Petroleum MSC 2008

SCHOOL OF EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC
AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCE MSc

COURSE HANDBOOK
2007/8
1
Disclaimer: The information contained in this handbook is correct at the time of your receiving it but
the University, while retaining proper regard for the interests of students who have begun their courses,
reserves the right to alter the courses or the timetable if the need arises.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................
BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................................. 5
COURSE STRUCTURE ....................................................................................................................................... 6
FIELDWORK ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
PRESENTATION SKILLS ..................................................................................................................................... 7
FACILITIES ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
E- MAIL AND INTERNET FACILITIES .................................................................................................................... 7
LIBRARY FACILITIES ......................................................................................................................................... 8
YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR COMMITMENT ................................................................................................... 8
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES IN ASSESSING STUDENT'S WORK .................................................................................. 9
SUPERVISOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................................................................................... 9
STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................................................................................................... 10
AAPG/PESGB MEMBERSHIP ............................................................................................................................. 10
PETROLEUM GUEST LECTURE SERIES ............................................................................................................ 11
INDUSTRY LINKS ............................................................................................................................................ 11
PRIZES .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS ..................................................................................................................... 11
QUALITY MONITORING .................................................................................................................................... 11
HEALTH AND SAFETY ..................................................................................................................................... 12
ADVICE AND COUNSELLING............................................................................................................................. 13
CENTRAL ACADEMIC ADVISORY SERVICE ....................................................................................................... 13
STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELLING SERVICE ............................................................................................... 13
STUDENTS’ UNION ......................................................................................................................................... 13
STUDENTS SERVICES CENTRE......................................................................................................................... 14
FEES 2008/9 ……………… ……… ……………………………………………………………………………..14
WHO’S WHO IN PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCE AT MANCHESTER ............................................................................ 15
.................................................................................................................................................................... 15
GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS............................................................................................................ 16
COURSE REGULATIONS AND PROVISION FOR CREDIT ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER ............ 16
EXAMINATION BOARD ..................................................................................................................................... 16
EXTERNAL EXAMINER..................................................................................................................................... 16
COURSE ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................... 17
MARKS AND GRADES ..................................................................................................................................... 18
PROGRESSION COMPENSATION AND ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 19
ILLNESS AND OTHER EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ...................................................................................... 20
KEY DATES .................................................................................................................................................... 20
COURSE DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................................... 21
OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................................................... 21
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES .................................................................................................................... 21
THE RESEARCH DISERTATION ........................................................................................................................ 21
COURSES ...................................................................................................................................................... 22
EART60331FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ................................................. 23
EART60390 SEDIMENTOLOGY OF PETROLEUM SYSTEMS AND RESERVOIR MODELLING ............ 26
EART60380 SUBSURACE GEOPHYSICS AND PETROPHYSICS .......................................................... 29
EART60401 PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS GEOLOGY ........................................... 34
EART60052 STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS ..................................... 37
EART60162 PROSPECT EVALUATION AND PETROLEUM ECONOMICS ............................................. 41
2
EART60230 COMMUNICATION AND PLANNING SKILLS FOR PROFESSIONAL SCIENTISTS........... 43
EART60080 FIELDWORK I......................................................................................................................... 43
EART60172 RESEARCH DISSERTATION ................................................................................................ 44
APPENDIX COURSE TIMETABLE .................................................................................................................
3
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the University of Manchester
Welcome to the University of Manchester and the School of Earth, Environment and
Atmospheric Sciences. You are joining an MSc Degree course that forms a significant
part of our teaching activity in this top-rated research school. One of the largest Earth
Sciences teaching and research centres in the UK, with around 40 academic staff and a
similar number of specialist researchers and support staff. This year with the merger of
the University of Manchester and UMIST, we will form part of the new School of Earth,
Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences. Research in the School is funded by most of
the major research councils (NERC, EPSRC, PPARC, BBSRC), by the Royal Society,
and by the petroleum, mineral and nuclear industries.
You will join Petroleum Geoscience, which provides world-class teaching and research
for the oil industry. This handbook has been designed to provide you with essential
information about the MSc in Petroleum Geoscience. You will find that it contains crucial
contract information, outline descriptions of your courses, details of examination
procedures and regulations, descriptions of work and attendance requirements, health
and safety information, as well as details of counselling and other services provided by
the University. Please read this handbook as a first source of reference.
If you have any questions about the course or any problems whilst you are here at
Manchester please, in the first instance, contact either the Course Director Dr Jonathan
Redfern or your Personal Tutor. Should you wish to discuss issues with an alternative
member of staff you may also contact Prof. T Choularton (Head of School). For
administrative assistance please contact the Postgraduate Administrator Mrs Rajeshree
Rana or the Postgraduate secretaries.
Our aim, while you are at Manchester, is to provide you with an enjoyable year where you
will make long lasting friends and have the best learning experience possible.
Prof Tom Choulartion (Head of School)

Dr Jonathan Redfern (MSc Course Director)
September 2007
4
BACKGROUND
History
You join Manchester at a very exciting time, as we merge to form the new University of
Manchester, created by bringing together The Victoria University of Manchester and
UMIST, two of Britain's most distinguished universities, to create a powerful new force
in British Higher Education.
Manchester has a long tradition of excellence in Higher Education. UMIST can trace its
roots back to 1824 and the formation of the Manchester Mechanics' Institute, whilst
The Victoria University of Manchester was founded as Owen's College in 1851. After
100 years of working together, these two great institutions formally combined to form a
single university, which came into being on 1 October 2004.
Twenty-three Nobel Prize winners have studied here: Rutherford began his work here
on splitting the atom, and the world's first computer also came into being at The
Victoria University of Manchester. Former students of UMIST and The Victoria
University of Manchester include Sir Terry Leahy, the Chief Executive of Tesco; TV
newsreader Anna Ford; comedian Ben Elton; pioneer of flight Arthur Whitten-Brown;
and novelist Anthony Burgess.
Origins
The University's history is closely linked to Manchester's emergence as the world's first
industrial city. Manchester businessmen and industrialists established the Mechanics'
Institute to ensure that their workers could learn the basic principles of science.
Similarly, John Owens, a Manchester textile merchant, left a bequest of £96,942 in
1851 for the purpose of founding a college for the education of males on non-sectarian
lines. Owens College was established and granted a Royal Charter in 1880 to become
England's first civic university, The Victoria University of Manchester.
By 1905 the two institutions were a large and active force in the area, with the
Mechanics' Institute, the forerunner of the modern UMIST, forming a Faculty of
Technology and working alongside The Victoria University of Manchester. This
relationship worked to the advantage of all, not least the many students who received a
first class education and the employers who benefitted from the knowledge and skills
imparted by the two institutions. Although UMIST achieved independent university
status in 1955, the two universities have continued to work together, true to the vision
of their pioneering industrialist founders.
The future
Building on this historical prestige, Manchester has continued to adapt successfully to

the needs of students by investing in world-class facilities for teaching, learning,
research and recreation. Your job prospects after studying in Manchester are second
to none and our graduates are amongst the highest paid in the country, according to
the UK Graduate Careers Survey 2003.
By bringing together the two universities into a single institution, we are creating a
powerful new force in British Higher Education. With some of the highest quality
teaching and research and the broadest spread of academic subjects, we will be able
to compete with the best universities in the world. The new institution is expected to be
5
the largest single-site university in the UK, offering students a greater choice of degree
courses and options, and even better facilities and student support services.
There are many league tables produced each year that attempt to rank universities.
These are based on a variety of different data, such as staff-student ratios, quality of
facilities, graduate employment records and various measures of teaching quality. Both
UMIST and The Victoria University of Manchester enjoy high rankings in all these
league tables and we expect that the creation of the single university will strengthen
our position yet further.
Earth Sciences
Geology and related Earth Sciences have been studied at Manchester since 1851
when W.C. Williamson was appointed as Professor of Natural History (Geology,
Zoology and Botany). Williamson was one of the great Victorian scientists, a friend of
Darwin, Huxley, Lyell and others of that generation. Since then, many of the great
names of British geology have studied or researched at Manchester. Today the School
is one of the largest Earth Sciences teaching and research centres in the UK.
We have a long history of undertaking Petroleum related research and teaching at

