Energy Resource Geology - 2019 entry

Energy is one of humanity’s most important resources, yet at the same time one of the largest causes of environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Our continuous need to find new energy resources requires geologists to locate and produce them, but also to try to influence Government policy decisions on energy resources. This module will provide you with a framework to understand the main geological energy resources including oil, gas, coal, unconventional (e.g. shale gas), uranium and critical metals for the renewables industry. In lectures, we will explore the stratigraphic, biological and depositional settings of fossil fuel origins; we will consider the stages required in the exploration for and production of these resources with a geological focus on hydrocarbons and also consider the differing environmental impacts of these resources. In practicals you will gain hands-on experience of the relevant techniques used for interpreting organic geochemistry, petrophysical logs, seismic profiles, constructing stratigraphy and correlation.

You must have previously studied Stratigraphy and Palaeontology (CSM1035), Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (CSM2183) and Structural Geology (CSM2182) in order to undertake this module. It is therefore unsuitable for non-specialist students and is not recommended for interdisciplinary pathways, unless the pre-requisite modules have been studied.

The module provides an overview of the main geological energy resources of the planet, including hydrocarbon origins, chemical composition, reservoirs seals and traps, conventional and unconventional fields, uranium and coal formation, geosequestration and environmental impacts.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:



Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

:

1 Able to describe the distribution of fossil fuels on earth, and the history of its extraction;

2 Demonstrate knowledge of the stratigraphic tools used in exploration;

3 Interpret geophysical logs and seismic surveys with respect to basin modeling and hydrocarbon sources;

4 Able to describe the different types of hydrocarbon sources, reservoirs and traps;

5 Able to describe the chemical composition of hydrocarbons and diagenetic pathways;

6 Demonstrate knowledge of major conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon fields;

7 Able to describe the formation and extraction of both coal and uranium ore deposits;

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

:

8 Demonstrate knowledge of the environmental impacts and potential mitigations of fossil fuel usage;

9 Appreciate the geological methods required in the exploration for, and production of energy resources;

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

:

10 Collect and integrate different types of datasets and report the results accordingly;

11 Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate scientific data.

- Introduction to the module: history of fossil fuel exploration, potential careers;

- Basin-types and stratigraphic techniques for industry, (sequence, logging, biostratigraphy);

- Coal: biological origin, burial and diagenesis;

- Source rocks: biological origin of coal, oil and gas, depositional settings, diagenesis, chemical composition, petroleum generation, migration and alteration;

- Reservoir rocks, seals and traps: clastics, carbonates, depositional models and factors affecting quality;

- Unconventionals and future directions: Shale gas/oil, coalbed methane, tight gas and oil sands;

- Proven resources in prolific basins and frontier basins;

- Environmental impacts, geosequestration, global warming and policy;

- Energy metals: from uranium and lithium exploration to critical metals for renewables.

Basic Reading:

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module: