A fully-funded studentship is offered at the University of Leicester
Integrated Sedimentology and Isotope Geochemistry of a World-Class Source Rock in the Black Sea
Prof Sarah Davies, Dr Sarah Gabbott (University of Leicester), Dr Rachel
Flecker (University of Bristol), Dr Stephen Vincent (University of
Cambridge) and Prof Wout Krijgsman (University of Utrecht)
This PhD will involve fieldwork and the use of state of the art
facilities at Leicester and Bristol universities. The student will also
work closely with the CASE-Partner, CASP at their offices in
Cambridge.The PhD will provide experience that supports careers in both
academia and industry.
To find out more information about the project and instructions on how to apply:-
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/geology/pgstudy/studentships/davies_a_2014
Closing date for applications: 9th July, 2014.
NERC Oil and Gas CDT PhD Studentship: Lower Jurassic
Source Rocks in Germany/Netherlands or Mudrock Petrography Using
Advanced Electron Beam Techniques
One PhD studentship in the NERC Centre for Doctoral Training in Oil
& Gas is available at the University of Exeter Penryn Campus. The
fully funded studentship will be awarded for one of two possible
projects: Lower Jurassic Source Rocks in Germany/Netherlands or Mudrock
Petrography Using Advanced Electron Beam Techniques.
Project 1. Lower Jurassic Source Rocks in Germany/Netherlands.
Secondary supervisor: Dr Stuart Robinson (University of Oxford)
The pattern of Early Jurassic ‘black shale events’ that relate to
global perturbations to the carbon cycle is becoming quite well known
for the Early Jurassic, where several such events have been described
from NW Europe basins and elsewhere. What is much less well known is
how these black shale events relate to regional or global sea-level
changes, and the effects of basinal tectonics and palaeogeography on
organic matter enrichment and quality within individual basins.
This project take takes advantage of extensive industry core and
geophysical data from the Lias of Germany and the Netherlands. The
student will integrate the available data and set the black shale
occurrences within an overall framework of basin evolution to determine
the fundamental controls on local organic enrichment. Detailed
chemostratigraphic, petrological (SEM, EDS), and organic geochemical
studies will be undertaken, in addition to working with wire-line log
and seismic reflection datasets, in order to arrive at an interpretation
across the complete range of observational scales.
The student will be part of a larger team of industry-funded
researchers working on diverse aspects of mudrock science, both at the
Oxford and Exeter, and will benefit from access to state-of-the art
analytical and imaging facilities at both institutions.
Project 2. Mudrock Petrography Using Advanced Electron Beam Techniques.
Secondary supervisor: Dr Ian Bailey
Textural and compositional characterisation of mudrocks is of
considerable importance in understanding conventional and unconventional
source rocks and cap rocks. However, existing methodologies all have
limitations. Whilst whole rock mineralogy is determinable through XRD
there is a lack of textural data. Microscopy allows textural
characterisation, yet determining the mineralogy may be impossible.
Manual SEM and TEM studies typically only derive datasets for very small
areas. Advances in automated SEM-EDS analysis are challenging some of
these limitations. New software algorithms allow very detailed
mineralogy to be automatically mapped, whilst in parallel capturing
textural data. By integrating automated mineralogy and backscatter
image, mapping the distribution of organic components will also be
achievable.
In this studentship, the primary aim will be to test the application of
advanced automated SEM-EDS analysis in the characterisation of mudrock
mineralogy and texture. Initially synthetic standards will be created
to allow instrument calibration and reproducibility to be measured.
Then suites of mudrocks with different source areas, diagenetic
pathways, burial histories, and maturation characteristics will be
quantified, and the data obtained through automated mineralogy compared
with traditional methodologies. The studentship will result in the
development of these new instrumental approaches to characterising
mudrocks. This will be highly original work at the forefront of new
instrument development and will result in international journal
publications. The project will be undertaken with significant
scientific input from Duncan Pirrie (Helford Geoscience LLP).
Contact for informal enquiries: Professor Stephen Hesselbo (s.p.hesselbo@exeter.ac.uk) Tel. 
01326 253651
Application criteria: You should have or expect to
achieve at least a 1st Class Honours degree, or 2:1 MSci degree or
equivalent, in Earth Sciences or related discipline
Further details:
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=1494