Manchester. In 2003 there were a significant expansion of our Masters provision in this
subject area. This was aided by the merger of the MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from
Oxford Brookes University. The MSc at Oxford Brookes has had a reputation for
excellence and strong industry participation for over 15 years. This merger, coupled
with the recruitment of additional teaching and research staff, has allowed Petroleum
Geoscience to access existing world-class research and teaching facilities.
The lecturers within the Petroleum Geoscience Centre in the School of Earth,
Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences have considerable industrial expertise and
most either consult or undertake petroleum-related research on a regular basis. There
are a number of active research programmes operating within the Centre that contain
Postdoctoral and Ph.D. researchers. You will be joining a vibrant group of
geoscientists.
Leading consultants from the oil industry augment the taught component of the MSc
courses. We believe that incorporating industry specialists into our MSc/ Diploma
courses ensure they stay at the cutting edge of current practice. We believe this
combination offers an enviable mix of academic and vocational training.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The MSc Course mix core and specialist subject options throughout the two semesters.
The core subjects cover the fundamentals of petroleum geology, such as
Fundamentals of Exploration and Production, Geochemistry, Basin Analysis, Reservoir
Geology, Seismic Interpretation and. Specialist options include subjects such as
Geophysics, Geochemistry, Formation Evaluation. All MSc students at Manchester
complete a course in Communication Skills. This course is designed to develop good
writing skills, oral presentation skills, computing skills and develop your powers of
critical analysis. Overseas students whose first language is not English will receive
additional help to improve their use of English.
Between May and August you will undertake an Independent Research project, which
will be examined by a report-style dissertation and a presentation.
6
FIELDWORK
Fieldwork forms an important part of all the programmes and field courses are run
throughout the year. These provide the opportunity for you to develop your observation
skills by examining field exposures of features encountered in seismic, core and
wireline logs. Importantly, they allow you to visualise reservoir characteristics on a
large scale. You are required to be adequately equipped for fieldwork, and details are
provided in the appendices.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Throughout the MSc and Diploma courses emphasis is placed on the techniques and
skills you will need to work effectively in the oil industry. You will be required to
regularly present work, such as written reports and executive summaries, to a standard
that meets oil industry expectations.
All reports and essays should be word-processed. We place great significance on the
quality of the presentation of your work. You will loose marks for poorly presented
assignments. Training in the common software packages, such as Word ™ and Excel
™, is given as part of the communication skills course. Oral presentations will be
required as part of a number of courses throughout the year. Your audience will
include members of the group and invited guests from industry. Teamwork skills are
also developed during the course.
FACILITIES
The Petroleum Geoscience Centre is very well equipped with dedicated teaching
rooms and research facilities. The majority of your course will be taught either in room
2.16 or 2.22 within the School. In additional, room 113 is dedicated to all MSc students
an as a common room / work room and has storage facilities (lockers, keys available
on payment of a £5 deposit) where you can keep data / personal items. Outside of
periods when the room is not being used for teaching / practicals, you may use this
room to study in.
A number of courses are run in common with the other MSc courses run in the School,
offering the opportunity to interact with those students. Large courses, lectures and
practicals may use lecture theatres and laboratories elsewhere within the University.
Computing facilities are provided centrally by the Faculty and you have access to all
the pooled computer rooms. You will be provided with an allowance for printing
facilities each Semester; printing in excess of your allowance will incur extra cost.
There are a number of computer-based learning courses available on the PC system,

covering topics such as Sequence Stratigraphy, Basic Mapping. There are also a
number of videos on selected subjects. These will be introduced to you through the
course and you will have access to them at any time during office hours.
The Petroleum Geoscience Centre has a large network of Unix workstations dedicated
for MSc use with both 2D and 3D seismic interpretation packages and an extensive PC
system (including PC Workstations) with access to industry standard software (e.g.
Geoframe and Charisma). You will have full access to these facilities.
E- MAIL AND INTERNET FACILITIES

7
You have full access to e-mail, Intranet and Internet facilities. You will be provided with
a password and details of how to log-on at the start of your course. E-mail will be
used by staff to contact you regarding timetable changes and to arrange
meetings. You should become familiar with the e-mail system and review your e-
mails on a regular basis. You will need to use you University email account, as
this is the one we will contact you on. Internet access is also provided. Details of its
use and training will be provided on the Communication Skills Course.
The Petroleum Geoscience Centre at Manchester has its own web page and intranet
site accessed through the Earth Sciences website at
http://www.earth.manchester.ac.uk/ where you will find details of the staff, other
students, School news and web links to other geology sites. This is regularly updated.
LIBRARY FACILITIES
You will be given a tour of these facilities in the introductory week, and shown how to
use the GEOREF searchable reference database and similar products.
YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR COMMITMENT

The MSc / Diploma courses at Manchester attracts a wide range of students. We only
accept high calibre candidates and we expect consistent effort and commitment from
all our students to achieve the best possible results at the end of the course. Most
years we have both recent graduates entering petroleum geology for the first time, as
well as experiences geoscientists from oil or service companies (from both the UK and
overseas), who require additional training and further qualifications to either change or
enhance their potential career path. This mix of age, experience and nationality leads
to a dynamic interaction that we believe gives the course its distinct character. You are
encouraged to take advantage of the diverse cultural and scientific experiences within
the group. You all are working towards the same aim of successfully completing your
Diploma / MSc. By working together and helping each other you will find the course
more enjoyable and gain more from your time at the University of Manchester. The
course is intensive. You are expected to do a large amount of work in your own time
that includes obtaining and reading references, and completing coursework. Your
commitment to the course will determine the benefit you obtain.
If you are finding difficulties, please talk to your personal tutor or the Course Directors.
We can only help if we know that you are experiencing a problem!
8
STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES IN ASSESSING STUDENT’S WORK
• To set assessments which are fair, and which test learning from the module
concerned
• To offer guidance which will help you prepare for your assessments, (e.g., advice on
choice of essay title, skim reading an outline or first draft of a report, and providing
revision guidelines for an examination)
• To comprehensively and comprehensibly state the criteria used for assessing your
work (this statement to be made available in writing when each assessment is set)
• To mark your work fairly, carefully and consistently
• To return results within two weeks of submission dates and ideally within one week
• To give you written feedback on your work, including a mark
• To offer additional support to any student whose work fails, and to any student
whose pass is borderline and hence cause for concern
SUPERVISOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the supervisors include:
• Giving students guidance on the nature of research and the standard expected of a
research programme. To help students plan and find literature / sources about the
requisite research techniques, including arranging instruction where necessary;
• Establishing at an early stage the supervisors’ responsibilities in relation to students’

written work, including the nature of the guidance and comments to be offered as
the work proceeds. It must be made clear to the student that research for a higher
degree is undertaken within the general principle that a thesis is the student's own
work. Each MSc. student has a right to meet with their supervisor on a regular basis.
The normal pattern will involve 30-minute meetings on a weekly basis, and the
average regularity should be at least 3 meetings a month. It is expected that the
student will attend these meetings during office hours that are posted on
supervisor’s doors;
• Being accessible to the student at other appropriate times, when an appointment is

made for advice and responding to difficulties raised by the student;
• Giving detailed advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of

the work so that the thesis may be submitted within the course timescale;
• Discussing with the student the outline of their dissertation. He / she will read one
chapter of the student’s dissertation to give formative feedback and will read the
dissertation as a whole to give final feedback. Remember that it is the student’s
dissertation and it is their responsibility to take ownership of it.
• Ensuring that the student is made aware when progress is not satisfactory and
facilitating improvement with advice and guidance;
• Making the student aware of other researchers and research work in the School and
Graduate School;
9
• Encouraging the student to publish the research if it is of appropriate quality;
• Providing pastoral support and advising students, where appropriate, of University

support services;
• Bringing the students attention to relevant health and safety regulations and
academic rules (particularly those regarding plagiarism), regulations and codes of
practice of the University.
• Requesting from the student a draft of a chapter, written in an academic style in

English so as to provide feedback on that writing;
• Ensuring that the student is adequately prepared for the oral examination by
arranging for the student to present his or her work to staff and graduate seminars;
• Informing the student of significant absences from the University and ensuring
appropriate supervision is available.
STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES
• To arrange meetings with their advisors (e.g. dissertation supervisor, personal tutor,
Course Director as appropriate) and attend these meetings on time;
• To treat their assessments seriously, and to submit the highest quality work that they
are capable of;
• To consult with module staff or their personal tutor, at an early stage, if they have
concerns about any assessment. In this way many difficulties can be ironed out,
saving unnecessary worry and last minute crises;
• To take notice of the guidance offered on how to approach assessments;
• To submit assignments by the given deadline, and to attend examinations and oral
assessments at the given time and place (see policy on late submission / non-
attendance below)
• To submit all written assignments with a completed assignment form attached
AAPG / PESGB MEMBERSHIP

Student memberships of these profession bodies are available and we encourage you
to join. Information about joining procedures is displayed in the MSc room.
Membership offers reduced cost access to the journals, discount for books and
information / access to functions / lectures. There is an AAPG Student Chapter at
Manchester, and at the start of the year a meeting will be held to elect the new
committee representatives.
10
PETROLEUM GUEST LECTURE SERIES
Guest lecturers from the Petroleum Industry are invited into the School on a regular
basis. These provide strong links with petroleum geoscientists working in industry and
the opportunity to view work on new exploration areas using of state-of-the-art
techniques. These will be advertised in advance. The lectures are open to all
members of the University and any other interested parties.
INDUSTRY LINKS
The Petroleum Geoscience Centre maintains strong links with industry to ensure that
the course continues to stay at the forefront of technology in current use and offers the
training required by the Petroleum Industry. An Advisory Panel, made up of senior
members of the oil industry, reviews the course and suggests modifications on an
annual basis as the industry evolves.
PRIZES
A number of prizes are offered each year, sponsored by oil companies, consultancies
and interested private individuals. Details of current prizes are:
BP Prize: Best research project

ChevronTexaco Prize for best overall student
PESGB Prize for best Independent Project Presentation
London Petrophysical Society Prize for best petrophysical project
EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS

A form is included within this booklet that should be completed and handed in to the
Postgraduate Secretary in the first week of the course. It is very important that we have
these details, as they will allow us to contact either you, or your families in an
emergency. If any of these details change during your year in Manchester you must
inform the Postgraduate Office immediately.
QUALITY MONITORING
At the end of each module you will be asked to complete a feedback form. In addition to
responding to this feedback, the School monitors teaching effectiveness and quality in
other ways. There is a system of peer review by which lecturers’ teaching performance is
monitored every two years by colleagues. The School has a Quality Assurance and
Enhancement Officer (Dr Pawley), whose duty it is to review teaching and assessment
methods with a view to disseminating good practice and improving standards.
External Examiners provide an important scrutiny of teaching and examining. They

comment on draft examination papers, review the marking of projects and scripts,
conduct Viva examinations and have a major role at Examiners’ Meetings. They report
annually to the Vice Chancellor, but the reports are sent to the School so that any
required actions can be taken.
11
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The University has a responsibility to provide healthy and safe working conditions for staff
and students. We all, however, have a responsibility to follow good safety practice for
ourselves and to ensure that we do not put others at risk.
Smoking, food and drink

