Course unit details:
Fundamentals of Applied Subsurface Geoscience
| Unit code | EART60031 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Subsurface applied geoscience forms the basis for the interpretation of stratigraphic, structural, mineralogical and hydrological properties in the subsurface. This is critical to the assessment of economic value, since the subsurface architecture will govern how fluids are stored and produced. This unit describes the fundamentals of the subsurface environment, from basin scale to the pore scale, and provides the key information needed to understand rock physical properties, mechanical strength, permeability and heterogeneity. The unit covers petroleum system analysis, subsurface drilling operations, and the assessment of subsurface uncertainty.
Aims
This unit is designed to introduce students to the analysis of sedimentary basins, their structure, sedimentary fill and fluids for resource assessment.
Learning outcomes
| On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: | |
| ILO 1 | Describe the key drivers in subsurface business and the importance of mitigating risk and uncertainty. |
| ILO 2 | Identify and describe different types of sedimentary rock (siliciclastic, carbonate, evaporite) in core and outcrop and explain the relationship between basin evolution and the type and distribution of sediment. |
| ILO 3 | Identify different types of faults from seismic data and in outcrop and explain the fundamental kinematics behind their formation. |
| ILO 4 | Describe pressure and temperature variations with depth, interpret these from standard subsurface data sets, and interpret the controls and importance for reservoirs and fluids in the subsurface. |
| ILO 5 | Describe how sediments lithify and how rocks change during burial and uplift as a result of physical and chemical processes resulting from rock/water interaction within different basins and at changing pT conditions. |
| ILO 6 | Name the main aqueous and petroleum fluids in the subsurface. Describe the key processes and controls involved in organic matter maturation, fluid flow, hydrocarbon migration. |
| ILO 7 | Be able to assess uncertainty and risk in the subsurface. |
| ILO 8 | Map subsurface features, correlate subsurface well data and evaluate the volume of fluids in a subsurface structure. |
Syllabus
Week 1:
Lecture: Global Energy supply and demand. The Value Chain for development of subsurface resources, uncertainty and risk
Practical: Subsurface Exploration Exercise
Week 2:
Lecture: principal types of sedimentary rocks (clastic, carbonate, evaporite), linked to sedimentary basins
Practical: hand specimens and core to identify and describe different types of sedimentary rock (grain size, sorting, sedimentary structures, Dunham classification for carbonates)
Week 3:
Lecture: How rocks lithify and change (cementation, compaction, dissolution, recrystallization, organic maturation)
Practical: rock descriptions (including thin sections?) of diagenetic features
Week 4:
Series of one day field trips to Cheshire Basin / Peak District (3 Days)
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures
Practical Exercises.
Fieldwork
E-learning resources (video and online tests)
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written exam | 40% |
| Report | 30% |
| Practical skills assessment | 30% |
Feedback methods
Assessment type | % Weighting within unit | Hand out and hand in dates | Length
| How, when and what feedback is provided | ILO tested |
Practical | 30 | Hand Out week 9
Hand in week after exam period |
| 2 assessed short practicals
Taminga Practical Report | ILO 7 and 8 |
Exam | 40 | Exam period | 2 hours | Post Test feedback provided | ILO 1, 3 - 6 |
Field work report (Individual) | 30 | Hand out on field class
Hand in week 7 | 5 days field class, 10 hours independent study | Written feedback provided | ILO 2 |
Recommended reading
Sedimentary Environments and Facies (HG Reading)
Basin Analysis (Allen and Allen)
Petroleum Geoscience (Gluyaas J and Swarbrick R, Blackwells, 2003)
BP Energy Outlook
For Information and advice on Link2Lists reading list software, see:
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 28 |
| Practical classes & workshops | 30 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 92 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Redfern | Unit coordinator |