Supervisors
Main supervisor: Miriana Chinello, UiB-GEO
Co-supervisor: Matteo Demurtas, UiB-GEO
Co-supervisor: Atle Rotevatn, UiB-GEO
Project description
Direct observation and investigation of the subsurface are generally limited to seismic and borehole data, which do not allow full characterization of fault properties and offer limited control over sampling locations. In this context, studies of outcrop analogues of faults and deformation bands that formed at shallow crustal depths and are now exhumed provide a valuable opportunity to bridge this knowledge gap. As an example, some locations in Denmark expose siliciclastic sediments containing peat and coal seams at the surface, which have been subjected to deformation under loading conditions comparable to those inferred from wellbore observations in the Norwegian and North Sea basins. These sites therefore represent an ideal natural laboratory to investigate the influence of organic matter on reservoir properties.
This project aims to elucidate the kinematics and deformation mechanisms of fault and deformation bands cutting organic matter-rich siliciclastic rocks, and to assess the effect of organic matter on their sealing properties. This scientific question will be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach that includes: (i) hand-sample and microstructural investigations (optical microscope, cathodoluminescence and SEM) on samples previously collected from field locations in Denmark where peat and coal-bearing siliciclastic rocks are exposed; (ii) mineralogical and chemical characterization (XRPD, Raman) of both host rock and fault-related materials and (iii) porosity quantification of the samples by image analysis.
Through this Master’s project, the student will learn how to address a geological research question using a multidisciplinary approach and will gain hands-on experience with a range of versatile laboratory-based techniques widely applied in structural geology and reservoir characterization.
The student taking on this project will ideally have an interest in structural geology, field work and microscopy.
This masters project is part of the DEFCOAL project.
Field-, lab- and analysis work
Microstructural characterization of faulted and deformed samples from organic matter-rich siliciclastic reservoir rocks exposed in the outcrops in Denmark will form the core of the thesis’ work and will be complemented by mineralogical characterization of the host rock and fault/deformation band samples.
Proposed courses