The University has a ‘No Smoking’ policy. Smoking is neither allowed in the School nor in
shared public areas of the building, such as lecture theatres, laboratories, common
rooms, foyers, corridors, lifts and stairs. You should not bring food or drink into lecture
theatres, teaching laboratories or the library.
Use of laboratories
If you damage either equipment or specimens you should report the problem immediately
to the appropriate member of staff or to one of the teaching technicians. Do not attempt
to repair faults yourself. Electrical equipment, especially microscope lamps, must be
switched off and unplugged after use. Benches and passages must be kept clear of bags
and coats.
First Aid
In the event of an accident requiring First Aid, you should either contact a member of staff
or consult the porter at the main entrance to the building where a First Aid box is
available. A list of names of qualified “First Aiders” is located near all the lift doors. You
must report all accidents using a form obtainable from Mr. Harry Lock, the School Safety
Adviser. Forms can also be obtained from Mr. Steve Caldwell, room B.08b, Mr. Paul
Lythgoe room 1.22A, from Health and Safety Services and from First Aid boxes.
Fire
You should familiarize yourself with the main escape route from the building and with
alternative routes should the main escape route be impassable.
If you hear the alarm (continuous siren) leave the building as quickly as possible, without
panicking, by the nearest available exit and assemble on the grass between the building
and Oxford Road. Do not use the lifts. Note that the Fire Alarm is tested every
Wednesday at 2.00 p.m. Do not enter a building while the alarm is sounding, and
following evacuation procedures. Do not re-enter the building until either a senior Fire
Officer or senior member of staff gives permission.
If you discover a fire, do not delay in sounding the alarm; do this before giving thought to
fighting the fire. Fire alarms are located on each corridor and are operated by breaking
the glass in the red contact boxes, which are usually located either at the end and/or
midpoints of the main corridors. Provided the fire is only small, and provided that it will not
put you at risk, you can try to put out the fire with a hand-operated fire extinguisher. Fire
extinguishers can be found on each of the main corridors. Do not use more than two
extinguishers on any fire. If the fire still burns after using the second appliance, leave the
building immediately.
Safety in the Field

Earth Scientists have special responsibilities for the safety of themselves and others
while engaged in fieldwork. A document about safety in the field is issued to all students
prior to field courses.
Advice for wheelchair users etc.
12
Wheelchair users and other disabled persons should contact the School Safety Adviser,
Mr. Harry Lock for advice on using School facilities.
ADVICE AND COUNSELLING

We try to be a caring School. Every effort is made to ensure that students can study in a
happy environment, since this is conducive to good academic work. You will be assigned
a personal tutor for the duration of the course. His or her role as your tutor is to be a point
of contact for you at all times throughout the course, and to be able to offer advice on any
matters which are not strictly subject related. For example, in such an intensive course,
personal life crises can play havoc with your study plans. Your tutor is the one to turn to
for help in dealing with the consequences of such problems, and will know the
procedures and regulations, or know where to go for the answers.
If you need help outside the School, some of the services available in the University are
outlined below. Your tutor or the School Administrator (Ms Nicky Snook) can give you
further information about these and other services.
CENTRAL ACADEMIC ADVISORY SERVICE

This service exists primarily to give direct help to students with academic or personal
problems. The advisers are experienced members of University academic staff. Their
office is room 2.11a on the second floor of the Williamson Building (tel.: 0161 275
3032/3033).
STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELLING SERVICE

This is situated at Waterloo Place on Oxford Road, tel. 0161 275 2858,
Fax 0161 275 3137 . However, please note that all students should register with a GP in
the Manchester area; the Student Health Centre has lists of doctors and dentists in the
area. More information can be found at
www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/healthandsafety/studentOH.htm
STUDENTS’ UNION
The Union has excellent advice and welfare services. Please visit their website
http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/
13
STUDENTS SERVICES CENTRE
The Student Services Centre in Burlington Street (campus map reference 57) can offer
help and advice on a wide range of queries. They can be contacted on
Tel: 0161 275 5000

Fax: 0161 275 7860
ssc@manchester.ac.uk
Further information can be found on

http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ssc/
The International Advice Team are also situated in the Student Services Centre and can offer
help and advice on UK visas. They can be contacted on
Tel: 0161 275 5000 (option 1)
Fax: 0161 275 7860
Email: iat@manchester.ac.uk
Further information can be found at
http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ssc/internationalteam/
FEES 2008/9
The course fee covers registration, academic tuition, examination, graduation & membership of the
Library, Student Union & Athletic Union. The fees also include all additional fieldwork and facilities
fees charged to cover laboratory and bench fees. The fee supports the cost of all taught course
field courses, site visits and off-campus meetings, equipment and consumables used during the
research project and provision of specialist external lecturers. All fieldwork costs, including those
of the overseas field course (currently to Mallorca, Spain) are covered by the fees; this includes
tuition, field guide, transportation, main meal (except lunch) and cost of a basic standard shared-
room. All students are also required to have adequate field clothing, and £200 is included in the
fees to purchase field clothing in the introduction week. There will be no additional charges made
during the year.
Fees for 2008/2009 are:
Home: £7,335 Overseas:£18,620
The fees do not include living costs in the UK. Estimates of these can be found on the University
website http://www.man.ac.uk/study/pgrad/funding.html. All prospective students will be expected
to supply written evidence of financial support.
14
Who's who in Petroleum Geoscience at Manchester
Head of School Prof Tom Choulartion
Petroleum Geoscience Director Dr. Jonathan Redfern
Lecturers Room Tel Specialism

Dr Simon Brocklehurst 1.56 53037 Earth surface processes
Dr Emma Finch 2.74 53838 Sedimentological modelling
Professor Rob Gawthorpe 2.72 53949 Sedimentology and tectonics
Dr David Hodgetts 2.66 53806 Reservoir geology & modelling
Dr Merren Jones 1.70 53943 Sedimentology and tectonics
Dr Joe Macquaker 2.70 53811 Sedimentology and diagenesis
Dr. Jonathan Redfern 2.68 53773 Petroleum exploration / basin Analysis
Dr Cathy Hollis 2.48 66583 Carbonate sedimentology / petrophysics
Dr Neil Mitchell 2.46 50779 Geophysics / earth surface processes
Dr Duncan Irving 2.65 53838 Geophysics
External Contributors to the Course

Mr Andrew Stocks Independent Consultant Petrophysics
Mr Tim Herrett Independent Consultant Operations and wellsite geology
Mr Jim Armstrong Independent Consultant Geochemistry
Mr Ted Cox Independent Consultant Seismic acquisition and processing
Dr Malcolm Mitchell Independent Consultant Petroleum economics
Dr Al Fraser BP Exploration Geoscience
Mr Alun Griffiths Independent Consultant Reservoir Engineering
Dr Nigel Banks Independent Consultant
Postgraduate Administrator
Mrs Rajeshree Rana 1.04 69379
Postgraduate Secretary
Ms Mary Howcroft 1.04 53470
Accounts Officer
Ms Shelley Gaffney G.44 53827
Head of Computing
Dr Duncan Irving 2.65 56913/53945
External Examiner
Professor Graham Williams University of Keele
15
GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
i. Either a degree in Geology or related subject, or an equivalent qualification.
ii. Under exceptional circumstances, exemption may be given from the above
requirement where applicants can demonstrate that they have reached the required
standard through an equivalent amount of industrial experience. This would be
achieved either by producing certified documents from employers or by interview
with the course team.
iii. English language to IELTS band 6.5 to 7.0 or equivalent.
COURSE REGULATIONS AND PROVISION FOR CREDIT ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER
EXAMINATION BOARD
An Examination Board will be appointed by the Faculty. It will comprise the
External Examiner (see below) and academic staff responsible for the course. A
senior academic from the Faculty of Science and Engineering will normally Chair
the Board.
The Board will be responsible for:
i) Publishing a calendar of assessment deadlines and other appropriate matters

at the beginning of each academic year;
ii) Setting and marking formal invigilated examinations;
iii) Grading and marking course work and dissertations and the conduct of viva
voce examinations;
iv) Compiling results, recommending degree awards and communicating to the

Examinations Unit and appropriate degree board;
v) Adjudicating upon applications for exemption from units of examination from

candidates of advanced standing.
EXTERNAL EXAMINER
Prof. Graham Williams (University of Keele) 2007-
The academic staff members of the Examination Board will propose External
Examiners for appointment by the Academic Board.
The External Examiners will have the rights and duties laid-down in the Faculty
handbook and will:
i) Have access to course work and be entitled to examine either all or a sub-set
of the student cohort by viva voce;
16
ii) Consider all marks in conjunction with the internal examiners and moderate as
appropriate;
iii) Have the right to attend all meetings of the Examination Board and shall be
involved in the final award assessment.
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Penalties for late submission of the assignment
You must return your coursework assignments on time. These times are defined
precisely in the instructions at the beginning of each course or when the assessment is
handed out
Late assignments will be penalised. It is the student’s responsibility to know the

date for submission.
The written examination
A number of course units that have associated formal written examination. This will
normally be a two hour examination. The examination may be open or closed book at
the discretion of the unit leader and you will be told about these conditions in good time
normally at the end of the previous unit. You will be given the dates of their exams and
it is your responsibility to turn up on the date and time set out.
Closed book exams are taken without notes of any kind. For open book exams you
may take relevant notes or textbooks with them. Students must take their student card
into the examination room, write their names on the examination script and fold the
edge of the script over to ensure the script remains anonymous. University regulations
about exams and the use of calculators are given in (URL2)..
Compensation for special circumstances such as illness
The Academic Director will consider any special circumstances (e.g. illness) in
awarding a pass or distinction and these will be discussed with the External Examiner
before providing a final mark.
Reasons for delaying assignments or examinations.
You may under exceptional circumstances delay submission of assignments or

examinations but normally the only valid excuse for non-submission of
assignments or non attendance at examinations will be sickness.
If you miss assignments or examinations you will be required to provide a completed

