GEOL40310 Fossil fuels, carbon capture and storage

Academic Year 2023/2024

Most of the World's energy requirements are currently provided from fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal). Ireland currently imports all its oil and coal and much of its gas and in the current absence of significant indigenous fossil fuels reserves or resources the county is particularly vulnerable to interruptions of these energy supplies. This module will examine the geological setting of fossil fuels, both conventional and non-conventional, together with techniques for exploration and production. It will also deal with the chemistry and engineering of crude oil refining and examine current and likely developments in this field in the light of increasing global concern over carbon emissions. Carbon capture and storage/sequestration (CCS) is increasing becoming a potentially important method of moderating emissions while of maintaining carbon-based energy systems. The range of current and potential methods of capture and of sequestration will be examined.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
(1) Identify the major rock types that host fossil fuels, and describe the broad geological setting of the major fossil fuels,
(2) Explain the geological and engineering processes associated with exploration for and extraction of conventional and unconventional oil and gas.
(3) Discuss the relative importance of the major fossil fuel types,
(4) Explain the chemical and engineering processes involved in petroleum refining,
(5) Understand the current and potential methods of carbon capture, and
(6) Appreciate the current methods and the potential, uncertainties and trends in carbon storage/sequestration.

Indicative Module Content:

LECTURES:

Part A: Petroleum Geology and Reservoir Engineering (Assoc. Prof. Tom Manzocchi)
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Lecture A1: Introduction to Fossil Fuels
Global Energy Consumption: Historical overview; Future Scenarios; The role of CCS. World oil and gas consumption trends: Oil Supply and demand; Gas pipelines and LNG. Irish Energy Consumption: Fossil Fuel and CCS projects; Imported energy and indigenous production; Historical and projected energy use. Peak oil vs. Peak demand; Global Energy Production and Consumption: Oil, Gas, Coal; Nuclear; Hydroelectric; Wind and Solar; Biofuels.

Lecture A2: Structure of the earth and plate tectonics
Seismic waves and the earth’s structure: P-waves, S-waves; Crust, Mantle; Lithosphere, Asthenosphere. The formulation of Plate Tectonics. Divergent Plate Boundaries: Oceanic / continental; Failed rifts; Passive Margins. Convergent Plate Boundaries: Subduction zones; Mountain chains. Transform Plate boundaries. The three basic types of rock: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic.

Lecture A3: Sedimentary basins and Sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary basins. Examples: Foreland Basin; Rift Basin; Strike-slip basin. Clastic Sedimentary rocks: Depositional environments of clastic sediments; Lithification of sediments to rocks; Classification of clastic sedimentary rocks; Biochemical and Chemical sedimentary rocks; Organic Sedimentary rocks.

Lecture A4: Exploration 1: Petroleum Systems, Seismic imaging
Petroleum Systems: The carbon cycle and formation of hydrocarbon; Source rocks; Burial and maturation; Migration and accumulation in traps; Reservoir rocks and Seal rocks. Exploration, Appraisal, Development, Production Phases. Seismic Acquisition and processing.

Lecture A5: Exploration 2. Exploration Examples from selected Petroleum Provinces of NW Europe.
The North Sea: The Permo-Triassic Rotliegend system; The Jurassic Brent system; Cretaceous chalk reservoirs; Paleogene turbidite (deep-water deposit) reservoirs. Irish Exploration: Discoveries offshore Ireland; The 2013 Dunquin well; The 2017 Druid/Drombeg well.

Lecture A6: Appraisal 1: Drilling, and oil-in-place calculations.
Drilling: Drilling operations; Mud weight and casing; Sediments and geofluids; Pore Pressure; Fracture Pressure; Macondo Drilling disaster (Deepwater Horizon). Objectives of reservoir appraisal. Equation for oil volume in place (STOIIP) and definitions of: Gross-rock volume; Net:gross ratio; Porosity; Oil saturation. Wireline logging: Gamma Log - Determination of Net:Gross; Formation density log - Determination of porosity; Resistivity log - Determination of saturation

