To produce graduates with:

Knowledge of the main depositional and diagenetic controls on reservoir properties in carbonate rocks;

Practical skills used in the oil industry.

To equip students with appropriate background knowledge of carbonate sedimentary systems and carbonate diagenesis.

To train students in the methods of sedimentological data collection from core and surface exposure, with emphasis placed on the key information required by the petroleum industry and why this information is necessary.

To train students how core data is used by the petroleum industry and how it is linked to petrophysical and wireline datasets.

(LO1) Ability to apply principal methods andconcepts regularly used by oil companies to assess carbonate reservoir(s).

(LO2) Ability to carefully collect and interpretsedimentary data (from seismic, core and outcrop) of specific interest to thepetroleum industry and apply this to qualitative and quantitative reservoirassessment.

(LO3) Ability to combine stratigraphic informationwith borehole datasets to provide a better understanding of the subsurfacereservoir. 

(LO4) Knowledge of how diagenesis affects carbonatesedimentary reservoir and the ability tomake a reservoir quality assessment using thin section and analytical data.

(LO5) The ability to analyse petroleum reservoirdatasets (wireline, core, seismic).

(LO6) Practical skills in rock description andanalysis including core description, thin section analysis and the use ofimages and analytical data (cathodoluminescence, isotopic data, use of electronmicroscopy) and interpretation of wireline log and poroperm data.  

(S1) Presentation skills in various media (poster, talk, concise report)

(S2) Problem solving using a variety of data and information types (quantitative and qualitative)

(S3) Written and verbal presentation and the use of graphics.

Lectures will include:

Architecture of carbonate reservoirs: controls on primary porosity, carbonate depositional systems, tropical, temperate and deep water, primary porosity in ramp, shelf and basinal settings, role of evolution on development of biohermal facies;

Sequence and seismic stratigraphy-  stacking patterns – seismic and well scale features;

Carbonates and evaporites;

Diagenetic overprint - rock texture, rock properties – textures and settings;

Dolomites and dolomitisation;

Analytical Tool kit - Introduction to analytical methods and the interpretation. Cathodoluminescence, SEM, Stable Isotopes (measurements, sampling and interpretation);

Detection and mapping of carbonate facies and reservoir bodies using 2-D and 3-D seismic;

Stratigraphy and correlation of reservoir units. Use of wireline logs, elemental and isotopic chemostratigraphy;

Modelling carbonate reservoirs. Geometry and connectivi ty. Porosity and permeability prediction;

Fractured carbonates - mechanical stratigraphy and dual-flow systems.   Well flow-rate prediction in fractured and non-fractured carbonate;

Thermal and fluid pressure history analysis and modelling of carbonate reservoirs.

Seminars. Global case-studies of carbonate reservoirs researched and delivered by the participants.

Practical exercises and case studies –will include the following: rock description – in the field and in the lab.*;

Core description and analysis.  – Bahamas Core (Pleistocene) and UK Core (Jurassic);

Porosity description and analysis -hand specimen, thin section, petrophysical data and photo exercises;

Facies architecture and diagenetic overprint - Middle East example;

Seismic interpretation of reservoir geometry - 2D seismic of carbonate margins; 3-D work on carbonate sand shoals;

Correlation exercises - wireline and chemostratigra phic example(s);

Production-scale exercise -  case study involving the integration of core, petrophysics wireline and production data ;

Case studies of petroleum habitats, modelling and fluid flow will be addressed by external speakers and literature-based reviews by the students. Examples should include reservoir studies of carbonate from the Middle-East, West Canada, USA, and East Asia;

Field work- weekends and/or day trips. May include Carboniferous(Anglesey and Great Orme), Jurassic (Cotswolds and/or Portland), Reef Example eg. Wenlock.

* Students with limited background in carbonate sedimentology will be encouraged to complete Year 2 (ENVS219) reservoir–scale exercises (some or all of Wenlock, Portland, Zechstein, Cements, Petrology).

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: 12 Lectures covering: Depositional systems, facies architecture. Diagenetic processes. Controls on reservoir properties and petrophysics. Seismic mapping of carbonate bodies. Wireline response to facies and petroleum.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 2 - Seminar
Description: Eight 1-hour, student-led, seminars based on case studies of carbonate reservoirs from a range of stratigraphic and tectonic settings.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 3 - Laboratory Work
Description: Ten x 3 hour practicals – Case studies involving, reservoir field-scale analysis of carbonates. Based on rock specimens, thin sections and data (including seismic, wireline and petrophysical measurements) from petroleum reservoirs and analogues.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 4 - Field Work
Description: 1-2 days – one day projects to examine reservoir analogues and 3-D geometries of reser voir units - reef systems, dolomitised carbonates and fractures/mechanical stratigraphy.
Attendance Recorded: Yes