Doctor’s certificate (URL3).
If you are delaying for whatever reason you must speak or e-mail the Course
Director, normally well in advance of the dates for the assignment or examination.
17
You are strongly encouraged to speak to your Course Director or Personal Tutor about
any difficulties you are having which could affect your progress through the course.
MARKS AND GRADES

The mark distributions used by the internal and external examiners to determine levels of
achievement are as follows:
To pass at MSc level students are required to obtain an average of ≥50% in 180 M-
level CAT credits in both the taught course and dissertation elements.
To achieve Distinction in the MSc a student must achieve an overall average mark of
≥70% and ≥70% in the final dissertation, with no perceived area of weakness in any
course unit. A mark of less than 60% will be regarded as displaying a weakness in a
subject. Final award is at the discretion of the examination board.
To pass at a Diploma level students are required to obtain an average of ≥40% in 120
M-level CAT credits in both the taught course and dissertation elements.
In order to gain credits for an individual course at both MSc and Diploma levels it is
necessary to obtain a mark of >40%. Students on the MSc. Dissertation who are
awarded between 40 and 49% for their Dissertation will be awarded a Diploma.
A Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded to students who complete 60 or more M-

level CAT credits with an average mark of ≥40%. A Postgraduate Certificate will also
be awarded to students at both MSc. and Diploma levels who are awarded <40% for
their Dissertation. A Certificate will be awarded to part-time students who pass a 10 M-
level CAT credits unit with an average mark of ≥40%, including the coursework and the
written examination.
Certificates of attendance will be issued to part-time registrants who attend a course

unit but whose performance is not formally assessed.
18
In summary, each taught unit and Dissertation will be assessed and graded according
to the following criteria:
70 - 100% Distinction
>50% Pass at MSc level
40 – 49% Pass at Diploma level
<40% Fail
PROGRESSION, COMPENSATION AND ASSESSMENT

a. Regulations for work and attendance are outlined in the University’s General
Regulations XX.
b. Students for the degree of Master, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate

Certificate will present themselves for assessment of their progress as required in
the course handbook.
c. Students will normally successfully complete the taught component of the Masters
degree before they can progress to the dissertation, and must successfully
complete the taught component before submission of the dissertation.
d. A student who fails to satisfy the Examiners in any assessment of taught units may
be permitted to resubmit the assessment or retake the examination on one further
occasion, up to a maximum of 45 credits. The student will take this opportunity
during the next available University examination period or within a period as
published in the course handbook.
e. The maximum mark to be awarded for resubmitted coursework or retaken

examination will normally be 50% for the Masters degree and 40% for the
Postgraduate Diploma.
f. All Masters degrees will have exit points for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate
and a Postgraduate Diploma. These will be clearly defined in terms of level of
achievement and will correspond to 60 and 120 credits respectively. Students who
do not achieve the required pass mark in the taught element for a Masters degree,
but who do achieve the required pass mark for a Postgraduate Diploma or
Certificate, may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate, as appropriate,
provided they have successfully completed the requisite number of credits.
g. Any student who submits a piece of assessed coursework (including the

dissertation) after the submission deadline, without being granted an extension,
will receive a mark of zero.
h. Students may, in exceptional mitigating circumstances, and with prior permission of

the Faculty, be allowed to re-take the entire course subject to all outstanding fees
being paid.
i. Students may be awarded a compensated pass for a Masters degree when they fail
no more than 30 credits and receive a mark between 40 and 49% for those failed
credits. The student must also have gained an overall average for all taught credits
of 50% or more in order to be granted the compensated pass.
19
j. Students may be awarded a compensated pass for a Postgraduate Diploma course
when they fail no more than 30 credits and receive a mark between 30 and 39%
for those failed credits. The student must also have gained an overall average for
all taught credits of 40% or more in order to be granted the compensated pass.
k. Students may be awarded a compensated pass for a Postgraduate Certificate

course when they fail no more than 15 credits and receive a mark between 30 and
39% for those failed credits. The student must also have gained an overall average
for all taught credits of 40% or more in order to be granted the compensated pass.
l. The maximum allowable cumulative failure of course units in a Masters course at

the first attempt is 45 credits of the taught component of the course. A student
whose failures at the first attempt exceed 45 credits will be deemed to have failed
the course.
m. Students who fail more than 45 credits at Masters level will be judged against the
requirements for a pass on the Postgraduate Diploma course. If this results in their
failing less than or equal to 45 credits at Postgraduate Diploma level, the student
may resit those units failed at Postgraduate Diploma level to obtain the award of a
Postgraduate Diploma.
ILLNESS AND OTHER EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The Examination Board may exercise its discretion for a student who fails any part of
the course and who can provide documentary evidence of illness or circumstances
beyond his or her control leading to that failure. Normally such a student will be given
deferred assessment but other forms of assessment may be considered which are
more suitable for the student and the circumstances.
KEY DATES
Semester1 Examinations: 14th to 27th January 2008
Semester 2 Examinations: 3rd May to 13 May 2008
Notice of Thesis Submission Form 3rdt June 2008
Independent thesis submission deadline 26th August, 2008
Presentation 6th September, 2008
Vivas 7th September, 2008
20
COURSE DESCRIPTION
OVERVIEW
The main theme of the MSc / Diploma Course in Petroleum Geoscience is the
application of geological, geophysical and petrophysical techniques to the search for
and the exploitation of petroleum.
The first Semester is spent in consolidating general geological knowledge and in

introducing subsurface techniques with which most graduates are unfamiliar.
The second Semester is spent in developing and applying these techniques in the
wider context of exploration and production.
From May to September the course requires the application of taught techniques to
produce a dissertation.
The Petroleum Geoscience MSc shares a number of courses in common with the
other MSc courses offered in the School, including the Petroleum Geoscience and
Management MSc and MEarthSci students.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of the courses the successful student will be able to:
- Undertake the role of a petroleum geologist within the oil industry, using
appropriate intellectual, linguistic and communication skills.
- Critically evaluate, interpret and utilise data available to a petroleum geoscientist in

an appropriate manner and be aware of the limitations of the data
- Draw upon a wide overview of examples and a comprehensive suite of skills and
methods.
THE RESEARCH DISSERTATION

A research dissertation is a requirement for the MSc degree. Diploma candidates,
instead of undertaking a research-based project, can submit a dissertation based on
an extended literature review of an agreed topic from within the course.
Training in research is an intrinsic part of every master's level course. This is achieved
partly through taught components and also through a supervised individual research
dissertation. The resulting dissertation is formally examined and must be satisfactory
(>50%) for the student to receive an award. On this course the individual research
dissertation will be undertaken during the period May to early September.
The purpose of the research dissertation is to provide students with an opportunity to

apply, in a realistic exercise, knowledge and skills learned in the taught component.
Students will be expected to demonstrate a command of appropriate research
methods through application to a specific topic area. They will be expected to review
and interpret previous relevant work, and present coherent arguments of relevance to
their project.
21
Projects may be based on analytical desk studies, fieldwork, or a combination of any
of these. When appropriate and possible, projects will be matched to previous work
experience and may involve collaboration with organisations outside the University.
They will normally be within U.K. Individual project supervisors will advise on project
selection, planning and development.
Students must lodge a 'Notice of Submission' form that may be obtained from, and
then returned to, the Awards & Examinations Office in the Student Service Centre. For
MSc students the final date that this notice may be returned will be posted on the MSc
noticeboard at the start of the project. A late fee is charged for giving notice after this
date. Final and complete dissertations must be submitted by the advised date and
subsequently be deemed satisfactory by the examiners. Students are required to
attend an oral examination (viva voce - date to be arranged) with the External
Examiner. Where a candidate has been awarded >70% on both the taught and
Dissertation components the MSc will be awarded with distinction. Any thesis
submitted after the deadline, however, will not be eligible for the award of
distinction.
COURSES
02897 Petroleum Geoscience MSc
EART60331 Fundamentals of Exploration and Production

EART60390 Sedimentology of Petroleum Systems and Reservoir Modelling
EART60380 Subsurface Geophysics and Petrophysics
EART60401 Petroleum Technology and Operations Geology
EART60052 Structure and Stratigraphy of Sedimentary Basins
EART60162 Prospect Evaluation and Petroleum Economics
EART60230 Communication Skills
EART60080 Fieldwork I, II & III
EART60172 Research Dissertation
22
EART60331 FUNDAMENTALS OF EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
STAFF: Dr J Redfern. Al Fraser and Dr Jim Armstrong
CREDIT RATING: 15 M-level CAT credits
PRE-REQUISITES: Normally BSc in Geological Sciences, Geophysics or Petroleum

