World-class training for the modern energy industry

Type: Virtual

Hydrogen Masterclass: Production, Geological Storage and Operational Engineering (G552)

Tutor(s)

Katriona Edlmann: Chancellor’s Fellow in Energy, The University of Edinburgh.

Overview

Future energy scenarios foresee a prominent and growing role for hydrogen. Demand is likely to rapidly exceed the capacity of typical above-ground energy storage technologies, necessitating the need for the geological storage of hydrogen in engineered hard rock caverns, solution mined salt caverns, depleted gas fields and saline aquifers. This course will firstly provide participants with an overview of the current hydrogen landscape, including its likely role in the energy transition, production and economic challenges. The course will then focus on the need for geological storage, introducing the geological storage options available for the secure storage and withdrawal of hydrogen from these different geological stores. The main body of the course will then explore the key considerations involved in geological hydrogen storage including hydrogen flow processes and thermodynamics, geomechanical responses to rapid injection and withdrawal cycles, geochemical and microbial interactions during storage, and the operational considerations and monitoring of hydrogen storage sites that may impact storage integrity, withdrawal rates and hydrogen purity.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 3-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises. 

Virtual version: Five 4-hour interactive online sessions presented over 5 days. Digital course notes and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some exercises may be completed by participants off-line.

Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is largely aimed at geoscientists, but engineers will also find the course instructive. Intended for sub-surface scientists, with an emphasis on geoscience topics. Participants will probably have a working knowledge of petroleum geoscience. However, the main subject matter of this course, the geoscience of hydrogen production and storage, is covered from basic principles.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Appreciate the role of geoscience in the hydrogen economy and the contribution hydrogen can make to the energy transition in support of Net Zero emission targets.
  2. Describe the different processes involved with hydrogen production and the associated lifecycle carbon intensity of this production.
  3. Recall details of the developing hydrogen supply chains, including infrastructure considerations, distribution networks and pathways for market growth.
  4. Describe the different geological storage options available and their capacity and spatial constraints.
  5. Understand hydrogen as a fluid in the subsurface, including its thermodynamic and transport properties.
  6. Characterize the geomechanical considerations for storage integrity and associated risks, including caprock sealing considerations.
  7. Appreciate the impact of geochemical and microbial interactions in subsurface hydrogen stores and the relevant monitoring and management tools.
  8. Describe the operational engineering considerations and monitoring of hydrogen storage sites.

Geothermal Energy: Resources, Projects and Business Aspects (G529)

Tutor(s)

David Townsend: CEO, TownRock Energy.

Overview

This course explores the key themes of geothermal energy from the fundamentals of what a geothermal resource is and what it can offer, through to project examples and the business case. The course will explore a variety of geothermal resource types and current EU-based project examples, in addition to environmental considerations, legislation and future innovations and emerging technologies.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 2-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Four 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 4 days. A paper by the course presenter will be distributed to participants before the course, and materials for an interactive cashflow modelling exercise will be distributed during the course.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is aimed at those individuals looking to transition to geothermal projects and/or who are new to the geothermal industry

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the basics of geothermal resources and their use and applications.
  2. Recall the fundamental characteristics of geothermal resources and reservoirs.
  3. Appreciate the European potential for geothermal projects and case studies representative of the current state of active projects, as well as some case studies of unsuccessful projects.
  4. Describe the fundamentals of a geothermal project business case, including identifying the relevant stakeholders, the project development timeline and the risks and mitigations.
  5. Assess the financial framework of a geothermal project and how to create a business model and de-risk these projects.
  6. Assess the potential environmental impacts of geothermal developments.
  7. Understand how emerging technologies can be included as part of a geothermal project and how these could rewrite the way geothermal business models are developed in the future.

Geoenergy Production, Injection and Storage Engineering (G546)

Tutor(s)

Gioia Falcone: Rankine Chair of Energy and Engineering, University of Glasgow.

