Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience MSc at University of Liverpool

Petroleum geology (oil and gas geology) is a large sector which employs 1000s of graduates every year. Globally there is an increasing demand for skilled petroleum geoscientists who can provide the quantitative, reservoir-focused geoscience skills needed by the hydrocarbon industry to maximize the rate of production and optimize recovery (total oil/gas) from a field. This MSc reflects the slow change of emphasis from exploration to production geoscience in mature basins such as the North Sea and Europe's Atlantic Margin.

The MSc in Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience at Liverpool is unique in the UK and links in closely with oil and gas industry professionals to develop graduates with specific knowledge and focus on the reservoir side of Petroleum Geoscience. This new MSc develops Geology, Geophysics and general Geoscience knowledge and skills, giving you the opportunity to gain expertise and experience to prepare you for your future career.

This MSc will explore the basinal context of petroleum reservoirs and introduce you to petroleum economics and risk & uncertainty analysis.  You will gain in depth knowledge of how to define the shape, structure, stratigraphy and volume of reservoirs using remote sensing and geological models, as well as how to define rock properties with advanced seismic techniques.  You will work with petrophysical data acquired from wells, to develop your understanding of structure and stratigraphy of the reservoir and incorporate data from drill-core.

In addition, you will develop your knowledge of reservoir sedimentology, fluid geochemistry and dynamic data analysis and simulation to refine the geological model.  You will also use learn about using appropriate outcrop analogues and correlation techniques.

Outcrop studies and field work will include visits to rural and coastal locations around the UK (from northern Scotland to southern England) at sites where many of the reservoirs in the North Sea and other UK basins outcrop at the surface.

Guest lectures from world leading experts in academia and industry will be held throughout the course and give you the opportunity to incorporate the latest techniques, challenges and requirements for petroleum reservoir geoscience into your studies.

The 12-month course runs from September and consists of a taught component and a dissertation, totaling 180 credits.

The taught component represents 120 credits and is organised into two 12-week semesters with assessment or examinations at the end of each semester in January and May. The remaining 60 credits are allocated to the research project.

Assessment is by a combination of: examinations, coursework, teamwork, assessed field work and presentations and an individual dissertation. 

Career prospects

The MSc in Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience at Liverpool has been designed following detailed discussions with senior industry professionals in major oil and gas companies and with senior figures in some of the UK's largest consultancy companies who provide services to the oil and gas industry. Together, they have helped shape the MSc in order to provide successful graduates from this course with the maximum chance of obtaining well-paid, fulfilling careers.

Taken together, the course leader (programme director) and course teachers have wide experience of applied studies and research work joint with the oil and gas industry and are acknowledged leaders in their fields. They have worked with companies including: BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Statoil, Saudi Aramco, Petrobras, BG, Woodside, Nexen, Total, BHP, EnQuest, Taqa, Fairfield, CNR, Dana, as well as a range of companies that provide services to the oil industry. They have undertaken joint oil and gas industry projects in many parts of the world including: UK, Norway, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, USA, Canada, Brazil, Equador, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Morocco, the Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Russia, Indonesia, India, Columbia and the Philippines. This breadth of experience and contacts demonstrate the international relevance of this MSc.

It is expected that graduates from this MSc will be in high demand from the petroleum industry but its graduates may seek to continue their studies towards a PhD in this area.