Engineering or equivalent level of training or practical experience in the oil
and gas industry.
DURATION: 60 hours lectures and practicals
AIMS:
An integrated course covering:
(i) The petroleum system;
(ii) Stratigraphic principles in oil geology;
(iii) The usage and display of subsurface geological data;
(iv) Basic petroleum economics and reserve calculations;
(v) Play fairways and prospects
in order to understand the usage and display of subsurface geological data

and the limits on the reliability of such data. To gain a basic knowledge in
the areas of biostratigraphy and organic geochemistry.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Gain an introductory knowledge of the hydrocarbon habitat, exploration,

appraisal and production.
Understand the types, usage and display of subsurface geological data

and the limits on the reliability of such data.
TEACHING METHODS:
30 hours lectures and practicals.
CONTENT:
This course is designed to give an introduction to petroleum exploration

and production, especially with regard to the interpretation and handling of
subsurface data.
UNIT 1 Fundamentals (Dr Jonathan Redfern)
y Hydrocarbons in a global context; the philosophy and structure of the oil

industry; energy trends.
y The petroleum environment: source rocks, reservoirs, traps, seals and
the timing of generation relative to trap formation
y Basic stratigraphic principles as they relate to correlation. The
importance of establishing markers and datum lines. The use of macro-
and micro- fossils in chronostratigraphy.
y Correlation of well logs; production of structural maps, construction of
net and gross reservoir maps, cross-sections and reserve calculations.
y Mapping faults, pinch outs and sub-crops.
UNIT 2 Geochemistry
23
To become familiar with the basic concepts of petroleum geochemistry
- Evaluate the processes related to preservation of organic matter in
sedimentary environments
- Have an overview of characteristics of kerogen and petroleum and
conversion of kerogen to hydrocarbons.
- Learn how geochemical data are generated
- Serve as an introduction interpreting geochemical data.
- Become familiar with the basic concepts of maturity modelling.
- Integrate data with conceptual models to develop
y Basic organic geochemistry; techniques of evaluating the mechanisms
and timing of hydrocarbon formation and migration in a basin.
y The petroleum environment: source rocks, reservoirs, traps, seals and
the timing of generation relative to trap formation.
y Analysis of typical oilfield data
y Designing a sampling procedure for a well.
UNIT 3 Exploration Geoscience - Al Fraser (BP)
A broad overview of the oil business

Fundamentals of the oil industry
Play and Field examples from around the world
Reserves and risk
Use of modern seismic and new technology
Petroleum System and Play Fairway Analysis
A number of practicals and problem base exercises
ASSESSMENT: 50% Examination

50% Coursework
CORE READING:
Chapman, R.E. 1983. Petroleum Geology. Elsevier.
Clarkson, E.N.K. 1979. Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution.

Chapman and Hall, London.
Miles, J. An Illustrated Glossary of Petroleum Geochemistry. Oxford

University Press.
North, F.K. 1985. Petroleum Geology. Allen and Unwin.
Selley, R.C.1998. Elements of Petroleum Geology. Academic Press*
Tearpock, D.J., Bischke, R.E. 1991. Applied Subsurface Geological

Mapping. Prentice Hall.
Thompson, R.S. & Wright, J.D. Oil Property Evaluation. Thompson Wright
Associates, Golden, Colorado, USA.
Tissot and Welte. Petroleum Formation and Occurrence. Springer Verlag,

Berlin.
Cooper, B.S., 1990, Practical Petroleum Geochemistry. Robertson Scientific,

London, 174pp
24
Killops, S.D. & Killops, V.J., 1993, An Introduction to Organic Geochemistry.
Longmans, Harlow. 265pp.
Miles, J.A., 1989, Illustrated Glossary of Petroleum Geochemistry. Clarendon,

Oxford. 137pp.
*recommended introductory text
25
EART60390 SEDIMENTOLOGY OF PETROLEUM SYSTEMS AND RESERVOIR MODELLING
STAFF: Dr J. Macquaker and Dr D. Hodgetts
PRE-REQUISITES: Normally BSc in Geological Sciences, Geophysics or Petroleum

Engineering or equivalent level of training or practical experience in the oil
and gas industry.
SEDIMENTOLOGY OF PETROLEUM SYSTEMS
AIMS: This unit comprises two separate components: Sedimentology of Petroleum Systems and
Reservoir Modelling. The first component introduces the sediments that form a typical
hydrocarbon play in sedimentary successions including: sandstones, mudstones and
limestones. It will discuss the philosophy that underpins their nomenclature and the
fundamental sedimentological processes that govern their spatial and temporal variability to
constrain their shapes in three dimensions. The second component introduces the basic
geostatistics necessary to generate reservoir models and the reservoir modelling software
“Petrel”.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of the Sedimentoloy of

Petroleum Systems component participants will:
• Be able to describe clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks in hand specimen and
thin section using appropriate sedimentological nomenclature (A17)
• Understand how sediments accumulate and how vertical and lateral facies variability
develop in sediments and sedimentary successions (A19).
• Be able to interpret some of the common sedimentary structures in terms of
depositional processes (A19).
• Understand how both early and late diagenesis processes effects sediments
• Be able to interpret sedimentary variability in terms of sedimentary facies and the
different elements of a hydrocarbon play (A1, A18, A21, C4)
TEACHING METHODS Sedimentoloy of Petroleum Systems: Lectures and practicals

CONTENT:
1) Sedimentology and stratigraphy: fundamental controls and concepts – facies, basins and
the geometry of sediment fill (2 lectures).
2) Sedimentology and the Petroleum Play
3) Origin of sedimentary rock forming minerals: weathering and water / rock interactions
4) Nomenclature and provenance of clastic sedimentary rocks (sandstones, mudstones
and porosity)
5) Fluvial systems and petroleum plays
6) Marginal marine sediments: Estuaries (incised valley fills), deltas and the hydrocarbon
play
7) Sediments on continental shelves and the petroleum play
8) Source rocks in hydrocarbon systems
9) Sediments in zones of clastic sediment bypass and the hydrocarbon play
10) Porosity, permeability and diagenesis in near surface environments: Early diagenesis and
the effects of bacteria in sediments
26
11) Porosity, permeability and diagenesis: Effects of burial
Formative assessed work – a poster illustrating the main sandstone rock types and porosities
and their respective roles in a petroleum play (A1 poster) (10%).
Summative assessed work – a short report (<12 pages) that illustrates the main clastic sediment
classes (e.g. quartz arenite, arkose, lith arenite, sand-bearing clay rich mudstone, silt-bearing clay-
rich mudstone and clay dominated mudstone) and porosity types (40%) in the context of the
philosophy that underpins the classification of sedimentary rocks within a petroleum play (B6, B8,
C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C11). Written theory exam (50%)
CORE READING:
Adams A.E. and Mackenzie W.S. (1998) A colour atlas of Carbonate Sediments and Rocks Under
the Microscope Manson Publishing p. 180
Allen P.A. 1997 Earth Surface Processes Blackwell s p. 404
Aplin A.C. (2000) Mineralogy of modern marine sediments: A geochemical framework. In Vaughan
D.J. and Wogelius R.A. Eds. Environmental Mineralogy p. 125 – 172
Coe A.L.(2003) The Sedimentary Record of Sea-Level Change Cambridge University Press. P.
288.
Gluyas J and Swarbrick R 2004 Petroleum Geoscience. Blackwell Scientific p. 359
Leeder M.R. Sedimentology, Process and Product. George Allen and Unwin p. 344
Nichols G.J. - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Blackwells p . 368
Tissot B.P. and Welte D.H. (1984) Petroleum Formation and Occurrence. Springer-Verlag p. 699
Tucker M.E. Wright V.P., Carbonate Sedimentology. Blackwells.
Wignall P.B. (1994) Black Shales Blackwell p. 127
RESERVOIR MODELLING
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Understanding of basic geostatistics and their application to quantitative reservoir data.
- Understanding of the main stochastic modelling approaches, and their application to
modelling different geological settings.
- Effects of resolution on reservoir modelling – how to decide an appropriate resolution for a
model.
- Effects of upscaleing on input data, and how best to minimise data loss.
- Knowledge of an industrial standard reservoir modelling software package (PETREL) to
model structural frameworks and facies distribution to predict fluid flow and therefore
productivity within a petroleum reservoir.
CONTENT::
1) Introduction to Geostatistics: Univariate statistics (mean, median, mode, standard

deviation, variance)
2) Advanced Geostatistics: Multivariate Statistics. Variograms in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions,
histogram analysis, conditional histograms.
3) Stochastic modelling approaches – a review.
4) Introduction to PETREL modelling software.
27
5) Basic Modelling: Use of points, lines and surfaces. Gridding data – algorithms and
resolution. Structural modelling. Reservoir Zonation, Layering in Models.
6) Facies Modelling: Sequential Indicator Simulation, Object Modelling, Facies Transition
Simulation.
7) Petrophysical modelling – adding porosity and permeability to a model.
8) Group practical: Reservoir modelling of the Taminga Oilfield.
TEACHING METHODS: Lectures. Short practical exercises on geostatistics. Hands on reservoir

modelling exercises base on Gulfaks dataset.
ASSESSMENT:
A short <12 page report outlining the process of building the Taminga reservoir model, focussing
on problems such as finding an appropriate model resolution, which is the best layering scheme to
use, and which are the appropriate stochastic modelling approaches for the different model zones.
50%
Written exam: 50%
CORE READING: Stochastic Modeling and Geostatistics—Principles, Methods and Case

Studies #322 AAPG Computer Applications in Geology ISBN: 0891817026
Reservoir Characterization—Recent Advances #570B, AAPG Memoir

ISBN: 0891813519
EART60380 SUBSURFACE GEOPHYSICS AND PETROPHYSICS
STAFF: Mr A Stocks, Mr T Cox and Dr Duncan Irving
28
PRE-REQUISITES: Normally BSc in geological sciences, geophysics or petroleum engineering
or equivalent level of training or practical experience in the oil and gas
industry.

