To provide an overview of fault systems and their role in the formation and behaviour of petroleum reservoirs.
To provide an understanding of the mechanical and physical properties of the rocks within petroleum reservoir systems and how they evolve on both geological and production timescales.
To provide, with case studies, an introduction to fractured reservoirs and their problems.

(LO1) An understanding of the geometry, properties and role of fault systems in petroleum reservoir systems.

(LO2) An appreciation of the various trap types encountered in petroleum systems.

(LO3) An understanding of the roles of elasticity, fracture and ductile deformation and the mechanical behaviour of reservoir rocks.

(LO4) Anappreciation of how rocks within petroleum reservoir systems deform underchanging stress conditions and how these changes affect fluid flow.

(LO5) An understanding of how the physical properties of reservoir units change spatially and temporally during production timescales.

(S1) An ability to complete quantitative analyses.

(S2) Problem solving and communication using information from a number of sources.

(S3) Clear presentation of ideas and information in a systematic manner.

Paired lectures and practical sessions:
Lectures:
Hydrocarbon traps and trapping mechanisms in petroleum systems;
Fault geometry and fault systems;
Gradient of displacements and separation on faults;
Populations of fault displacement, separation, length and thickness;
Fault sealing: seal types and mechanisms;
Volumetrics of hydrocarbon traps, calculation of gross rock volume and its relation to net-to-gross (and so effective reservoir volumes) (to be linked to ENVS603 Petrophysics);
Stress and strain I (Stress and strain tensors, principal stresses, theory of stress in 2D);
Stress and strain II (relating stress and strain, tensor multiplication);
Laboratory testing (uniaxial, triaxial, true triaxial, friction);
Elasticity, fracture and flow (spring and dashpot models, stress-strain curves);
Poroelasticity (Biot’s coefficient, effective stress law);
Yield criteria (Mohr-Coulomb, Tresca, Von Mises, Drucker-Prager);
Faults and friction (rate and state friction);
Critically stressed fault systems and fluid flow;
Mechanical behaviour of porous rocks I (Yield caps, critical state theory);
Mechanical behaviour of porous rocks II (laboratory measurements, Hertzian fracture);
Theory of fracture (Griffith, fracture mechanics);
Brittle creep (sub-critical crack growth);
Borehole stresses (Kirsch equations, overcoring, LOT, XLOT);
Wellbore failure (sand production, LOC);
Characteristics of naturally fractured reservoirs. Fractures in reservoirs dominated by matrix porosity. Fractures as the main source of porosity (e.g. in folded reservoirs). Fracture permeability;
Patterns of fracture orientation and spacing in well - bedded sequences;
Patterns of fracture orientation and spacing in poorly - bedded sequences;
Fault and fracture scaling. Analysis of fractures in the sub - surface from wire line image logs;
Drilling and completing boreholes and rock mechanics;
H ydrofracture: fracking in conventional and shale-gas and shale-oilsystems.
Practicals:
Predicting fault seal characteristics. Use of Allan diagrams;
Seismic practical work on fault interpretation and fault seal using industry standard software such as Traptester (T7);
Volumetrics of hydrocarbon traps;
Stress and strain;
Mechanical/Triaxial testing;
Yield caps;
Borehole stresses;
Fault stability – Mohr exercises;
Fracture mechanics;
Microstructures of reservoir and caprocks;
Analysis of fractures from wireline image logs and core.
Fieldwork: Faults and deformation bands in reservoir sandstones.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: Lecture
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 2 - Laboratory Work
Description: This times includes 3 hours for the assessed practical component
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 3 - Field Work
Description: 1 field day
Attendance Recorded: Yes