About the summer school
Petrophysics is the study of the physical (and chemical) properties of rocks and their interactions with fluids, and integrates downhole in situ data from logs with core and seismic data. This has significant applications in the hydrocarbon industry in terms of both exploration for, and production of, oil and gas. It is also an important component of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) in helping to answer the many and varied questions posed by scientific ocean research drilling expeditions around the world. This proposed Petrophysics Summer School would provide a unique workshop that will bring together experts from both academia and industry to give training in the theory and practice of petrophysics and, notably its applications across both IODP and industry. There are few opportunities for training, especially for non-industry researchers, and with recent reports indicating significant skills shortages in the hydrocarbon sector, the workshop could attract a variety of participants including those who might not normally engage with the IODP community. In addition, the summer school will strengthen links between IODP and industry, increase the visibility of IODP, provide essential training to the next generation of petrophysicists and, importantly, enable future expedition participants to best utilise these data in their investigations of the ocean floor.
This 2nd Petrophysics Summer School will build on the success of the first, which received extremely positive feedback from both participants and tutors.
Research topics
The main research focus proposed here is downhole logging where in situ continuous measurements are made in the borehole, these are supplemented by continuous and discrete core physical properties data, thus enabling integration of datasets to maximise their potential use in addressing scientific problems. This summer school not only focuses on the interpretation of these data types acquired during IODP expeditions, but also the rationale behind those measurements, the methodologies associated with their acquisition, and their application beyond IODP, in an industry context.
Downhole logging measurements acquired on IODP expeditions can be used to determine the physical, chemical, and structural properties of the formation penetrated by a borehole. These data can be used to aid interpretation of stratigraphy, lithology and mineralogy as well as providing information about formation stress, or drilling-induced deformation. In the event of incomplete core recovery, these continuous datasets may provide the only means of fully characterising the geological formations encountered. Intermediate in scale between core sample measurements and geophysical surveys, downhole logs are particularly useful in the calibration and ground-truthing of geophysical surveys. Downhole measurements therefore play a critical role in understanding physical properties across a range of scales.
A variety of physical properties measurements are undertaken on the core material recovered during IODP projects including, density, velocity, resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, natural gamma radiation, porosity and colour reflectance datasets. These high-resolution, non-destructive measurements are valuable in characterising lithological units and formation properties. They can also be used to facilitate hole-to-hole correlation and in the construction of synthetic seismograms.
Structure
This proposed 2nd Petrophysics Summer School will focus on the application of downhole logging and core physical properties data to scientific questions. The workshop will include lectures, discussion groups, and practical exercises on the different elements and data types used in petrophysical analysis. In addition, basic training in an industry-standard software package, Schlumberger’s Techlog, will form a core part of the summer school. Sessions within the summer school will fall into one of three categories: those which explain and describe the principles behind petrophysical measurements; those which demonstrate the methods by which petrophysical measurements are acquired; and those which reveal the ways in which petrophysical data can be used in the pursuit of scientific objectives through integration and interpretation.
Following a more general introduction to IODP and ocean drilling, a series of introductory interactive lectures will set the scene, with experts from both IODP and industry providing information on the various petrophysical measurements and methodologies used. Sessions will focus on real-world examples with case studies from IODP and industry. Practical sessions throughout the week may include: demonstrations of physical properties data acquisition; the generation and use of synthetic seismograms; the use of stratigraphic correlation for hole-hole and site-site correlation; and the integration of borehole images with core.
An off-site day is planned which will be divided between: a visit centred on downhole logging activities, including the development, testing, calibration and deployment of downhole logging tools; and a session at the British Geological Survey (BGS) National Core Repository where participants will have the opportunity to compare a set of cores with the corresponding downhole logging data.
Location and organisation
The 2nd Petrophysics Summer School will be hosted in 2017 in the Department of Geologyat the University of Leicester, UK. The European Petrophysics Consortium and its collaborators offer this unique training opportunity for a summer school through the provision of technical and scientific expertise in the fields of downhole logging and core petrophysics. The majority of the workshop will take place on the main campus of the University of Leicester. There will also be a local, off-site component.
Towards the end of the first the day there will be a mini-conference during which participants will have the opportunity to present their work in short presentations and a poster session. This will be followed by the workshop dinner.
Travel
- Nearest airport East Midlands, (53 minute bus transfer to Leicester).
- Good train links ~1-1.5 hrs to London (including all airports) and other major UK cities.
Timing
- The workshop will take place 2-7 July 2017
Accommodation
En suite accommodation is offered to Summer School participants at the University of Leicester John Foster Hall of Residence, a short bus ride away from the main University campus. This will include bed & breakfast at a rate of £34 per person per night.
Note: participants are responsible for all costs related to accommodation during the summer school.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted until Friday 17 March 2017, after which they will be evaluated by a panel selected from the organizers and tutor/lecturer pool. A maximum of 30 participants can be accepted to attend the Petrophysics Summer School in Leicester. It is anticipated that applicants will be notified of the outcome of the application by Friday 31 March 2017.
Applications should include:
- A 2-page CV
- Letter of support from supervisor (for graduate students (Masters and PhD))
- A statement of the candidate’s interest in petrophysics and summer school attendance
- A completed application form
and should be emailed to epc@le.ac.uk.
The course fee, payable on acceptance onto the summer school is £150:
- This includes: icebreaker event; conference dinner; all teaching related activities; teaching materials; excursion; and coffee breaks.
- This does not include: travel; meals; and accommodation.
Scholarships
ECORD provide a number of scholarships for students to support their attendance at summer schools sponsored by ECORD. More information about eligibility and how to apply for these scholarships will be available on the ECORD website soon.
USSSP will be providing a number of scholarships to support the attendance of early career scientists based at US institutions. For further information visit the USSSP website.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/research/gbrg/projects/iodp/summerschool17