60% Coursework
AIMS: An integrated course covering:

(i) the acquisition and processing of subsurface geophysical data and its interpretation
The course is divided into three units:
Unit1 Petrophysics and formation evaluation

Unit 2 Seismic and other geophysical data
Unit 3 3D Seismic workstation interpretation
UNIT 1 PETROPHYSICS AND FORMATION EVALUATION
i. The acquisition of downhole petrophysical logs by wireline and MWD

techniques;
ii. Measurement principles of and applications for log, core and
pressure data;
iii. Quantitative interpretation of lithology, porosity, saturation and
permeability in hydrocarbon reservoirs;
iv. Assessment of net reservoir and pay properties for reservoir
volumetrics
in order to achieve competence in basic interpretation of petrophysical log,

core analysis and pressure data and understand basic concepts of reservoir
petrophysics.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will:

• understand the acquisition processes and measurement principals of petrophysical log
data.
• have achieved a competence in basic interpretation of log, core analysis and pressure data
and understand basic concepts of petrophysics and reservoir properties.
• be conversant with the uses of petrophysical logs and their interpretation.
• be able to calculate from a typical logging suite the volume and potential producibility of
hydrocarbons in a reservoir.
• Understand the need to integrate data.
TEACHING METHODS: lectures/practicals
CONTENT: This course is designed to give an overview of the borehole environment

and data, which may be obtained in the borehole. In particular:
29
y Review of borehole data types: wellsite information; borehole
drilling data, cuttings descriptions, mud properties,
hydrocarbon indications. Core data; percentage recovery,
physical conditions, lithology description, sedimentology
petrology, diagenesis, biostratigraphy, geochemistry,
hydrocarbon indication, petrophysical analysis in the
laboratory. Petrophysical log data; borehole conditions,
lithology/porosity, permeability, fluid types, hydrocarbons,
sidewall cores, dipmeter, detection of fractures, formation
pressure and fluid samples. Test data; pressure build-ups,
pressure gradients, fluid analysis.
y Acquisition of log data: logging tools; the hardware. Logging

procedures; calibration against a known datum, compensation
for distortion, stretch of the cable, recording 'before' and 'after'
survey calibrations. Sequence of events in log data.
Acquisition.
y The borehole environment: borehole size and shape; common

causes of under-gauge and out-of-gauge holes.
y Applications of petrophysical log data; lithology boundaries,

lithology typing, reservoir properties, pore fluid properties;
environments, borehole geometries, reservoir monitoring.
y Logging tools and measurements: total and spectral gamma

ray, spontaneous potential, bulk formation density,
sonic/acoustic logs, compensated neutron log, photoelectric
factor, focussed resistivity logs, induction logs, micro-
resisitivity logs.
y Lithotyping and porosity determination: porosity analysis in

homogenous rocks, lithotyping from logs and core/cuttings
data, cross-plotting for lithotyping, calibrating logs and cores,
complex lithologies, porosity typing, formation factors affecting
porosity logs.
y Hydrocarbon detection and saturations: hydrocarbon

indicators resistivity interpretation principles, saturations in
clean formations; saturations in shaly formations.
y Defining reservoir and hydrocarbon limits: summarising

reservoir properties, net/gross ratios, net thicknesses,
identifying permeable zones, cut-offs, defining hydrocarbon
limits and contacts.
CORE READING: Bassiouni, Zaki, 1994 'Theory, measurement and Interpretation

of Well Logs', SPE Publication Textbook Series, Vol. 4.
Desbrandes, Robert, 1985 ‘Encyclopedia of Well Logging’.

Graham and Trotman, London.
Rider, M.H. 1996. The Geological Interpretation of Well Logs.

Blackie, Glasgow.
30
UNIT 2: SEISMIC, ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING

(i) the acquisition of reflection seismic data and other geophysical
datasets
(ii) Evaluating data quality and processing
(iii) the interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The student will:
• understand the principles of seismic acquisition, the theory and common practice
onshore and offshore
• be aware of the techniques involved in seismic processing of 2D and 3D reflection
seismic data
• acquire the basic skills of seismic interpretation
• be aware of other advanced geophysical techniques, their uses and limitations
TEACHING METHODS: lectures, practicals and project work.
CONTENT: This course is designed to provide a rigorous and applied training in the
methods and techniques used to investigate sedimentary basins in terms
of their hydrocarbon potential.
• Acquisition of, and standard processing involved in, land and marine 2D
and 3D reflection seismics.
• Advanced seismic techniques (pre-stack depth migration, synthetic
seismograms, VSPs, AVO, etc).
• 2D and 3D seismic interpretation.
• Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators (DHI’s).
• Seismic time to depth conversion and map contouring.
• Integration of aeromagnetic, gravity and remotely-sensed data.
CORE READING:
Anstey, N.A., 1982. Simple Seismics. Boston: IHRDC (copyright transferred to Prentice-Hall,
Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ)
Berg, O.R. & Woolverton, D.G. 1985. Seismic stratigraphy II. AAPG Memoir 39.
Brown, A.R. 1992. Interpretation of three-dimensional seismic data. AAPG Memoir 42.
Gadallah, M.R. 1994. Reservoir sedimentology. Pennwell Books.
Kearey, P. & Brooks, M. 1991. An introduction to geophysical exploration. Blackwell

Scientific Publications.
McQuillin, R., Bacon, M. & Barclay, W. 1984. An introduction to seismic interpretation.

Graham & Trotman.
Payton, C.E. (editor). 1977. Seismic stratigraphy - applications to hydrocarbon exploration.

AAPG Memoir 26.
Waters, K.H., 1981. Reflection Seismology, New York: John Wiley and Sons.
31
UNIT 3: 3D SEISMIC INTERPRETATION AND VISUALIZATION
(i) the interpretation of 3D reflection seismic data;

(ii) the practical use of workstations for interpreting and
visualizing 3D seismic and well datasets
• understand the basics of 3D seismic acquisition and the nature of seismic

reflections
• be aware of the techniques and limitations of workstation-based interpretation of
3D reflection seismic data
• be able to interpret and map horizons and faults in 3D seismic data using state-
of-the-art software
• understand and have practical experience of volume-based interpretation
techniques
• be aware of the role of attributes and visualization techniques in the geological
interpretation of 3D seismic data
TEACHING METHODS: 10 hours lectures and workstation-based practicals. Independent

(individual and group-based) interpretation workstation exercises.
CONTENT: This course is designed to provide a rigorous and applied

training in the concepts of 3D seismic interpretation and practical
workstation-based seismic interpretation and visualization
techniques.
• Acquisition of 3D reflection seismic data.

• Overview of the seismic signal (amplitude, frequency, phase etc) and their
geological significance / resolution.
• Synthetic seismograms (well-seismic ties) and seismic time to depth conversion.
• Computer-based interpretation I: standard horizon and fault mapping.
• Computer-based interpretation III: seismic attributes.
• 3D visualization of seismic data and interpretations.
ASSESSMENT: 100% Coursework
CORE READING:
Brown, A.R. 1999. Interpretation of three-dimensional seismic data (5th Edition). AAPG Memoir
42.
Technical publications and manuals relating to software and 3D seismic interpretation techniques
32
EART60401 PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS GEOLOGY
STAFF: Mr Alun Griffiths, Mr T Herrett and r Nigel Banks

or equivalent level of training plus core Course units. Practical experience
in oil exploration work .
DURATION: 60 hours lectures / practicals
ASSESSMENT: 100% Practical.
UNIT 1: PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY
STAFF: Mr A Griffiths
AIMS: To introduce the geoscientist to the tools and techniques used by

petroleum engineers to develop oil and gas fields.
To understand the role of the geoscientist in oil and gas field development.

• Become familiar with the operational aspects of hydrocarbon production.
• Become familiar with the methods used to develop oil and gas fields (primary, secondary
and tertiary recovery techniques.
• Understand the methods used to predict the performance of oil and gas fields
• Understand the inputs to the drilling programme required from the geoscientist.
• Understand the basis for hydrocarbon reserves classifications
TEACHING METHODS: 42 hours lectures and practicals
CONTENT: The course is designed to make students aware of the drilling and
engineering aspects of hydrocarbon exploration and production.
• Introduction
- the roles of the geoscientist and petroleum engineer
- basic principles and terminology of oil production
- reserves
• Operations
- well drilling re-cap
- drilling problems and solutions
- production operations
- production problems and solutions
• Rock properties
- effective porosity and permeability
- relative permeability
- capillary pressure data
- formation compressibility
33
• Hydrocarbon fluid properties
- the nature of hydrocarbons, phase behaviour and PVT
analysis
- fluid types defined in terms of phase diagrams
- reservoir fluid properties
- the material balance equation
• Reservoir recovery mechanisms

- primary recovery
- secondary recovery
- tertiary recovery
• Well performance prediction
- Well testing
- Well inflow performance
- Well outflow performance
- Formation damage
- Artificial lift
• Reservoir performance prediction
- Analytical models
- Simulation models
• Well planning
- Deviated wells
- Subsurface pressures
- The drilling programme
• Field development planning

- The E&P project cycle
- Production profiles
- Development concepts
CORE READING:
Dawe; R. (Ed.) Modern Petroleum Technology, vol I; Wiley (2000)

Towler; Fundamental Principles of Reservoir Engineering; SPE (2004)
Jahn, Graham, Cook: Hydrocarbon Exploration & Production; Elsevier (1998)
Archer & Wall Petroleum Engineering: principles and practice. Graham and Trotman
Ltd., London (1986)
FURTHER READING
Dake, L.P. Fundamentals of reservoir engineering; Elsevier (1978).

