Basin and Petroleum System Modeling

This course examines the coupled nature of rock and fluid systems to obtain a deeper understanding of the physical processes that shape the subsurface of sedimentary basins. Weekly lectures lay the foundation for subsequent computer lab modeling of geologic processes such as fluid flow and heat flow, sedimentary deposition and compaction, pore pressure, and chemical reactions. Rock-fluid systems to be covered include petroleum generation and migration, methane hydrate formation, and carbon dioxide storage, among others. Model exercises are designed to deconstruct the black box nature of numerical modeling software, both from a deterministic and stochastic modeling point of view.