Overview

This course covers fundamental aspects and best practices of production, injection and storage engineering for different geoenergy applications, where the subsurface is used as a source (hydrocarbons, geothermal energy), or as a periodic/seasonal store (natural gas, compressed air, hydrogen, thermal energy), or as a sink (CO2, radioactive waste). The course focuses on an integrated system approach, to ensure compatibility between subsurface and surface engineering processes, and to understand scalability of technologies that may play a pivotal role in the transition to a sustainable energy future.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 3-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Five 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 5 days. A digital manual will be distributed to participants before the course. Some reading is to be completed by participants off-line.

Level and Audience

Advanced. The course is intended for geoscientists, geoengineers, project managers and regulators wishing to learn how to design, manage and monitor integrated geoenergy systems, from the subsurface to the surface (and vice versa), including the associated uncertainties and risks.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Appreciate the different ways in which the subsurface can be exploited for different geoenergy applications.
  2. Bring together the different elements of a production/injection/storage geoenergy system towards integrated design and management.
  3. Identify the uncertainties and risks of different geoenergy projects over their lifetimes.
  4. Assess the impact of different operational requirements on overall system design and performance.
  5. Optimize system performance under constraints.

Systems to Classify, Categorise and Report Geological CO2 Storage Capacity (G542)

Tutor(s)

Bob Harrison: Director, Sustainable Ideas Ltd.

Overview

While large scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) implementation continues to be debated, when it happens, a subsurface carbon storage management system will be needed. Such a framework must be capable of describing objective estimates of CO2 storage with respect to quantity and quality of available data, give a range of uncertainty in the estimation and provide injection project status from cradle to grave. This course reviews the subsurface carbon storage frameworks that are currently on offer worldwide.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 1.5-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Three 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 3 days. Digital course notes and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course.

Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is intended for energy industry professionals, government regulatory bodies and energy sector investors.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Appreciate the requirement for an auditable carbon storage reporting system.
  2. Gain familiarity with the different systems to report geologic carbon sequestration.
  3. Understand the pros and cons and limitations of the reporting systems on offer.
  4. Appreciate the key uncertainties in storage capacity estimates and how they may alter over time with increasing knowledge and experience.
  5. Be aware of bias in reporting and how to mitigate against it.
  6. Understand the need for appropriate ‘project boundaries’ to allow project comparison.

Re-purposing Oil and Gas Infrastructure for the Energy Transition (G541)

Tutor(s)

Bob Harrison: Director, Sustainable Ideas Ltd.

Overview

Attaining net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require strategies to use existing and emerging low- or zero-carbon technologies. One potential opportunity is to repurpose existing hydrocarbon facilities to help meet net zero targets in the UK. This course investigates the technical challenges around this topic and examines whether integrating such infrastructure could lower costs and accelerate the energy transition while simultaneously postponing the decommissioning of ageing assets.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 2-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Four 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 4 days. Digital course notes and materials will be distributed before the course. The tutor will also work through a series of exercises with the group

Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is intended for professionals working in energy transition, those involved in energy policy and energy sector investors.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand how repurposing hydrocarbon infrastructure may aid energy transition.
  2. Appreciate how the handling of CO2, hydrogen and heat differs from oil and gas.
  3. Select sites for potential underground storage and sources of geothermal energy.
  4. Determine the suitability and availability of infrastructure for re-use.
  5. Evaluate the pros and cons of using captured CO2 for enhanced oil recovery rather than storage.
  6. Appreciate how repurposed wells and co-produced water may help potential geothermal development.
  7. Characterize risks and uncertainties in energy transition projects and discuss possible mitigation strategies.
  8. Estimate potential cost savings from hydrocarbon infrastructure re-use.

An Introduction to Climate Science (G523)

Tutor(s)

Chris Stokes: Professor, Department of Geography, Durham University.

Overview

This course provides an introduction to climate science, with a particular focus on the physical science of climate change across a range of timescales – past, present and future. The course will begin with an overview of the modern climate system, then examine the science of climate change, including the patterns and causes both in the past and at present. A particular focus will be on recent ‘global warming’ and some of the observed changes in the atmosphere and ocean, together with some of the most serious impacts of a warming planet. This will include observed changes in the cryosphere (glaciers, permafrost, sea ice) and associated sea level rise, but will also cover some of the human health impacts, including extreme weather events such as drought and heatwaves, and efforts to address the current climate ‘emergency’ (e.g. the Paris Climate Agreement). The course will end with a consideration of how climate science is communicated and the role of the media, including discussion of some of the major misconceptions / controversies around anthropogenic climate change.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 1.5-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises. 