Papay, J. Development of Petroleum Reservoirs; Akademiai Kiado, Budapest
(2003)
Farina, J. Geological applications of reservoir engineering tools. AAPG
Continuing Education Course Notes No. 28 (1984)
Chilingar, G.V Oil and Gas production from Carbonate rocks. Elsevier (1972)
Craft & Hawkins Applied Petroleum Engineering; Constable & Co. London (1959)
Amyx, Bass, Whiting Petroleum Reservoir Engineering; McGraw-Hill (1960)
Whitson, C. Well Performance Analysis;
SCHLUMBERGER Repeat Formation Tester.
34
UNIT 2 : OPERATIONS AND WELLSITE GEOLOGY
TUTOR: Tim Herrett
AIMS: A course designed to cover the fundamentals of wellsite and operations

geology. No prior knowledge of operational activities is assumed. All
aspects of the wellsite geologist’s activities and responsibilities are
reviewed. Emphasis is placed on practical application of the theory taught
in the class.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will have:

• a full overview of wellsite and operations geology.
• acquired the skills to evaluate geological data on the wellsite and
effectively communicate the information to the onsite managers and
head office.
• be able to integrate and interpret a typical well dataset and produce the
standard suite of reports and summary composite logs.
• be aware of the safety issues on the wellsite and the responsibilities of
a wellsite geologist.
TEACHING METHODS: lecturers and practicals.
CONTENT: This course is designed to provide a full overview of wellsite and

operations geology. Practical exercises include the handling and
interpretation of cores, cuttings and log data. Sample description; show
description, coring point and core handling and description. Preparation of
daily, weekly reports. Testing, wireline logging QC procedures. Final
preparation of composite logs and well report.
y Health Safety and Environment (HSE)

y Drilling rigs, equipment, personnel and practices
y Review of wellsite and operations geologist duties
y Fundamentals of wellsite data collection, depth, lagtimes etc
y Wellsite data management
y Representative sample collection and wellsite geological descriptions
y Origin of gas shows, gas chromatography
y Hydrocarbon show description and identification
y Coring equipment, core point picking and core description
y The wellsite quality control of wireline logs
y Geological log preparation
y Basic testing procedures
y Reporting practices
y Final well reports
CORE READING: Morton-Thompson, D., and Wood, A.M., ed., 1992, Development Geology
Reference Manual AAPG Methods in Exploration Series No 10
Field Geologists Training Guide. Exlog
Formation Evaluation, Part 1. Exlog
Monicard R., P., 1980., Properties of Reservoir Rocks: Core Analysis,

Editions Technip.
35
Dordrect 1985 Coring Operations: procedures for sampling and analysis of
bottomhole samples and cores. Pub: Reidel Exlog Series of Petroleum
Geology
Swanson, R., G., 1981., Sample Examinations Manual AAPG. Methods in

Exploration Series
Whittaker, A., ed., 1985. Theory and Evaluation of Formation Pressures. A

pressure detection reference handbook. Published by D. Reidel (IHRDC)
Whittaker, A., 1985., Coring Operations: Procedure for sampling and analysis
of bottomhole and sidewall cores. Exlog
Geological and Mudlogging in Drilling Control. – a catalogue of typical cases

Editions Technip 1982
Bateman, R., 1985. Log Quality Control. IHRDC
Chugh, C., P., 1985. Manual of Drilling Technology pub: A.A. Balkeman,
Rotterdam
Blowout Prevention and Well Control 1981 Editions Technip
36
EART60052 STRUCTURE AND STRATIGRAPHY OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STAFF: Professor RL Gawthorpe, School Staff and Phil Copestake (External)

or equivalent level of training or practical experience in the oil and gas
industry.
DURATION: 60 hours lectures, practicals, team work and problem-based learning

exercises plus independent study

60% Coursework (practical tests, assignments and presentations)
OVERVIEW:
The course comprises two parts: Basin Analysis I (two weeks) provides the theoretical
background and practical skills required to understand the structure and evolution of sedimentary
basins, together with an integrated understanding of the controls on basin fills and their seismic
and sequence stratigraphy. Basin Analysis II uses the understanding gained during Basin
Analysis I and Subsurface Geophysics to undertake a 5 day team exercise; a problem-based
learning exercise using well and seismic dataset from the North Sea. It aims to develop a
pragmatic approach to basin analysis and application to play fairway analysis and prospect
evaluation, including developing team work skills and workflows for integrated studies using
workstation interpretation and visualisation.
BASIN ANALYSIS I
(i) Sedimentary basin formation, classification,

(ii) Basin structure and evolution,
(iii) Seismic and sequence stratigraphy (including biostratigraphy),
(iv) Tectono-sedimentary interactions and controls on basin fill
in order to study the development, evolution and hydrocarbon prospectively of sedimentary
basins.
• understand the theories of basin formation, and the methods used to classify basins in
terms of driving mechanisms and structural style,
• be aware of the structure, subsidence history and sedimentary fill of the main types of
sedimentary basin (rifts, passive margins, strike-slip, foreland/thrust-top) as well as gravity
and salt tectonics,
• have acquired practical skills to analyse a sedimentary basin to determine its structural
style and evolution, and assess the controls on its sedimentary fill,
• understand the principles of seismic and sequence stratigraphy be able to apply these
techniques to the evaluation of a geological data applicable to exploration and production
scales,
• understand the concept of a petroleum system and the use of basin analytical techniques
to define the hydrocarbon potential of an area.
37
TEACHING METHODS: 10 days of lectures, practicals, problem-based learning and team
exercises and seminars. Computer-based learning using UKESCC Dynamic Stratigraphy module.
CONTENTS:
• Seismic stratigraphy.
• Sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy applied to well, core and outcrop data at
exploration and production scales
• Basin formation and classification; overview of structural styles
• Structural style and evolution of the main types of sedimentary basins

50% Coursework
CORE READING:
Handouts and specific journal articles as discussed in individual lectures and practicals.
Allen, P.A. and Allen, J.R. 2004 Basin Analysis (2nd Ed). Blackwell Science Ltd.
Coe (ed.) 2003. The Sedimentary Record of Sea-Level Change. Cambridge University Press.
Gawthorpe R.L. and Hunt C. 1997. Dynamic Stratigraphy: Controls and Products, Version 2.0.
University of Manchester for UK Earth Science Courseware Consortium, University of
Manchester.
Leeder M. 1999 Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins: From Turbulence to Tectonics.
Blackwell.
Nichols G. 1999 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Blackwell.
Payton, C.E. (ed) 1977 Seismic Stratigraphy - Applications to Hydrocarbon Exploration.
AAPG Memoir 26.
Posamentier and Allen 1999. Siliciclastic Sequence Stratigraphy – Concepts and Applications.
SEPM Concepts in Sedimentology and Paleontology, 7.
Van Wagoner, J.C., Mitchum, R.M., Campion, K.M. and Rahmanian, V.D. 1990 (eds) AAPG
Methods in Exploration series, no. 7. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Walker, R.G. & James, N.P. 1992. Facies models. Geological Association of Canada.
Wilgus et al (eds) 1988 Sea-Level Changes: An Integrated Approach. SEPM Special
Publication 42.
BASIN ANALYSIS II: TEAM PROJECT
DURATION: 1 week
AIMS: A team project designed to build on Basin Analysis I which will:
i) develop a pragmatic approach to the application of basin analysis techniques

acquired in Basin Analysis I and Subsurface Geophysics and Petrophysics to the
analysis of a 'real-world' subsurface dataset and development of plays and
prospects,
ii) develop well log, core and seismic interpretation skills using hard copy data, 3D
seismic interpretation on workstations and visualisation techniques,
iii) develop team and management skills in to work on an interdisciplinary project, analyse
a wide range of data, synthesis results and present these results within tight
deadlines.
38
• have acquired practical skills to critically analyse a sedimentary basin to determine its
structural style and evolution, and the associated sedimentology and stratigraphy.
• understand the concept of a petroleum system and the use of basin analytical techniques
to define the hydrocarbon potential of an area,
• be able to apply seismic and sequence stratigraphic techniques to the evaluation of a
geological data and generation of plays and prospects,
• have undertaken an integrated team project and developed the skills necessary to working
in, and manage small group projects,
• have prepared and delivered several oral presentations to summaries basin evolution and
hydrocarbon prospectivity.
TEACHING METHODS: Problem-based team project using hard copy and digital data.
Workstation-based 3D seismic and well interpretation and visualisation. Introductory lectures.
Presentations and feedback.
ASSESSMENT: 100% Coursework
39
EART60162 PROSPECT EVALUATION AND PETROLEUM ECONOMICS
STAFF: Dr J Redfern, Dr A Fraser and Dr M Mitchell

in oil exploration work.
DURATION: 60 hours lectures/practicals, 90 hours independent study
ASSESSMENT: 60% Coursework and 40% Open book Examination
AIMS: A course is designed to provide the skills required to identify and assess
play types and petroleum systems, evaluate leads and prospects, calculate
reserves and estimate the worth of the prospect.

• understand the explorationist’s role in identifying and developing a play
and producing leads and prospects.
• be able to undertake petroleum system analysis, and play fairway
definition.
• be aware of case studies of a number of Petroleum Provinces and
selected fields.
• develop mapping techniques and an understanding of the data required
to evaluate a lead / prospect.
• be able to estimate reserves
• understand the concept of Chance of Success and the quantification of
risk.
• have a basic grounding in Petroleum Economics, to assess the value of
a prospect
TEACHING METHODS 90 hours lectures / practicals, 45 hours independent study.
CONTENT: This course is divided into three units:
UNIT 1: Comprises lecture and practical to addresses the explorationist’s

role in identifying petroleum systems and developing a play and producing
leads and prospects. Examples of mapping and data required to
evaluate a lead / prospect. Case studies are presented of a number of
Petroleum Provinces and selected fields. The estimation of reserves using
deterministic and Monte Carlo methods. The concept of Chance of
Success and the quantification of risk.
UNIT 2 is a practical exercise using data provided by BP to demonstrate

Petroleum System Analysis and play fairway definition.
UNIT 3 addresses Basic Petroleum Economics, to assess the value of a

prospect.
40
Petroleum System Definition
Play Fairways
Case Study Reviews of Classic Petroleum Provinces
The main elements of the Play
Reservoir Source, Seal, Trap, Migration, Timing
Mapping
Prospect / Lead Definition
Reserve Calculations
Risk Analysis
Selling the Prospect
Basic Petroleum Economics
CORE READING: Megill, R., E., 1979 An Introduction to Exploration Economics. Pennwell
Books
41
EART60230 COMMUNICATION AND PLANNNING SKILLS FOR
PROFESSIONAL SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
STAFF: Professor Colin Hughes
CREDIT RATING: 15
PRE-REQUISITES: Normally, BSc or equivalent
DURATION: Semester 1 and 2
ASSESSMENT: 50% coursework and in class tests (written and oral)

