About the Project
Overview
The interiors of continental sedimentary basins are typically characterised by enclosed lakes, and associated lacustrine depositional systems, that provide the ultimate sink for sediment transported through the basin. Lacustrine sediments have the potential to form excellent hydrocarbon source rocks, and lacustrine margins may develop significant deposits of sand-grade sediment with good reservoir potential. However, despite this well-recognised hydrocarbon potential, the characteristics of lacustrine shoreline sediments, their relationships to lake type and development, their interactions with lake-marginal continental sedimentary environments, and the relations between their reservoir potential and their evolution remain somewhat equivocal.
Using a combination of outcrop, seismic and core data, this project will examine a range of lakes of different sizes and styles, developed in icehouse and greenhouse climatic settings, and in a range of tectonically and nontectonically-controlled basins, in order to develop a suite of models that typify the range of lake-shoreline sediments, their reservoir potential and their relations to the depositions of lacustrine source rocks. The project will relate these models to the controls of sediment supply, water level, accommodation and climate upon lake evolution, and provide field-based analogue models to aid future petroleum exploration in lacustrine depositional systems
Timeline
Year 1: PhD Training; literature review (lacustrine systems, modelling and field data capture; geology of field sites); major fieldwork in the western USA to determine the nature and relationships of lake sediments between lake centre and lake shoreline; development of initial models.
Year 2: PhD Training; initial examination of core to compare and contrast with field data; fieldwork to determine interactions with lake marginal contemporaneous sedimentary environments; development of facies models of interactions, and distillation of summary models for different lake systems responding to different allo-controls; presentation at major international conference and development of first paper on interactions and controls.
Year 3: Further development of allo-forced evolutionary models for a range of different lake settings; application of evolutionary allo-forced models to core interpretation, development of cyclo-stratigraphical models and application to seismic-scale interpretation and petroleum geology; minor fieldwork to ‘mop up’; final distillation of models; presentations at major international conference and development of paper 2 – cyclo-stratigraphy and lake type models.
Year 4: Preparation and submission of thesis; development of papers and presentations at major conferences.
Skills training and experience
This project will provide the student with high-end industry training in a variety of industry-standard sedimentary modelling techniques, seismic interpretation using Landmark and/or Kingdom software, well log analysis and interpretation using ODM software, along with industry standard software packages including Petrel™. Fieldwork forms an extensive part of this project and the student will gain good experience in field techniques for sedimentary data collection and analysis, including modern digital methods of field data capture, as well as experience in fieldwork planning, logistics and execution.
The project is advertised under the inter-university Oil and Gas Consortium scheme – a collaboration of 14 UK universities and the British Geological Survey. The scheme provides four-year PhDs with accompanying high-end industry training courses in years 1 and 2.
The Basin Dynamics Research Group at Keele has a background of experience in sedimentology in a variety of continental settings. Past members of the group have looked at alluvial fan and fluvial environments and their interactions. Current members of the group work on aeolian, arid ephemeral fluvial, evaporitic environments and sequence stratigraphical applications in the continental realm The proposed project provides a natural extension of past and current work within the group, and the group’s expertise provide a good grounding for the work.
Staff supporting the project at the British Geological Survey (BGS) have significant experience in researching subsurface lake to margin settings and the petroleum aspects thereof, as well as significant hydrocarbon exploration experience and field experience in the Western USA and beyond. BGS will provide opportunities for the student to work with them on industry seismic datasets in their offices in Edinburgh and Nottingham, as well as academic support in the field.
For further information on the project please feel free to contact the lead supervisor, Stuart Clarke: [Email Address Removed] +44 (0)1782 733171 www.keele.ac.uk/bdrg/
*Please quote FNS GS 2017-26 on your application.
Funding Notes
This project is funded under the inter-university Oil and Gas consortium. Funding includes RCUK level stipend for four years( RCUK stipend for 2018/9 £14,777 per annum), fees bursary (UK/EU fee level only) for four years, and yearly travel and subsistence grant for four years.
Start Date: September / October 2018
Eligibility Criteria:
2:1 or above in Geology, Geoscience, or a related discipline.
Funding covers UK/EU student fee level only. An overseas student would need to self fund the difference between UK/EU fee level and overseas fee level.
Overseas students also require ILETS 6.0 with minimum of 5:5 in each subtest.