PhD position on Quantitative constraints on pre-production reservoir stresses in Groningen (1.0 FTE, 4 years)
PhD position on Quantitative constraints on pre-production reservoir stresses in Groningen (1.0 FTE, 4 years)
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Job description
The Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University is currently seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to work on the research project "Quantitative constraints on pre-production reservoir stresses in Groningen". This project was selected for funding by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in the context of the DeepNL research programme, which aims to improve the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the deep subsurface under the influence of human interventions.
An interdisciplinary team involving Rob Govers (Tectonophysics) and Douwe van Hinsbergen (Global Tectonics & Paleogeography) from Utrecht University, and Wouter van der Wal (Glacial Isostatic Adjustment) from Technical University Delft seeks a PhD student to work in a collaborative programme on estimating natural stresses in the gas reservoir of Groningen (Netherlands). The Groningen gas field ranks amongst the 10 largest in the world. About 50% of the gas was produced, in some years at high rates, during the first three decades without inducing seismicity. The year 1991 was a tipping point as induced earthquakes started to occur in the reservoir at increasing numbers and magnitudes, and the events continue today. Understanding this tipping point is important. Was the magnitude of natural stress in the rock low, and did it take 30 years of production to increase the stresses to a level where they exceeded the strength of the faults? Or, alternatively, where the natural stresses in the rock high, and did it take 30 years before the pre-existing fault where rebroken, and are they weaker now? The evolution of post-production seismicity hinges on answering these questions, which is why we aim to constrain the natural stresses before 1960.
Natural stresses are the consequence of tectonic processes and may also have a footprint of the last ice age. Physically consistent models of the entire Eurasian plate will allow us to estimate the tectonic forces and to identify mechanically weak and strong sub-regions that result in the intraplate stress field. Finite element model estimates of stress and velocities will be compared with stress and GPS observations. We will use Bayesian methods to estimate the likely range of the direction and magnitude of natural stress in Groningen from the models and the observations. Possible stress contributions will be assessed from separate models of glacial isostatic adjustment after the melting of the Fennoscandian and British-Irish ice sheets. The geologically rapid tectonic reorganisation of Mediterranean plate boundaries will be another source of stress in the Netherlands that we intend to investigate. If successful, we expect this new type of models and workflow to drive innovation in other contexts also (e.g., geothermal energy and tectonic studies).
You will be expected to publish the results in papers in top journals. You will work in the international Tectonophysics team, led by Govers, of PhD students and a Model Support Technician. Up to 10% of your time will be dedicated to assisting in the BSc and MSc teaching programmes of the Department of Earth Sciences. A personalised training programme will be set up and mutually agreed upon recruitment, which will reflect your training needs and career objectives.
An interdisciplinary team involving Rob Govers (Tectonophysics) and Douwe van Hinsbergen (Global Tectonics & Paleogeography) from Utrecht University, and Wouter van der Wal (Glacial Isostatic Adjustment) from Technical University Delft seeks a PhD student to work in a collaborative programme on estimating natural stresses in the gas reservoir of Groningen (Netherlands). The Groningen gas field ranks amongst the 10 largest in the world. About 50% of the gas was produced, in some years at high rates, during the first three decades without inducing seismicity. The year 1991 was a tipping point as induced earthquakes started to occur in the reservoir at increasing numbers and magnitudes, and the events continue today. Understanding this tipping point is important. Was the magnitude of natural stress in the rock low, and did it take 30 years of production to increase the stresses to a level where they exceeded the strength of the faults? Or, alternatively, where the natural stresses in the rock high, and did it take 30 years before the pre-existing fault where rebroken, and are they weaker now? The evolution of post-production seismicity hinges on answering these questions, which is why we aim to constrain the natural stresses before 1960.