50% participation, involvement and performance in
group activities.
AIMS: A course designed to:
• Help postgraduate science and engineering students develop an understanding of

concepts and principles that underpin the effective communication of scientific and
technical information, knowledge and ideas in the workplace;
• Provide an opportunity to compare varying approaches to planning projects of varying size
and complexity; and
• Improve communication and planning skills towards achieving professional standards in
both individual and group contexts.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will be able to:
• Understand the role of scientists and engineers as effective communicators;

• Plan and produce professional quality written documents and oral presentations which
include communicating scientific information, knowledge and ideas to expert and non-
expert audiences;
• Evaluate critically the content, format and structure of written documents and oral
presentations;
• Plan scientific and technical projects in both group and individual contexts; and
• Understand ‘group process’ well enough to contribute significantly towards shared
professional performance.
TEACHING METHODS: 60 hours tutorials, seminars and enquiry based learning

workgroups.
CONTENT: Part 1, Communication Skills; part 2, Planning Skills
RECOMMENDED READING:
Directed reading handouts will be provided throughout the course. There are no recommended
textbooks. Students are advised to use their own judgement to select background reading. There
are many ‘student’ guides to writing and presentation skills. Similarly, across the various disciplines
there is an extensive literature covering the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary themes that
underpin communication.
42
EART60080 FIELDWORK I
STAFF: Dr J Redfern, Dr J MacQuaker, Dr Dave Hodgetts, Prof Rob Gawthorpe
CREDIT RATING: 12.5 M-level CAT credits

in oil exploration work.
DURATION: Total of 18 days
(i) Exposures of sedimentary rocks will be examined in order to understand

structural relationships, sedimentary processes in the context of sequence
stratigraphy and reservoir parameters relevant to the oil industry.
(ii) Interpretation of sedimentary environments from field relationships emphasising
the spatial and temporal distribution of petroleum source rocks and reservoirs.
(iii) Examination of field exposures to appreciate rock body geometries in the context
of petroleum reservoirs.
(iv) Teaching safe geological practices in all aspects of geological fieldwork.
• have an understanding of structural relationships and sedimentary processes in

the context of sequence stratigraphy and reservoir parameters relevant to the oil
industry.
• be able to interpret sedimentary environments from field relationships
emphasising the spatial and temporal distributions of petroleum source rocks
and reservoirs.
• develop skills to be able to interpret depositional environments and deduce
processes from the study of sedimentary in the field.
• be aware of safe geological practices in all aspects of geological fieldwork.
TEACHING METHODS: 15 days fieldwork
CONTENT: Geological fieldwork is an essential complement to lectures and classwork. It

teaches students to make and record observations under "real world" conditions. It
allows students to examine potential source rocks, reservoirs, seals and geological
structures at a number of scales. It allows them to compare conceptual models with
physical reality; it reinforces skills in three-dimensional thinking and visualisation and
it provides an appreciation of the problems of "scaling up" geological observations to
the coarsely gridded models employed by reservoir engineers.
Semester 1 1 Day – Local geology around Manchester. Description of siliciclastic

rocks, determination of characteristics such as porosity and permeability,
interpretation of depositional processes and definition of sedimentary
facies. Collection of sedimentological data e.g. vertical logging and
palaeocurrent measurement.
43
4 days – North England. The study of the processes controlling the
development of sedimentary successions and the analysis of a major
petroleum system. The structural configuration, tectonic and burial history,
source rock distribution, maturation and timing of migration and reservoir
distribution and quality. An appreciation / understanding of the controls on
sedimentation, including basin development and history, local tectonics,
eustasy, source area, palaeoclimate and allocyclic versus autocyclic
processes. Introduction to the methodologies that must be adopted for
successful petroleum exploration.
Semester 2 4-5 days - Wessex Basin or North Wales. The study of the processes
controlling the development of sedimentary sequences and the analysis of
a major petroleum system. The structural configuration; tectonic and
burial history, source rock distribution, maturation and timing of migration
and reservoir distribution and quality. Introduction to the methodologies
that must be adopted for successful petroleum exploration
5 days – Mallorca, Spain The course will cover the application of

sequence stratigraphic analysis in exploration and production geology,
especially as it applies to siliciclastic, carbonate and mixed systems.
The main focus is on carbonate platforms and reefal systems, exquisitely

exposed in the Cap Blanc section. Lagoonal facies and reservoir
characteristics are studied at the Cala Pi section. The broader facies
architecture and high resolution sequence stratigraphy of Llucmajor
Platform Miocene Oolitic Belt facies is examined from a distance by boat,
and the relevance to exploration discussed in evening lectures. The field
course also examines examples of karstic collapse; pleistocene eolianites
and PermoTriassic red bed fluvio-aeolian sediments.
The Field Course is given in collaboration with *Dr Luis Pomar of the
Universie des Illes Balaeric.
(Note: The above are proposed field locations, these change from year to
year and equivalent field trips may be substituted for the ones listed in the
handbook)
ASSESSMENT: 100% Coursework.
EART60172 RESEARCH DISSERTATION
44
STAFF: Departmental staff
CREDIT RATING: 60 M-level CAT credits (MSc.)
30 M-Level CAT credits (Diploma)

or equivalent level of training plus core course units. Practical experience
in the oil and gas industry.
DURATION: 3 months (MSc), 1 month (Diploma)
AIMS: An independent but supervised research project typically involving

Integrating and interpreting seismic and well data.
• apply skills learnt in the taught part of the MSc / Diploma to an

independent research project
• develop skills in project and time management
• develop skills in research methodology
• be able to integrate and critically analyse data and show an appreciation
of the difference between data description and data interpretation
• be able to produce a well written report
develop presentation skills
TEACHING METHODS: Approximately 10 hours supervision and 600 hours Independent

Study(MSc) Approximately 3 hours supervision and 200 hours
independent study (Diploma)
CONTENT: This unit is intended to demonstrate that the student can apply skills
learnt in the taught part of the MSc/Diploma course to an
independent piece of research that is relevant to either hydrocarbon
exploration or production. The work is presented in the form of a
written dissertation and an oral presentation, both of which should
be of a professional nature and equivalent to that expected by an oil
company.
The content of the dissertation will be agreed with the supervisor

and also, if applicable, with an industrial sponsor. An example of the
type of work expected would be either a 2D or 3D seismic
interpretation over a license block including integration of available
well logs. The data that are used are generally provided by an oil
company and both the data and the final report can be kept
confidential if required. A literature review will also be carried out.
ASSESSMENT: 100% Coursework.

CORE READING: Project specific
45

Petroleum MSC 2008

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Título original

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

Petroleum MSC 2008

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

SCHOOL OF EARTH, ATMOSPHERIC

AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCE MSc

APPENDIX COURSE TIMETABLE .................................................................................................................

Welcome to the University of Manchester

Prof Tom Choulartion (Head of School)

Building on this historical prestige, Manchester has continued to adapt successfully to

We have a long history of undertaking Petroleum related research and teaching at

There are a number of computer-based learning courses available on the PC system,

E- MAIL AND INTERNET FACILITIES

YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR COMMITMENT

• To mark your work fairly, carefully and consistently

• To give you written feedback on your work, including a mark

• Establishing at an early stage the supervisors’ responsibilities in relation to students’

• Being accessible to the student at other appropriate times, when an appointment is

• Giving detailed advice on the necessary completion dates of successive stages of

• Providing pastoral support and advising students, where appropriate, of University

• Requesting from the student a draft of a chapter, written in an academic style in

• To take notice of the guidance offered on how to approach assessments;

• To submit all written assignments with a completed assignment form attached

AAPG / PESGB MEMBERSHIP

BP Prize: Best research project

EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS

External Examiners provide an important scrutiny of teaching and examining. They

Smoking, food and drink

Safety in the Field

Advice for wheelchair users etc.

ADVICE AND COUNSELLING

CENTRAL ACADEMIC ADVISORY SERVICE

STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELLING SERVICE

Tel: 0161 275 5000

Further information can be found on

Fax: 0161 275 7860

Further information can be found at

Fees for 2008/2009 are:

Home: £7,335 Overseas:£18,620

Petroleum Geoscience Director Dr. Jonathan Redfern

Lecturers Room Tel Specialism

External Contributors to the Course

i. Either a degree in Geology or related subject, or an equivalent qualification.

iii. English language to IELTS band 6.5 to 7.0 or equivalent.

COURSE REGULATIONS AND PROVISION FOR CREDIT ACCUMULATION AND TRANSFER

The Board will be responsible for:

i) Publishing a calendar of assessment deadlines and other appropriate matters

ii) Setting and marking formal invigilated examinations;

iv) Compiling results, recommending degree awards and communicating to the

v) Adjudicating upon applications for exemption from units of examination from

Late assignments will be penalised. It is the student’s responsibility to know the

The written examination

Compensation for special circumstances such as illness

Reasons for delaying assignments or examinations.

You may under exceptional circumstances delay submission of assignments or

If you miss assignments or examinations you will be required to provide a completed

MARKS AND GRADES

A Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded to students who complete 60 or more M-

Certificates of attendance will be issued to part-time registrants who attend a course

PROGRESSION, COMPENSATION AND ASSESSMENT

b. Students for the degree of Master, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate

e. The maximum mark to be awarded for resubmitted coursework or retaken

g. Any student who submits a piece of assessed coursework (including the

h. Students may, in exceptional mitigating circumstances, and with prior permission of

k. Students may be awarded a compensated pass for a Postgraduate Certificate

l. The maximum allowable cumulative failure of course units in a Masters course at