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  6. GL5069: Borehole Geophysics and Petrophysics

GL5069: BOREHOLE GEOPHYSICS AND PETROPHYSICS (2025-2026)

Last modified: 06 Aug 2025 10:16


Course Overview

By the end of this course, the student should:

  •  Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement (Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy).
  • Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Rachel Brackenridge
  • Dr Nicholas Schofield

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The Course aims are:

  • To provide sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical training for the student to be capable of working independently on a wide range of petrophysics and borehole geophysics analysis tasks in industry.
  • To make the student aware of the physical and chemical properties of rocks as an aid to describing subsurface geology.
  • To introduce the major techniques for downhole logging, covering the principles by which each works, the information obtained, and the reliability of that information.

The main learning outcomes are:

  1. Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
  2. Know how these are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes. Calculate in-situ reserves (STOIIP/STOOIP), estimate moveable fraction (recoverable, Reserves)
  3. Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
  4. Understand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
  5. Understand how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.

Content of the courses:


Petrophysics and borehole geophysics: all standard wireline log tools, log suites, lithologic determination from cross plots, computerised log analysis, DST, RFT and pressure testing

  • Lectures (petrophysics) 35 hours
  • Image log workshop 15 hours

Teaching style:

Teaching is by a mixture of lectures, labs and tutorials organised into three hour blocks.

Assessment:

Most class exercises are formative with instant feedback. There are one summative in course assessment and an examination. The summative CA elements are:

  • Open book petrophysics test (50%)
  • One examination paper (50%)

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2025 for 1st Term courses and 19 December 2025 for 2nd Term courses.

Summative Assessments

Petrophysics Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks 19 Feedback Weeks 24

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

1.5-hour Petrophysics Exam.

Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include:

  • Total CGS mark
  • Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail)
  • Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question.
  • Overall feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
ProceduralAnalyseKnow how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
ProceduralEvaluateKnow how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.

Petrophysics Practical Class Test

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks 11 Feedback Weeks 11

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include:

  • Total CGS mark
  • Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail)
  • Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question.
  • Overall feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
ProceduralAnalyseKnow how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
ProceduralEvaluateKnow how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Exam - Multiple Choice Questions

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks 24 Feedback Weeks 25

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include:

  • Total CGS mark
  • Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail)
  • Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question.
  • Overall feedback
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
ProceduralEvaluateKnow how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
ProceduralAnalyseKnow how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
 

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