PhD in palynology Caspian climatic cycles for improved petroleum exploration

The principal objective is to provide new and more detailed information on Caspian Sea cyclicities, including sequence stratigraphy, Milankovitch periodicities and the origin of laminites. This will enable a better understanding of the distribution and origins of hydrocarbon reservoir and seal sediments, and therefore improved petroleum exploration.
The main objective of this study will be to investigate the patterns of cyclicity at various scales, and to identify their likely frequency, duration and detailed causes. The main method will be palynology (pollen, dinocysts and non-pollen palynomorphs), which will be mostly applied to the fine-grained sediment layers present throughout the Pliocene Productive Series. This method is known to work in the Caspian Sea and is able to characterise the changes taking place both on land and in the lake. Subsidiary methods may include: oxygen isotope analysis of ostracod (or other) shells to establish a link with climate; whole rock geochemistry using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy techniques (ICP-MS) to identify changes in the rock fabric; and heavy minerals analysis (HMA), to identify sediment provenance. The palynological and other results will be fully integrated with geological data, such as seismic profiles and lithostratigraphic logs.

Applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree, MSc or equivalent in geology or a relevant discipline. The successful candidate will be based at Brunel University in Uxbridge, London, where the research will be conducted. Regular visits to BP offices in the UK and Azerbaijan, to discuss progress, will be necessary. Up to two field work seasons in Azerbaijan are also envisaged.
Brunel University is committed to providing a high quality graduate training programme, to ensure that research students have opportunities to develop their career skills and experience. The start date is not fixed, and will be agreed in discussion with the successful candidate, but ideally will be in October 2013. Hence, students graduating this year are encouraged to apply.