Natural stresses are the consequence of tectonic processes and may also have a footprint of the last ice age. Physically consistent models of the entire Eurasian plate will allow us to estimate the tectonic forces and to identify mechanically weak and strong sub-regions that result in the intraplate stress field. Finite element model estimates of stress and velocities will be compared with stress and GPS observations. We will use Bayesian methods to estimate the likely range of the direction and magnitude of natural stress in Groningen from the models and the observations. Possible stress contributions will be assessed from separate models of glacial isostatic adjustment after the melting of the Fennoscandian and British-Irish ice sheets. The geologically rapid tectonic reorganisation of Mediterranean plate boundaries will be another source of stress in the Netherlands that we intend to investigate. If successful, we expect this new type of models and workflow to drive innovation in other contexts also (e.g., geothermal energy and tectonic studies).
You will be expected to publish the results in papers in top journals. You will work in the international Tectonophysics team, led by Govers, of PhD students and a Model Support Technician. Up to 10% of your time will be dedicated to assisting in the BSc and MSc teaching programmes of the Department of Earth Sciences. A personalised training programme will be set up and mutually agreed upon recruitment, which will reflect your training needs and career objectives.
Specifications
- 36—40 hours per week
- €2395—€3061 per month
- Utrecht View on Google Maps
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Utrecht University
Requirements
You are an enthusiastic graduate student holding an MSc degree in a relevant field for the position. In particular:
• you have a relevant background in continuum mechanics and physical earth sciences;
• you have ample experience with numerical models, and ideally with finite element methods;
• you are expected to be intimately familiar with Linux-like systems, and to be fluent in at least one modern computer language (Python, C, C++, or Fortran);
• you have the ambition to excel in research.
It is essential that you are willing and able to interact in a multidisciplinary team. Important accessory qualifications include positive social/verbal/communication skills, determination, willingness to travel abroad, eagerness to develop multidisciplinary skills, and ability to share and explain results to other researchers (also from other disciplines). You should have excellent written and spoken English skills.
• you have a relevant background in continuum mechanics and physical earth sciences;
• you have ample experience with numerical models, and ideally with finite element methods;
• you are expected to be intimately familiar with Linux-like systems, and to be fluent in at least one modern computer language (Python, C, C++, or Fortran);
• you have the ambition to excel in research.
It is essential that you are willing and able to interact in a multidisciplinary team. Important accessory qualifications include positive social/verbal/communication skills, determination, willingness to travel abroad, eagerness to develop multidisciplinary skills, and ability to share and explain results to other researchers (also from other disciplines). You should have excellent written and spoken English skills.
Conditions of employment
You will be offered a full-time PhD position, initially for one year with extension to four years in total upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period.
The gross salary starts with €2,395 per month in the first year and increases to €3,061 per month in the fourth year of employment (scale P according to the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities) for a full-time employment.
Besides that, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. Utrecht University also has an appealing package of terms of employment, including the choice for a good balance between work and private (a good arrangement for leave, among other things), possibilities for development and an excellent pension scheme. More information on working at Utrecht University can be found here.
The gross salary starts with €2,395 per month in the first year and increases to €3,061 per month in the fourth year of employment (scale P according to the Collective Employment Agreement of the Dutch Universities) for a full-time employment.
Besides that, you will receive a holiday allowance of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. Utrecht University also has an appealing package of terms of employment, including the choice for a good balance between work and private (a good arrangement for leave, among other things), possibilities for development and an excellent pension scheme. More information on working at Utrecht University can be found here.
Employer
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.
Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the Faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.
The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 45 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Our research programme spans four intertwined themes: Climate & Life, Earth interior, Earth materials, and Environmental Earth Sciences. We have access to or house a wide variety of world-class laboratories and infrastructures.
Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth's core to its surface, including man's spatial and material utilisation of the Earth - always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the Faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.
The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 45 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Our research programme spans four intertwined themes: Climate & Life, Earth interior, Earth materials, and Environmental Earth Sciences. We have access to or house a wide variety of world-class laboratories and infrastructures.
