Master Project Example - Characterization of fluid flow along the Brae Field (North Sea)

Rift basins are an important environment where migration and accumulation of natural resources such as hydrocarbons and gas can occur, as well as a relevant target for geothermal energy production and CO2 storage. Within rift basins, a recurrent structural setting is the juxtaposition of rift-related clastic deposits in the hanging wall of basin-bounding normal faults against a crystalline basement. Here, trapping of fluids/gases can happen, and reservoirs can be found, contained by fault sealing due to smearing, development of low-permeability fault rocks and/or mineralization and fault-controlled diagenesis. Whereas a large amount of research has been done on the first two fault sealing processes, less attention has been focused on the latter, with only a handful of studies documenting fault-controlled diagenesis and fluid flow. Therefore, due to the large relevance that these normal faults exert on controlling fluid flow at the basin boundary, it is important to understand their mechanical and petrophysical evolution during the slip history, with particular regards to porosity/permeability changes within the fault zone and in the surrounding rocks.

Project description

This project aims to characterize the fluid flow history within the Brae Field, one of the many prolific hydrocarbon fields located in the South Viking Graben (North Sea). A series of already sampled cores will be studied through a multidisciplinary approach that includes microanalytical characterization of veins and cements (optical microscope, cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscope) and clumped isotope analysis to uncover the paragenesis and temperature of palaeofluids.

Based on the student's interest and work, there will be the possibility to include U-Pb dating of selected samples in the project.

During this Master's project the student will learn how to tackle a research question with a multidisciplinary approach and learn a series of versatile and relevant microanalytical techniques.

Proposed course plan during the master's degree (60 ECTS)
GEOV261 - Basin analysis and subsurface interpretation (10 ECTS)
GEOV342 - The Geochemical Toolbox (10 ECTS)
GEOV352 - Field course in reservoir geology (5 ECTS)
GEOV360 - Advanced clastic sedimentology (10 ECTS)
GEOV300 - Scientific writing and communication in Earth Science (5 ECTS)
GEOV361 - Sequence Stratigraphy and Source-to-Sink (10 ECTS)
GEOV364 - Advanced basin analysis (5 ECTS)
GEOV345 - Regional geologic excursion to Western Norway (5 ECTS)

Prerequisites
The student will ideally have an interest in (optical) microscopy, structural geology and sedimentology. Knowledge/interest of regional geology in the North Sea and Norwegian Continental Shelf will be an advantage.

Field-, lab- and analysis work
This thesis will be based on extensive laboratory analysis (microscopy, clumped isotopes and/or U-Pb dating) and will include visits to core facilities for further sampling.

 

The project is funded through FAUST2 - Fault diagenesis, fluid flow and seal along basin bounding faults in the Mesozoic rift basins of the North Atlantic region

Supervisors

Matteo Demurtas (main supervisor)

Atle Rotevatn, UiB-GEO

Ian Sharp, Equinor

Last updated: 12.12.2025