2019/20 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE5132M Reservoir Structural Geology and Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of Basins

15 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Dr Richard Collier
Email: r.e.l.collier@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is mutually exclusive with

SOEE5661M

Ore Deposits and their Structural Controls

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module should be taken for MSc Structural Geology with Geophysics students on the Hydrocarbon Stream.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- understand the principal geologic controls upon hydrocarbon prospectivity in sedimentary basins;
- appreciate the impact of commodity economics, the tax regime and risk analysis on the exploration and production of hydrocarbons.
- understand and apply the techniques of fault seal analysis and how to apply them;
- use software tools to assist in seal analysis;
- understand the nature of scaling in natural fracture systems and its impact on fluid flow;
- make quantitative estimates of fractured rock permeability;
- understand the different fracture reservoir types and the nature of fluid flow within them;
- appreciate structural geometries and fault rock types as seen in core and as seen in outcrop.

Learning outcomes
- Understanding of hydrocarbon prospectivity in sedimentary basins
- Economic context of exploration
- Understanding of fault seal.

Syllabus

Reservoir Structural Geology:

- Fault rock types, deformation mechanisms, structural analysis of core and borehole instrument data, fractures, predicting fault rock distributions, implications for fault seal and fluid flow, risking interpretations.
- Structural geology inputs into reservoir models.
- Design and application of work flows in reservoir-scale structural geology.

Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of Basins:

Introduction to structure of the petroleum industry
- geological controls on hydrocarbon prospectivity
- origin and composition of hydrocarbon source rocks and resultant petroleums
- reservoir properties at the grain scale and at the field scale - consequences of multiphase fluids for relative permeabilities through reservoir media;
- structural and stratigraphic entrapment
- relationship of hydrocarbon maturation and volumetrics to burial history and timing of maturation
- reserve evaluation and risk analysis
- development and construction of a drilling proposal.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Class tests, exams and assessment	1	10.00	10.00
Fieldwork	2	8.00	16.00
Lecture	15	1.00	15.00
Practical	10	2.00	20.00
Private study hours			89.00
Total Contact hours			61.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

- Reading, practicals - 6 hrs
- Report preparation - 33 hrs
- Reading, lectures - 30 hrs
- Poster preparation - 20 hrs
- Progress monitoring.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Feedback from practicals, team practical activities and short report (in scheduled feedback session)

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Practical	Practical Write up (Reservoir Structural Geology)	10.00
Practical	1 oil exploration individually mediated team practical	15.00
Practical	1 hydrocarbon field case report	35.00
Poster Presentation	Individual poster (based on Reservoir Structural Geology fieldwork and core store observations)	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/04/2018

Disclaimer

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