Postgraduate Course: Geology for GeoEnergy (PGGE11293)
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 course provides a broad overview of the fundamental processes that have shaped the Earth over time to make it a habitable planet and introduces you to the common rock types and how to interpret their origins. It will provide an overview of the basics of geology associated with geoenergy applications such as petroleum exploration, carbon storage or geothermal energy provision.
The content is shared with the first 6 weeks of The Dynamic Earth (GESC08003) course and will cover the following topics:
Weeks 1-3 The evolution of Earth and life
Weeks 4-6 Volcanoes, earthquakes and plate tectonics
This will consist of 18 lectures and 6 practical sessions, including an introduction to fieldwork at Wardie and Holyrood Park.
The course includes a further day field excursion To Berwick-upon-Tweed, a report from which contributes to the assessment, with the remainder assessed through coursework as outlined.
This course is not available for undergraduates
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| Course description |
1. Overview of Geological Principals: Rock types: igneous, sediments, metamorphic
- The rock cycle and how to describe rocks
- Sediments: beds, basins, Walther¿s Law
- The basic petroleum system as analogue for subsurface trapping
- The Geological Timescale and the dating of rocks
- Unconformities, sequence stratigraphy and geological maps
2. Geology of Sandstones: Origin (weathering and erosion, provenance)
- Depositional models, reservoir heterogeneity
- Physical description (porosity, packing, permeability, bedding)
- Porosity decline with depth
- Petrology and classification
- Diagenesis and secondary porosity
3. Shales, seals and others: physical description of seal rocks (porosity, permeability, capillary seals)
- Depositional models
- Petrology and classification
- Evaporates: Depositional models, poro-perm, dissolution, diapirism
- Coals
4. Carbonates: Depositional environments, morphology and reservoir quality and an overview of metamorphic and igneous rocks
- Depositional environments of carbonates
- Causes of heterogeneity
- Control of seawater chemistry and their reactivity
- The principles of igneous and metamorphic rocks
5. Structural Geology and Introduction to Geophysics:
- Plate tectonic models, basins
- Reconnaissance exploration techniques, seismic surveying, magnetic surveying, gravity surveying
Practical exercises are to be completed in students own time following each weeks lecture. These will be reviewed as a group in the following week.
1. Basic Rock types
6 geological samples will be provided for you to examine. You will match the samples to the descriptions given.
2. Sandstones
You will describe sandstone samples and then assess their potential as reservoir rocks.
3. Shales, Seals and Coals
Examples of these rocks will be provided for you to examine and describe, along with an assessment of their potential as seals.
4. Carbonates
6 geological samples will be provided for you to examine. You will match the samples to the short descriptions given and write your own more detailed description.
5. Course revision session
Question and answer session on any aspect of the course and release of the 4 page fully referenced essay topics.
Field Trip date is provisionally Wednesday 9th October 2024 but this is to be confirmed as the trip is dependent on weather, tides.
The field trip will likely be a one-day excursion to Berwick-upon-Tweed, where we examine rocks along the coast to observe potential reservoir (sandstone, limestone), seal (shale) and structures (folds, faults) exposures, or an excursion in the local Edinburgh area to examine similar rocks and structures.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course cannot be taken by any student who has previously studied Geoscience, and specifically subsurface exploration including oil and gas exploration |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Block 1 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Fieldwork Hours 10,
Revision Session Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
78 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Field Report (30%): A short report (6 pages maximum) summarising the observations from the Berwick-upon-Tweed fieldtrip including photographs and sketches with citations to the literature where appropriate.
40% Continuous assessment weekly quizzes from The Dynamic Earth weeks 1-6
30% portfolio of practical work from The Dynamic Earth weeks
Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate understanding of fundamental processes that have shaped the Earth over time and made it a habitable planet.
Describe the common rock types and interpret their origins.
Show a critical understanding of the origin and physical properties of clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks which form the majority of reservoirs and aquifers.
Have developed observational field and laboratory skills.
AI Assisted Generation: AI tools may be used to identify ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment, but not to generate content. If you use AI, you must acknowledge it in your submission.
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| Feedback |
Feedback is a key component of your learning experience, and something that is given a high priority in the 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). Feedback will be provided by teaching staff.
- Personal 1-to-1 feedback during the one day field trip. Feedback will be provided by teaching staff.
- Individual feedback will be provided on each students report summarising the major geological events shown by the rocks observed on the fieldtrip. This will include recommendations as to how you can improve your grades.
Students are expected to build on this feedback to progress and produce work of good 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:
- Demonstrate understanding of fundamental processes that have shaped the Earth over time and made it a habitable planet.
- Describe the common rock types and interpret their origins.
- Show a critical understanding of the origin and physical properties of clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks which form the majority of reservoirs and aquifers.
- Have developed observational field and laboratory skills.
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Reading List
Basic Geology:
Understanding the Earth: Chapter 15, Sedimentary Basins and Chapter 16, Clastic Sediments
Earth's Dynamic Systems 9th Edition: Chapter 5, Sedimentary Rocks and Chapter 10, Weathering
Sedimentology & Sedimentary Basins, from Turbulence to Tectonics (M. Leeder)
Part 6: Continental sediments and Part 7: Marine sediments
Elements of Petroleum Geology, Selley, R.C., 2nd Edition, 1998, Chapter 6: The Reservoir.
Fieldwork:
Geological field Techniques by Angela Coe (the sedimentary section only).
Sedimentary Rocks in the Field (Geological Field Guide) by Maurice E. Tucker |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | petroleum exploration,carbon storage,CO2,storage |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stuart Gilfillan
Tel: (0131 6)51 3462
Email: stuart.gilfillan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Sarah Jones
Tel:
Email: sarah.jones@ed.ac.uk |
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