The 2013-2014 European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers Student Lecture Tour (EAGE SLT) Middle East included Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus in its schedule. This Middle East tour was the seventh in EAGE SLT's history, and first in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On January 23rd, 2014, Dr Bjorn Wygrala (Schlumberger) delivered his 'Basin and Petroleum Systems Modelling: Technology and Applications for Petroleum Exploration Risk and Resource Assessments' lecture to Heriot-Watt Dubai Campus Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering and MSc Petroleum Engineering students and staff members. Also in attendance were students from UAE Petroleum Institute.
The main goal of this lecture is to give the audience a feeling for issues that have to be addressed as well as the scale, costs, and risks of the operations and of the investments and decisions that have to be made.
The lecture opened with an initial overview of the oil and gas industry basin and petroleum systems modelling experience in the Middle East.
From this he expanded upon the complexities considered for conventional modelling and the different approaches needed for unconventional extraction.
Dr Wygrala commented "The main goal of this lecture is to give the audience a feeling for issues that have to be addressed as well as the scale, costs, and risks of the operations and of the investments and decisions that have to be made."
His description of the practical techniques to quantify uncertainty in reservoir engineering and management provided the students a with a tool kit to help them tackle any field development project.
Student feedback was enthusiastic; some have been inspired to use their individual research projects to explore the issues raised in the lecture.
In addition some recently put their knowledge to the test against peers by taking part in a quiz on Sedimentary Rocks. The winner, to be announced, will receive the prize of an expenses covered registration to one of the biggest Regional Conferences in 2014.
The EAGE SLT Middle East is sponsored by the EAGE Student Fund and Schlumberger.