Lecture A7 - Appraisal 2: Fluids
Part 1: Physical and Chemical classifications of petroleum: Physical Classification: Density, Viscosity. Chemical Classification natural gas: The Paraffin series; Hydrocarbon-associated gasses: H2S, CO2. Chemical Classification of crude oil: PNA (Paraffin, Naphthene, Aromatics) classification; Normal crude, waxy crude, heavy crude. Part 2: PVT behaviour of 5 conventional hydrocarbons: Dry gas, Wet Gas, Gas Condensate, Volatile Oil, Black Oil. Saturated and unsaturated reservoirs. Pressure-volume properties of oil reservoirs: Oil Formation volume factor. Solution Gas:Oil ratio

Lecture A8 - Appraisal 3: Reservoir Pressures and Fluid flow
Reservoir fluid pressures and oil saturation: Phase pressure and capillary pressure; Repeat Formation Testing (RFT); Finding Fluid/Fluid Contacts. Permeability: Darcy’s Law; Radial flow and the well productivity index; Drill Stem Testing (DST)

Lecture A9: Reservoir Development and Production 1: Drive mechanisms and recovery factors
Primary Drive mechanisms Gas: Pressure depletion. Oil: Pressure depletion / Solution Gas Drive; Gas Cap Drive; Water-drive
Secondary drive mechanism: Immiscible Water and/or Gas injection Recovery factors and water-flood recovery process: Pore-scale displacement efficiency; Mobility ratio and sweep efficiency; Macroscopic displacement efficiency

Lecture A10: Reservoir Development and Production 2: Ekofisk reservoir example.
Reservoir geology: naturally fractured chalk Production mechanics: Primary production phase: pressure depletion; Secondary production phase: water flooding; Compaction drive contribution. 4D seismic. Infrastructure and pipelines. Current production and investment.

Lecture A11: Reservoir Development and Production 3: Facilities and management
The field production plan. Oilfield production Platforms. Surface facilities: separation, infrastructure, platform
Oil Refining & Gas Processing. Gas development examples: Corrib, ConocoPhillips Southen North Sea. Production profiles for oil and gas reservoirs. Wells: Well flow rates; Horizontal and Multilateral wells; Logging while drilling and geosteering – Wytch Farm Field Example; Well completions and workovers – Nelson Field Example. Abandonment and decommissioning.

Lecture A12: Unconventional oil and gas
Conventional vs. Unconventional oil and gas. Shale Gas and Shale Oil. Tight Gas and Tight Oil. Other unconventional Gas: Coalbed methane; Sour Gas; Methane Hydrates. Other unconventional Oil: Heavy oil; Extra Heavy Oil, Bitumen; Oil Shale. Oil and gas supply cost curves.


Part B: Refining and Chemical Engineering (Prof. Ravindranathan Thampi)
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The Chemistry and Processing of hydrocarbons 1.
Carbon and its compounds, Index of unsaturation, hydrocarbon sources. Coal, Direct coal liquefaction, Fischer-Tropsch chemistry. Petroleum refining and upgrading: products. Oil refining. Synthetic hydrocarbons. Nature of hydrocarbon conversion reactions. Use of hydrcarbons.

The Chemistry and Processing of hydrocarbons 2.
Syngas. Syngas reactions and processes. Stream reforming process: Feedstock purification; syngas requirements.

The Chemistry and Processing of hydrocarbons 3.
Syngas to products: methanol, higher alcohols, F-T products.

The Chemistry and Processing of hydrocarbons 4.
Hydro-cracking; Naphtha reforming, Catalysts and Process.

The Chemistry and Processing of hydrocarbons 5.
Pyrolysis of Low density PolyEthylene and other plastics for petrochemical feedstocks. Polymerization mechanism. Polymerization reactiors. Types of polymers and plastics. Plastic wastes; recycling. Combustion, Hydrolysis, Hydrogeneration. Fluidised bed pyrolysis.

Part C: Carbon Capture (Dr Damian Mooney)
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Lecture C1: Overview of CO2 emission sources and capture technologies.
The carbon cycle. Atmospheric CO2 levels. Risk and mitigation. Climate change policies. Emissions by sector. Energy sources and CO2 Emissions in Ireland. Carbon capture during power generation. Costs of carbon capture.

Lecture C2. CO2 Capture 2: Post-Combustion Capture.
Typical CO2 adsorption technique. Passive absorption, Chemical absorption. Solvent regeneration. Energy requirements.

Lecture C3. CO2 Capture 3: Pre-Combustion Capture.
Pre-combustion syngas technology. Gasification processes. Fluidised bed gasification processes. Gasification unit design . Minimum power requirements.

