MSc Geoscience for Sustainable Energy / Course details

Year of entry: 2025

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Course unit details:
Fluids and Minerals in Subsurface Energy Systems

Course unit fact file
Unit code	EART60682
Credit rating	15
Unit level	FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

Fluids (including gas) are central to the how energy is stored and produced in the subsurface. Over geological timescales, fluids will react with minerals and rocks to generate porosity, and also to recrystallize sediments and re-precipitate minerals, including critical minerals. The chemistry of fluids, their temperature and pressure exert a fundamental control on rock composition and rock physical properties, which can be altered by the offtake or injection of fluids on anthropogenic timescales. This unit will introduce the types of fluids encountered in sedimentary basins and their circulation mechanisms. It will evaluate their chemistry and use hydrological principles to interpret likely flow and reaction pathways.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title	Unit code	Requirement type	Description
Fundamentals of Applied Subsurface Geoscience	EART60031	Pre-Requisite	Compulsory
Key Interpretation Skills	EART60381	Pre-Requisite	Compulsory

Aims

The unit will be delivered using asynchronous, pre-recorded lectures in preparation for weekly synchronous activities. Synchronous activities will include practice exercises, demonstrations, quizzes and Q&A.

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:		Developed	Assessed
ILO 1	Predict the occurrence of different types of subsurface fluids based on knowledge of basin tectonics, depth and lithology and identify fluids based on chemical properties	X	X
ILO2	Use the principles of hydrogeology to describe how groundwater flows in sedimentary basins	X	X
ILO 3	Describe deep fluid circulation mechanisms and pathways, based on knowledge of basin architecture, heat flow, pressure and time	X	X
ILO 4	Conceptually model fluid-mineral-rock reactions based on rock texture, mineralogy, porosity, permeability and fluid composition	X	X
ILO 5	Predict changes in fluid composition and reactivity due to mixing, cooling, dissolution and precipitation	X	X
ILO 6	Understand the processes involved in the formation of critical mineral deposits	X	X
ILO 7	Calculate project economics and assess environmental impact and social responsibility issues	X	X

Syllabus

Lectures and Practicals:

Week 1: Types of fluids in sedimentary basins (Cathy Hollis): marine, meteoric, magmatic, formation water geochemistry (salinity, trace element, heavy metals, NORMS, Li and heavy metals/critical metals), implications to facilities integrity (biofouling, scaling, etc)

Week 2: Techniques for fluid characterisation and palaeo-fluid reconstruction (Cathy Hollis): Stable isotopes (d18O, d13C of water, reaction pathways and fractionation) and noble gas isotopes; Trace element geochemistry and dissolved salts in modern subsurface fluids; Determination of palaeo fluid composition from minerals (fluid inclusion and stable isotope analysis)

Week 3: Fluid circulation mechanisms (Cathy Hollis): Diffusion, advection, gravity; convection, gravity/topographic flow and tectonic controls (compactional dewatering and seismic pumping); Aquitards and aquifers, fractures vs matrix porosity; Implications to CCS and geothermal (aquifer storage and open loop systems)

Week 4: Precipitation and dissolution I (Greg Holland); Basic chemistry, Water as a solvent; activity coefficient and ionic strength; Solubility and complexing; Common ion effect. Laboratory practical experiments.

Week 5: Precipitation and dissolution II (Greg Holland): Acids, bases and pH, buffering. Geochemistry of the carbonate system. Control of temperature and pressure on carbonate solubility. Write up of lab experiments.

Week 6: Redox (Greg Holland): Redox reactions, pH and pE in natural systems, chemical weathering, dissolution of silicates, mineral stability diagrams; Implications to redox related mineral deposits. Case studies: Trapping and reaction of CO2 during injection; fate of CO2 / geothermal fluids using noble gases; redox controls on caprock integrity and heavy metal mobilisation.

Week 7: Low temperature sedimentary hosted deposits (Cathy Hollis): Mineral assemblages; fluid source and composition; metal transport; fluid flow/emplacement processes (SEDEX, Irish-style & Mississippi-Valley type)

Week 8: Hydrothermal processes (Cathy Hollis): Definition of hydrothermal systems; reaction pathways, natural H2 production: magmatic degassing & serpentinization

Week 9: High temperature mineralization (to be confirmed): Pegmatites, carbonatites, REE rich deposits

Week 10 /11: Project economics (to be confirmed): CAPEX, OPEX, rate of return, environmental impact, social responsibility, life cycle analysis

Teaching and learning methods

This module will be delivered as 11 sessions with up to 2 hours asynchronous lecture material and pre-read material, prior to weekly 2 hour synchronous teaching, focused on problem solving and data analysis, supplemented by self-study (background reading, quizzes, revision)

Assessment methods

Assessment type

% Weighting within unit

Hand out and hand in dates

Length

How, when and what feedback is provided

ILO tested

Coursework

tbc

Discussion of solution in class and posted on Blackboard

All

End of unit examination

End Semester 2

1.5 hours

Marked scripts

All

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	11
Practical classes & workshops	22

Independent study hours
Independent study	117

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Catherine Hollis	Unit coordinator

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