Course goals

Please note: the information in the course manual is binding.

Educational intent

The aim of this course is to bridge the methodological and scale gap between outcrop-based geology and subsurface investigation of structure, stratigraphy, and deformation.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, you should be (better) able to:

• Use geological and geophysical datasets to evaluate the structure, sedimentology, stratigraphy, and deformation of a sedimentary basin in the subsurface;
• Predict the occurrence and distribution of source and reservoir facies and their fluids in the subsurface;
• Identify tectonic, climatic, and eustatic controls on sedimentary basins evolution that explain the occurrence and distribution of reservoir facies in the subsurface suitable for sustainable energy and storage needs;
• Integrate multiscale datasets into seismic-stratigraphic interpretations for reliable lithostratigraphic predictions; and
• Integrate complex geometries into coherent processes, such as integrated tectonostratigraphic evolution of basins or investigating other societally relevant issues (such as sea-level changes, or natural hazards).

Skill learning outcomes

On completion of this course, you should be (better) able to:

• Describe rocks in cores and thin sections;
• Use seismic sections and wireline logs to interpret the stratigraphic architecture of basins in the subsurface;
• Use field examples as analogues for the geology of the subsurface; and
• Use the techniques of workstation interpretation.

Content

Teaching and learning activities

The philosophy behind this course is that you learn the most by doing most of the work. The course has a duration of nine weeks with a final poster presentation during the final week and a field trip immediately after the course. There are three progress report seminars and feedback moments during the course.

The activities in this course consist of (i) application of geological knowledge to subsurface evaluation of basins, (ii) development of subsurface skills, and (iii) fieldwork. You will learn about the geology and geodynamic framework of the Netherlands and northwest Europe, regional tectonic drivers of structure, reflection seismics, wireline logs, and subsurface facies analysis and basin stratigraphy.

• Borehole core description and measurement;
• Petrographic study of thin sections of reservoirs;
• Interpretation of seismic sections (seismic and sequence stratigraphy);
• Wireline log correlations and interpretations; and
• Field trip to southwest England, where we will examine outcrops of the most important formations in the Dutch subsurface, as well as some of the structural styles. The field trip takes place in calendar week 16.