Lecture C4. CO2 Capture 3: Oxy-fuel processes.
Oxy-fuel technology. Adiabatic flame temperature calculation. Challenges. Air Separation using Liquefaction. Air Separation using Membranes. Case Studies: Oxy-fuel operation in an automobile; Oxy-fuel operation in Moneypoint. Minimum Power Requirements.

Lecture C5. CO2 Capture 3: Novel Capture Technologies.
Micro/Mesoporous Solids for Ambient Temperature CO2 Adsorption. Membrane Separations Process. Chemical Looping Combustion – Unmixed Combustion. Can Ireland Live on its Renewables.


Part D: Carbon sequestration (Assoc Prof. Tom Manzocchi)
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Lecture D1: Carbon Sequestration 1
Introduction to CCS: Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels; Required contribution of CCS to CO2 emissions reductions; CCS systems and components. Marine Sequestration: Dissolution-type; Lake-type. Mineral sequestration: Sub-surface mineralisation; Surface mineralisation. CO2 sequestration costs

Lecture D2: Carbon Sequestration 2
CO2 use in EOR projects. Miscible CO2 flooding: Sweep efficiency and pre-scale recovery. Permian Basin Examples: SACROC unit, Denver Unit of Wasson Field; Natural and anthropogenic CO2 sources. Immiscible CO2 flooding: Great Plains / Weyburn project

Lecture D3: Carbon Sequestration 3
CO2 Storage in saline aquifers: Structural and stratigraphic trapping; Capillary seal failure, fracture seal failure; CO2 plume migration and trapping mechanisms. Structural / stratigraphic trapping, Residual trapping, solubility trapping, mineral trapping. Examples: Sleipner; Modelling CO2 sequestration in the Garn and Ile formations; Northern Lights. CO2 Storage in depleted oil reservoirs: HyNet Project. CO2 Storage in un-minable coal seams. CO2 Storage inventories

Lecture D4: Wrap-up and Summary.
Fossils Fuels, the carbon cycle, CCS. Petroleum Systems. Hydrocarbon Exploration Appraisal, Production. Energy consumption, Long term ol supply cost curve. Energy options for 2100. Carbon Capture and Storage. Employment options. Module evaluation discussion.

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PRACTICAL CLASSES (Dr. Tom Manzocchi)
Practical 1. Minerals and Igneous rocks
Recognition and description of common rock-forming minerals and igneous rocks from hand-specimens.

Practical 2. Sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
Recognition and description of sediments, sedimentary rocks (including clastic, coal, and carbonate rocks) and metamorphic rocks, from hand specimens.

Practical 3. Reservoir volume calculations
Analysis of fluid contacts and reservoir volumes. Includes use of wire-line log data, RFT data, and oil-field PVT data.


POSTERS AND SEMINARS (Dr Tom Manzocchi, Prof Ravindranathan Thampi, Dr Damian Mooney)


Student poster presentation:
Preparation and presentation of a poster on a topic associated with petroleum processing, by pairs of students.

Seminar:
In-depth seminars from a range of topics covering the course content, in groups of 3 or 4 students.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

25

Seminar (or Webinar)

10

Practical

10

Specified Learning Activities

30

Autonomous Student Learning

25

Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures covering the broad scope of the module are complemented by practical classes looking at minerals and rocks that host hydrocarbon reserves. Preparation and presentation of group seminars and posters are focused to different topics within the module. The module is assessed in equal measure by continuous assessment of these pieces of individual and group work, and by a 2-hour multiple-choice examination. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

BE degree and acceptance on ME (Energy Systems) degree programme.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: 2 hour end of semester MCQ examination 2 hour End of Trimester Exam No Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

50

Continuous Assessment: Continuous Assessment of practical work and group presentations Varies over the Trimester n/a Standard conversion grade scale 40% No

50


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Ongoing feedback on practical work given by demonstrators during classes. Practical books are also collected and commented upon before returning them to students for modification prior to final submission. Poster and oral presentations are discussed and feedback given during dedicated sessions.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Damian Mooney Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Ravindranathan Thampi Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
     
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 4 Fri 14:00 - 14:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Fri 14:00 - 14:50
Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 11, 12 Fri 14:00 - 17:50
Practical Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 4 Fri 15:00 - 17:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn