MSc Petroleum Geoscience for Reservoir Development and Production

Course description

The oil industry has clear objectives to maximise recovery from oil and gas fields, and to extend the life of existing fields. This course aims to meet the need for skilled personnel by training graduates that specialise in appraisal/development/production geoscience and the fundamentals of reservoir engineering. There course features training in seismic interpretation which leads into modelling of the reservoir, fluid flow, and the impact of recovery mechanisms and dynamic displacement.

Semester 2 comprises four specialist units:

• Integrated Subsurface Description , covering 3D seismic interpretation and visualisation; trapping framework; reservoir framework; reservoir and fluid properties; uncertainty and risk.
• Oil and Gas Reservoir Dynamics , covering reservoir compartments; reservoir energy and recovery mechanisms; geological reservoir modelling; reservoir simulation; well testing.
• The Group Development Project requires you to work in groups of four or five. You will be mentored by research students and staff to undertake a field evaluation using a typical dataset.
• Field Depletion Planning covers resource assessment; rate production profile prediction; depletion planning; how to operate in an oil and gas field; health and safety; petroleum economics and risk analysis; reservoir management; and base management.

Career opportunities

The petroleum industry is the largest employer of earth science graduates, with good employment prospects in the United Kingdom and overseas in oil companies, consultancies, service companies, government bodies, the financial sector, and in teaching and research. During the research project students normally have the opportunity to work within sponsor oil company offices, gaining valuable industrial experience. The MSc course has a very strong track record for employability.