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| Version 2013-2014 |
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| GEOL0307-1 | Geology of hydrocarbons
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| Duration : | 20h Th, 20h Pr |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Pierre Cornet |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Course contents :
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| The course starts with an inventory of today worldwide oil and gas reserves and production figures, in comparison with alternative energy sources available, their utilization and predicted future development.
Then follows a hydrocarbon chemical composition and genesis description, emphasizing on geological conditions necessary to achieve their maturation and accumulation (petroleum systems).
Next comes a review of exploration methods and techniques: geophysics, well data analysis, prospect identification and evaluation.
The second part goes further in detail about various aspects regarding source rocks, reservoirs ans seals modelling, focussing on statistical reserves assessment and economical constraints. |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| Introduction to hydrocarbons genesis and accumulation processes and petroleum exploration techniques review. |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| General geology, structural evolution and sedimentology. |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| The course is spread over 40 hours including 25 hours of theoretical talks and 15 hours of workshop, organized as follows:
First semester
1. Introduction (1,5 hours): worldwide statistical review of reserves, production and consumption figures; energy market: refining, petrochemical products, alternative sources. An Internet querry on a subject of personal interest is requested.
2. Petroleum Systems (1 hour): fundamentals of source rocks, reservoirs and seals; conditions needed to allow hydrocarbons accumulations in traps.
3. Petroleum Basins (1 hour): characterization and dynamics of sedimentary basins allowing hydrocarbon generation and entrapment; identification areas of potential interest; petroleum potential maps concept. The 2 hours workshop allows to evaluate the petroleum systems in a real basin, to identify prospects and evaluate potential reserves.
4. Well Data Acquisition and Interpretation (3 hours): Rotary drilling method; sampling and samples analyses; technical basis, principles and interpretation of well recordings (logs). Workshop: log interpretation fundamentals (3 hours).
5. Geophysics (8 hours): taught by Gilles MAGNIEN (TPA): Geophysical Methods (Seismic Reflexion) applications to oil industry exploration methods: acquisition techniques and processing; interpretation cases. Practical exercises are included.
Second semester:
6. Geochemistry and Source Rocks Characterization (3 hours): organic composition and source rocks types; hydrocarbons maturation, generation and expulsion; characterization techniques and analysis methods. Modeling fundamentals and basin potential assessment. Workshop: geochemical logs interpretation, maturity maps drawing with kitchen identification (3 hours).
7. Reservoirs and Seals (3 hours): reservoir physical properties; porosity, permeability, saturation and other measurements; tectono-sedimentary environments suitable for reservoirs deposits development, their burial and diagenesis. Reservoir Modeling fundamentals: structural geometry, facies distribution, petrophysical properties. Field examples. Workshop: thin sections analyses, core measurements, logs interpretation and correlation (3 hours).
8. Prospectivity (3 hours): recognition of prospective areas for hydrocarbons accumulation, leads and prospect. Economical concepts fundamentals, permits acquisition and contract types. Workshop: identification of prospective areas, prospect definition and volumetric evaluation (3 hours).
9. Drilling and production techniques (2 hours): geological control during drilling, logging and productivity tests. Various platform models and water depth challenges. Development principles. Safety and environmental aspects.
Workshops : the documents used are real case studies, focussed on the identification of hydrocarbon potential areas (petroleum systems), well data (logs) recording and interpretation, basin potential evaluation, reservoir characterization and reserves calculation. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Face-to-face. |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| Slide presentation, available in PDF format. Paper documents for case study workshops. |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| Oral control of the course practical understanding, based on documents provided. Time is given for preparation. On top of fundamental principles and theory, a synthetic vision of various realms of hydrocarbons exploration will be requested. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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Contacts :
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| Pierre Cornet
Total Professeurs Associés (TPA), maître de conférence et collaborateur scientifique au Département de Géologie, unité de pétrologie sédimentaire de ULg (bâtiment B20)
tél. (privé): +32 (0)87 53 12 90
e-mail : pierrejcornet@gmail.com |
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