Rift basins are among the most common hydrocarbon and groundwater plays, and thus important to society. Successful exploration and production in rift basins requires a sound understanding of their three-dimensional architecture and their geological evolution through time.

During this Arctic Petroleum Field School we will visit the Billefjorden Trough, an excellently exposed rift basin in Svalbard. This Carboniferous half-graben hosts marginal sandstones as well as basinal carbonates, evaporites and shales. Several types of source-and reservoir rocks will be explored, as will be the influence of tectonic activity on depositional systems.

In addition to the excursions we will acquire and process photogrammetric data on selected outcrops to generate virtual outcrops. These virtual outcrop models will be integrated within industry-standard software for improved multi-scale characterization of the petroleum system elements.

Details:
Dates: 10-16. September 2018
Venue: Pyramiden and Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Application deadline Norwegian students: 1. August 2018
Application deadline for students at MoU universities : 15. August 2018
Application

Application

Application is open for PhD and Master students with relevant background. Information for booking flight tickets will be provided later. An application must include a brief motivation letter explaining how the course relates to your thesis and a supporting letter from your supervisor.

Tentative program

(Final program will be provided by mid-August. Likely to be adjusted due to weather conditions etc. during the field course)

10. September: arrival in Longyearbyen and introductory lectures at UNIS. Overnight stay in Longyearbyen
11. September: morning HSE briefing and lectures. Afternoon, departure for Pyramiden by boat. Overview of Pyramiden settlement and mountain. Overnight stay in Pyramiden
12. September: group excursion along the Billefjorden Fault Zone from Petuniabukta in north to Mimerbukta in south. Overnight stay in Pyramiden
13. September: acquisition of virtual outcrops in smaller groups. Processing of data in Pyramiden.  Overnight stay in Pyramiden
14. September: group excursion to dipslope of Billefjorden Trough, look at breccias, carbonates and influence of faults on sedimentation. Overnight stay in Pyramiden
15. September: acquisition of virtual outcrops in smaller groups. Processing of data in Pyramiden. Work on student presentations. Afternoon departure by boat to Longyearbyen. Overnight stay in Longyearbyen
16. September: morning – final student presentations. Afternoon – departure from Svalbard.

Practical information

NFiP will cover travel and accommodation cost for approved applicants according to further agreements. Accommodations for the course will be in double room occupancy.

Students need to pay for travel expenses, but will be reimbursed according to regulations provided in acceptance letters when submitting a travel report  upon completion of the course.

To receive reimbursement, all expenses need to be documented by receipts.

The Arctic field school is organised by Associate Prof Kim Senger (University Centre in Svalbard), PhD candidate Aleksandra Smyrak-Sikora (University Centre in Svalbard) and Associate Prof Sten-Andreas Grundvåg (University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway). Please contact kim.senger@unis.no or AleksandraAnna.Smyrak-Sikora@UNIS.no if you have any questions on the course. Students will be notified of the outcome of their application by mid-August.