Earth & Environmental Sciences

Certificate in Petroleum Geoscience

Objectives

The Petroleum Geoscience Certificate provides instruction in the geological principles and techniques used in the petroleum industry to explore and produce oil and gas. It is useful for professionals wishing to upgrade their knowledge and skills, and those interested in employment in the petroleum industry. The graduate courses may also be used toward a M.S. degree.
 

Admissions

Candidates should apply to the Graduate School as "special students". The GRE is not necessary. Students in the Petroleum Geoscience Certificate should have a baccalaureate degree in geoscience, or a degree in science, math or engineering with some experience in the petroleum industry.

A student that is admitted to the MS degree program in Geology may apply up to 15 hours of coursework in this certificate program toward that degree, if done within 6 years of completion of the certificate by petitioning the Graduate School through the College of Science.

Certificate Requirements

The following 5 courses (15 credit hours)  are required for the certificate, which is awarded to those completing the program with a B average (3.0 GPA).

Geol. 5370 (Sedimentary Systems),: carbonate and clastic depositional systems, recognition of facies, systems tracts, diagenetic overprint, shelf to basin profiling, and sequence stratigraphic analysis

Geol. 5371 (Petroleum Geochemistry and Basin Modeling), Basic concepts of petroleum geochemistry, interpretation of geochemical data, maturation of kerogen. Basin evolution processes controlling petroleum generation and accumulation, subsidence histories, porosity evolution, overpressure generation, thermal histories, hydrocarbon expulsion and migration

Geol. 5372 (Structural Geometry and Tectonics of Petroleum Fields and introduction to well log interpretation), Techniques of structural modeling and restoration and the reliability of structural interpretation; structural styles of thin skinned, basement involved, strike-slip and reactivated systems. Introduction to the various types of well logs, and the quantitative and qualitative information obtained

Geol. 5373 (Reservoir Characterization), Field Development, Risk Assessment and Economic Evaluation of Prospects

Geol. 5374 (Seismic Interpretation), Introduction to the methods of acquisition and processing as they relate to the interpretation of seismic records. Structural and stratigraphic interpretation methods and pitfalls using two and three dimensional seismic data.