28.9.2013

Active Volcanoes field Trip

Today we returned from our one-week field trip climbing the volcanoes of the Aeolian Islands Vulcano, Lipari and Stromboli and Mt. Etna. We measured the temperatures and gas emissions of CO2, H2S and SO2 in the field, and discussed the formation of of volcanoes related to plate tectonics and geochemistry, as well as mineral dissolutions and precipitations.

19.9.2013

Visit of CEMEX quarry

We are delighted to present our results on rock alterations and rock parameters at CEMEX near Osnabrueck. Data can be used for the improvement of reservoir exploarations, as well as mining aspects. We are looking forward for continuing collaboration.

18.9.2013

Presentation at Geofluids Conference

Today Reservoir-Petrology RPR contributed with two oral presentations and one poster to the Geologische Vereinigung GV & Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft DMG Annual Meeting "Geofluids: Lubricants of the Earth" in Tuebingen. Patrick Wuestefeld (RPR) presented ongoing work on "Structural Diagenesis in an Upper Carboniferous Tight Gas Sands Reservoir Analogue, Piesberg Quarry, NW-Germany", with co-authors M. Höhne, P. Steindorf, B. Koehrer, P. Bertier, K. Schurk, C. Hilgers. Stephan Becker (RPR) followed with research on "Reservoir Quality in the A2C-Stringer interval of the late Neoproterozoic Ara-Group of the South Oman Salt Basin: Diagenetic relationships in space and time" with co-authors Lars Reuning, Peter A. Kukla, Steffen Abe, Shiyuan Li, Janos L. Urai, Suleiman Farqani, Gideon Lopes Cardozo, Zuwena Rawahi. Benjamin Busch (RPR) presented the poster by Annett Hufe (now with Wintershall), Benjamin Busch, Helge Stanjek, Christoph Hilgers on "Diffusion-controlled cementation experiments of salts in porous rock analogs using transparent microreactors".

14.9.2013

SW-England Reservoir-Geology Field Seminar

Today all students returned home from our Reservoir-Geology field seminar in SW-England. Starting eastwards along the Bristol Channel, and crossing England westwards along the Bristish Channel, we studied and correlated siliciclastic Rotliegend and fractured carbonate reservoir rocks, Kimmeridge and other oil shales, as well as Cretaceous at Lulworth. Oil sands and and oil dripping from the cliffs were sampled for further analyses of our Organic Geochemistry course with Prof. Jan Schwarzbauer. Many thanks to Benni and Gunnar for bringing students home safely and the continuous support during the field classes.

16.7.2013

15. Aachener Altlasten- und Berschadenkundliches Kolloqium ABK

A colloqium will be presented on July 16th 2013 at RWTH Aachen University on "Fracking and no end" in the frame of the 15. Aachener Altlasten- und Berschadenkundliches Kolloqium ABK. Various experts from different disciplines will present aspects such as: authorities view, different techniques, legal challenges, dialog process, and implications for research. Registration until 1.7.2013 per fax at GDMB Gesellschaft für Metallurgen und Bergleute e.V., more informations at www.abk.gdmb.de Reservoir-Petrology contributes with colleagues on the Directions of future research on fracking

Am 16. Juli 2013 findet das 15. Aachener Altlasten- und Berschadenkundliches Kolloqium ABK zum Thema "Fracking und kein Ende" an der RWTH Aachen statt. Dabei werden von Referenten unterschiedlichster Fachdisziplinen folgende Aspekte präsentiert: Behördliche Sicht, die unterschiedlichen Verfahren, rechtliche Herausforderungen, der Dialogprozess und Implikationen für die Forschung. Die Anmeldung erfolgt per Fax bei der GDMB Gesellschaft für Metallurgen und Bergleute e.V. bis zum 1.7.2013 entgegen genommen, weitere Informationen unter www.abk.gdmb.de. Die Reservoir-Petrologie trägt mit dem Thema Beitrag zukünftiger Forschung zum Thema Fracking bei.

5.7.2013

Faculty's teaching award to Christoph Hilgers

Today the faculty's teaching award was granted to Christoph Hilgers for his excellence of his lectures and field seminars.  In his laudatio, the Dean educ. Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider cited from the student council's recommendation letter and students comments on the evaluation sheets: "... he puts a high workload on us and expects a lot ... due to the integrated approach, I had to apply all what I learned before ... I never learned more in such short time .. he thinks that there's only Reservoir-Geology .... when we repeated the course content in the field, I understood ... field trips are quite different compared to others, visiting not more than 3 exposures a day, students are splitted up in teams and guided to discover and explore ...". Chris likes to thank the nomination committee of the Faculty for Georesrouces and Materials Engineering for being granted the award, and the students for their support.

6.6.2013

Geological Survey NRW

Today we discuss and exchange ideas on Upper Carboniferous rocks with the state's geological survey in Krefeld, NRW. Siliciclastic Upper Carboniferous rocks comprise hard coal and organic rich shales, as well as tight sandstones, and thus a huge potential of unconventional reservoirs. The Aachen-Wurm Revier is one of the world's oldest subsurface coal mine areas, with first records dated more than 900 years ago.