Virtual version: Three 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 3 days. A course handbook and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some reading and exercises are to be completed by participants off-line and in preparation for sessions.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is intended for industry professionals and those interested in climate science from both the public and private sectors, or with a personal interest in understanding climate change. It is suitable for penultimate-year undergraduate university students and above.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the physical science underpinning past, present and future climate change, including the attribution of recent warming to human activities.
  2. Understand how and why global climate has changed and will change, and be able to assess uncertainties.
  3. Describe the key impacts of climate change on various physical systems (e.g. the oceans and cryosphere), the linkages between them and their relevance to human activities.
  4. Understand how climate change impacts extreme weather events and human health.
  5. Evaluate and interpret various climate and paleoclimate datasets, including future climate scenarios and their associated uncertainties.
  6. Critically evaluate the various misconceptions and controversies around ‘global warming’, including the role of the media and efforts to communicate climate science.
  7. Assess the effects and importance of mitigation scenarios (such as the Paris Climate Agreement) on global climate change and the role of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

Challenges for the Social and Economic Impact Assessment of GeoEnergy Transition Projects (G539)

Tutor(s)

Eddie Smyth: Director, Intersocial Ltd.

Alistair Donohew: Director, Kovia Consulting Ltd.

Overview

Geoenergy projects typically create social, environmental and economic effects, which can range from job creation to the resettlement of communities. Ideally all potential effects are considered during the siting and development of projects to optimize the overall impact. However, the way that projects are assessed can vary and this training will provide a comparative review of international and UK methodology and practice.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is aimed at post-graduate geoscientists, as well as regulators, consultants and developers. Impact assessment practitioners will also find the course instructive.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A half-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: One 3.5-hour interactive online session. Digital course notes and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some exercises may be completed by participants off-line and there will be links provided to useful additional and applied learning.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the physical, social, environmental and economic context of geoenergy projects.
  2. Understand the range of impacts of geoenergy projects and how they can be interrelated and how different groups and receptors can be affected by them.
  3. Explain impact assessment methodologies and how they can shape geoenergy project development and delivery.
  4. Describe the range of impact assessment practices at UK and international level.
  5. Explain clear challenges for geoenergy projects, as well as for those assessing them.

Carbon Capture and Storage: The Geoscience Fundamentals (G540)

Tutor(s)

Richard Worden: Professor in the Department of Earth Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK.

