This is a process whereby an academic member of staff, different from the marker, looks at a samples of the work to ensure consistency of marking. Where multiple markers mark the same assessment moderation also verifies that all markers are marking to the same standard.
The moderator is not double marking and cannot change individual marks. They can only make recommendations to adjust marks.
Students must attain an overall mark of 40% (or above) to pass the course. |
| Feedback |
Opportunities for feedback are continuous throughout the course, during the practical sessions when the lecturer and demonstrators are available. Students are able to ask for verbal feedback weekly throughout the course informally. Worked answers to practical classes are available online on LEARN, for self-assessment of work.
Each student may submit 1 written answer to any previous exam question for formative feedback, at any stage of the course.
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Petroleum Systems (EASC10108) | 1:90 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Petroleum Systems (EASC10108) | :90 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the geological evolution of the Inner Moray Firth - how and when rifting initiated, sedimentary facies, subsidence history including effects of fault segmentation on sediment dispersal within the basin
- Perform a simple seismic interpretation using industry-standard software (PETREL) including a simple volumetric calculation for an oilfield
- Describe the individual components of a petroleum system for both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon plays
- Analyse and understand typical data from petroleum production, e.g. produced volumes of hydrocarbons; a traditional suite of wireline logs
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Reading List
| See Resource List under Library Resources on LEARN page. Note that there is a detailed list for each week on the last slide in the lecture, giving specific sections or chapters of the recommended books and suggested online reading material. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Hydrocarbons,Reservoir,Seal,Petroleum System,Reserves |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Wilkinson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5943
Email: Mark.Wilkinson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Johan De Klerk
Tel: (0131 6)50 7010
Email: johan.deklerk@ed.ac.uk |
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