27.5.2013

visit of Harun at RPR

Today Harun Cekir, currently at Wintershall, visited RPR, comparing with Mareen the alteration and diagenesis of Upper Carboniferous siliciclastic rocks from surface exposures near Osnabrück and subsurface well data. Exposed rocks a generally alterated and expose a higher porosity than those located at depth. Thus, core data from wells are required to better predict subsurface processes.

19.-25.5.2013

Scotland 2013

Our 2nd year EMR BSc students went on their compulsory field trip to Scotland. After a short introduction to the Glen Coe Caldera, fault intrusion and volcanism, Ballachulish pluton and contact metamorphism, as well as Kerrera Island's Dalaradian rocks, we mapped the area around Kinlochleven. Our trip started with a stormy night in Glen Coe, followed by sunshine at 15 deg C and a first sunstroke. Overnight the munros (3000 ft = 914 m) and the smaller mountains in the regions were covered with snow, and camping was frosty. However, we climbed up and down the mountains, followed by late evenings of follow-up lectures and discussions. After some hail and horizontal rain conditions became better and everyone returned home safely a tan and nice geological map. Luckily, there were hardly any midgies this year.

1.-3.5.2013

Visiting Azerbaijan

Following Azerbaijan's state oil company visiting our EMR group at RWTH Aachen University, Chris visited Azerbaijan's capital Baku and gave a presentation at the National Academy of Sciences, followed by talks with representatives of the National Academy, as well as the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy and the oil industry. Located on the silk way, the thriving country on the Caspian sea is the oldest place of hydrocarbon usage, where Zoroastrians worshipped fire and used gas seeps as sacred places. Active mudvolcanoes form impressive hills and produce enormous volumes of liquified muds from depth.

16.4.2013

EERA

We kindly thank Kris Piessens, Belgian Geological Survey in Brussels,for his invitation and discussions on joint research in the Euregio on shale gas. Shales are quite complex rocks and their structural diagenesis is yet poorly understood. By joining up expertise we aim to better understand these interesting rocks.

22.3.2013

Presentation on Structural Diagenesis

Chris presented the outcome of Mareen's and Philipp's excellent work today at Wintershall. Upper Carboniferous siliciclastic rocks expose a significant heterogeneity of the pore space in fluvial sedimentary bodies, which were studied in detail from pore- to reservoir scale.

11.3.2013

Presentation on flow barriers in reservoir rocks

We presented our first results on sedimentary and structural flow barriers in Mesozoic eolian sandstones in Hamburg today. Fluid flow in sedimentary rocks might be affected by sedimentary settings and structural phenomena, leading to sealing of the rock fabric. Thanks to Rebecca's and Benni's excellent work and presentation we contribute to the predictibility of reservoir compartments.

19.3.2013

lecture on pump storage plants - PSPs

Today at 7pm Prof. Dr. Holger Schüttrumpf, RWTH Aachen University - Institut für Wasserbau und Wasserwirtschaft will give a presentation on pump storage plants PSP “Pumpspeicherwerke in der Region Niederrhein - Grundlagen, Stand, Potentiale” within the lecture series of Energy Hills e.V.. The interim storage of "green" energy is among the main issues to be addressed in the near future.

21.2.2013

upcoming DRT conference in Leuven, Belgium

Please note the 18th DRT conference Deformation, Rheology, Tectonics in Leuven, Belgium from September 16th-18th 2013 in Leuven, Belgium, and the relating website here. We are happy to support the conference manager Manuel Sintubin.

Abstract submission – 31 May 2013, Early bird registration – 30 June 2013, conference - 16-18 September 2013

7.2.2013

RPR at DGMK conference 2013

RPR contributions were accepted as oral and poster presentations at the annual DGMK conference (Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Erdöl, Erdgas und Kohle e.V.) in Celle in April 2013. The conference's topic is on Best Practices - Erwartungen an neue E&P Technologien .

20.2.2013

Invited talk in Bochum on Oman

Chris presented some insight on beautiful Oman, entitled "Weihrauch, Wüste, Wadis  - Oman: Ein geologisches Wunderland auf dem Weg in die Neuzeit" at the Gesellschaft für Geographie und Geologie in Bochum e.V.. Cultural as well as geological aspects were addressed, exposing the beauty of the country. Oman exposes the Jabal Akdhar anticline and Jabal Shams mountains, an almost 3000m peak formed during Alpine orogeny and closure of the Thetys ocean. Carbonate reservoirs in Meszoic rocks, carbonate stringers, piercing salt domes, the Wahiba Sands desert and the obducted Semail ophilithe are just a few of many geological wonders of the Sultante.

21.1.2013

We now have WLan

We now can provide WLan to our students on the 5th floor with kind support of the Center for Computing and Communication of RWTH Aachen University.

23.12.2012

Merry Christmas

The EMR-Group wishes a merry christmas to our partners, colleagues and friends, and a happy and successful 2013.

23.12.2012

Merry Christmas

The RPR team thanks our partners, colleagues and friends for our excellent and fruitful collaboration and wishes a merry xmas, and a happy and successful 2013.