Overview

This course will provide participants with the fundamental geoscience concepts of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects; namely subsurface CO2 storage volumetrics, CO2 flow in the subsurface away from injector wells, the goal of safe and permanent storage of CO2 and cost-benefit issues linked to aquifer depth, well design, etc. The course is aimed at non-specialist staff so basic geoscience concepts will be explained throughout. The need for CCS will be laid out with evidence as to why geoscientists know it can be effective at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The course will deal with CO2 as a fluid phase and how much can be stored in the subsurface. It will deal with how quickly CO2 can be injected and the factors that influence injection rate. The range of consequences of injecting large volumes of CO2 into the subsurface will also be covered, including the risk of minor Earth tremors. The range of possible CO2 leakage mechanisms will be presented, and the course will conclude with a consideration of monitoring strategies and risk assessment approaches.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 1-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Two 4-hour interactive online sessions presented over 2 days. Digital course notes and simple exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some exercises may be completed by participants off-line if desired.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. Intended for a non-specialist audience (technical assistants, engineers, geoscience support staff) to raise awareness of the geoscience background to CCS – how it works, possible consequences of injecting large volumes of fluid into the deep subsurface, monitoring strategies and key risks associated with it. The geoscience subject matter is covered from basic principles to make it accessible to non-specialist staff. Basic numeracy will be assumed but most exercises will be based on spreadsheet-based calculations using prepared Excel files. There will be opportunities for discussion about key topics in breakout groups, with feedback to the class. Simple group exercises will be used to illustrate key points.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Appreciate why CCS is needed to cut global carbon emissions.
  2. Develop an understanding of the role of geoscience in CCS and the role of CCS in CO2 emissions reductions.
  3. Appreciate what CO2 injection projects have occurred so far and how they differ from industrial CCS planned in the UK.
  4. Understand how and why CCS works, including basic geological concepts about rocks, fluids in those rocks and the key physical properties of rocks involved in CCS projects.
  5. Understand CO2 as a fluid in the subsurface and how it differs from water, oil and natural gas.
  6. Build an appreciation of how much CO2 can be stored in both old (depleted) oil and gas fields and saline aquifers, and understand the benefits of depleted hydrocarbon fields vs saline aquifers.
  7. Develop a basic understanding of the flow properties of porous rocks and the rate at which CO2 can be injected through a well during CCS, including an appreciation of the role of heterogeneity on the success of CCS projects.
  8. Understand the range of detrimental and beneficial effects that CO2 can have on the host aquifer, from geomechanical to geochemical.
  9. Grasp the critical importance of the role of top-seal and fault-seal properties and how they influence CO2 storage, from risk of fracking, or induced seismicity, to mineral dissolution.
  10. Understand the ways that CO2 could escape from planned CCS sites.
  11. Develop an awareness of the range of monitoring strategies that could be employed to ensure safe and long-term storage of CO2.

Groundwater in a Geoenergy Context (G534)

Tutor(s)

Alistair Donohew: Director, Kovia Consulting Ltd.

Overview

This course examines all aspects of groundwater – from the geological features that affect it, to how it relates to GeoEnergy Transition projects and the wider context of groundwater regulations and management. It is a useful introduction to help access other advanced courses. The course will include some tasks that relate to the practical application of knowledge and formative assessment will be used throughout to allow participants to reflect and manage their learning.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 1.5-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Three 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 3 days. Digital course notes and exercise materials will be distributed before the course. Some exercises may be completed by participants off-line and there will be links provided to useful additional and applied learning.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is intended for sub-surface scientists, principally geoscientists, but some engineers will also find the course instructive. Participants should have a working knowledge of geoscience. However, the subject matter of this course, groundwater as it relates to GeoEnergy Transition projects, is covered from basic principles.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Explain key groundwater concepts.
  2. Evaluate potential factors controlling groundwater in different geological settings.
  3. Explain how groundwater is investigated and some of the limitations.
  4. Explain how groundwater is relevant and, in many cases, critical to geoenergy projects.
  5. Evaluate how different geological settings can affect the viability of different geoenergy projects.
  6. Describe how and why groundwater is regulated.
  7. Explain how risks to groundwater are assessed and managed.

Critical Resources – Rare Earth Elements (G530)

Tutor(s)

Holly Elliott: Minerals Geoscientist, British Geological Survey.

Overview

This course covers all aspects of rare earth elements (REE) as critical resources, both in terms of technological advancement and combating climate change. We shall delve into the major sources of these elements, their tectonic settings and the enrichment processes that lead to deposit formation. The characteristics of major REE deposits shall be investigated, using international case studies, to determine typical exploration methods and factors affecting processing.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 1.5-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.

Virtual version: Three 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 3 days. A digital manual and exercise materials will be distributed to participants before the course. Some reading and exercises are to be completed by participants off-line.

Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is intended for anyone with an intermediate knowledge of geological processes and exploration techniques.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the characteristics and behavior of REE in these geological environments.
  2. Understand the geological processes leading to formation of different deposit types.
  3. Understand and identify the multiple enrichment mechanisms that lead to REE-enrichment.
  4. Identify typical rocks and minerals associated with REE deposits.
  5. Evaluate typical features of REE deposits to determine appropriate exploration techniques.
  6. Interpret geochemical and exploration data associated with REE deposits.
  7. Assess the economic viability of deposits using typical characteristics.