Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Professor John Underhill (Shell Chair for Exploration Geoscience) and Dr Rachel Jamieson, for a period of one year. The position will be based within the Shell Centre for Exploration Geoscience. The successful appointee will be involved in the delivery of independent and collaborative seismic interpretation projects through:
• Tectono-stratigraphic analysis of the West of Shetlands Basin
• Seismic sequence stratigraphy, petroleum systems and basin analysis based upon the integration of multi-disciplinary geoscience datasets.
• The interpretation and integration of 2D and 3D seismic datasets, well information and gravity and magnetic datasets.
• Detailed tectonic analyses at both basin and individual structure scale through use of strategic seismic interpretation.
The position will focus on a semi-regional study of the West of Shetlands. The area has been a known petroleum province for decades but has proved difficult to develop due to a variety of factors including (but not limited to) a poor understanding of the tectonic history, stratigraphy and petroleum systems in the region. The drilling of new wells has challenged the previously accepted understanding of the basin with new petroleum systems being discovered in areas previously regarded as mature or non-prospective suggesting that the understanding of this basin is in need of revision.
Specific issues to be addressed will include but not be limited to;
• The tectonostratigraphy, particularly of Palaeocene sequences is poorly calibrated and constrained
• Uplift and erosion events have not been recognised (partly due to the above problem) and therefore have not been accounted for in basin models and in velocity models, both vital for definition of new areas of exploration interest.
• The structural evolution of the area, particularly fault patterns and their genesis and uplift/subsidence events have not been properly calibrated.
• The poorly understood petroleum system.
The overall aim of the post-doctoral post is to provide the basis to study and increase the understanding of the hydrocarbon charge generation, timing & migration in the region. This will be achieved through investigation of the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the basin to produce a framework for the key geological drivers, tectonic events and their timing, including but not limited to plate movements, continental breakup & volcanism.
A successful candidate will increase the understanding of the basin in question, making use of new data to develop and refine the understanding of the structural evolution, tectonostratigraphy and petroleum systems in the basin. Leading to the identification of future hydrocarbon potential.
Interpretations based on integrated industry datasets will be a major part of the project and the practise of new interpretation methods for these settings is expected. It is hoped that the successful candidate will spend part of the post-doctoral study working collaboratively with teams of geoscientists from Shell.
The postdoctoral appointee will also be expected to contribute to technical workshops and conferences as appropriate.
The candidate should hold a PhD degree in structural geology, petroleum systems, regional basin analysis or seismic sequence stratigraphy.
The post is available for 12 months
Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and ethnic minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts at Heriot-Watt.
For application details and further information please go to:
www.hw.ac.uk/apply-jobs Ref: IRC9775 Closing Date: 7th June 2017
