GEO4250 – Subsurface Characterization

After completing the course, you can

• explain the role of petrophysics, rock physics, geophysics, and geomechanics in subsurface characterization for geoenergy exploration, exploitation, and storage
• characterize reservoir rocks (e.g. shaliness, porosity, permeability, cement volume, net-to-gross ratio, saturation)
• characterize seals/caprocks (e.g. clay volume, porosity, permeability, brittle versus ductile behaviour)
• characterize source rocks (e.g. TOC, maturation, hydrocarbon expulsion)
• perform exhumation studies (uplift/erosion) of sedimentary basins
• carry out geological interpretation, stratigraphic correlation, and pore pressure prediction of sedimentary basins using well logs, laboratory data, and geosoftware suites such as Interactive Petrophysics or Hampson Russell
• apply subsurface characterization techniques to contribute to and further develop the exploration, exploitation, and safe storage of geoenergy

Both master's students and PhD candidates can take this course.

Students admitted at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other master's degree programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.

Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may apply to take this course as a single course student.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

PhD candidates from the University of Oslo should apply for classes and register for examinations through Studentweb. If a course has limited intake capacity, priority will be given to master's students who follow an individual education plan where this particular course is included.

The course has a max capacity of 24 students. If there are more than 24 applicants for the course, applicants will be ranked after the following categories:

1. Master's students in Geosciences admitted to one of the following programme options (not prioritized order):
   • Geosciences (master)
   • CS: Geoscience (programme option)
2. PhD candidates from the University of Oslo (MN-faculty)
3. Other students

Applicants will be ranked by the number of ECTS-credits within each category: all applicants within category 1 are ranked before applicants in category 2. If there are space limitations in the course, available places will be given to students selected randomly within the same category.

Based on experience, there is generally room for everyone who applies for admission to the course within the deadline.

The course has 2*2 hours of lectures and exercises per week throughout the semester.

In addition, there is a mandatory one‑week intensive computer lab project (approximately 35 hours) conducted as group work (2-3 students per group). The project focuses on practical subsurface characterization using either Interactive Petrophysics or Hampson Russell software.

Each group must give an oral presentation and submit a written project report as part of the computer lab project. Both the presentation and the report count toward the final grade.

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the course responsible.

We reserve the right to change the teaching form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.

• Attendance at the one-week intensive computer lab project needs to be approved in order to sit the final exam.
• The computer lab project counts 40% towards the final grade.
• A final written exam counts 60% towards the final grade.
• Both the computer lab project and the final written exam must be passed separately in order to pass the course.

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.