GEOLOGY 3515 - Energy Resources III

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2025

This course covers the processes and systems that control the formation and storage of energy resources (e.g. water, hydrogen, heat (geothermal) and hydrocarbons) in sedimentary basins. This course will examine the formation of different types of sedimentary basins, the geological settings and climates that control the sediments and structures we observe within them and the burial and uplift histories of basins, all of which set up the present-day setting where energy resources can be stored naturally or anthropogenically (e.g. CO2 injection for storage). Thus, this course draws upon sedimentary, structural and igneous geology, stratigraphy, geochemistry and geodynamics. The course introduces stratigraphic, geophysical and geochemical techniques that can be applied to the detection and mapping of energy resources and location for storage of CO2. Practical work emphasises the integration of different types of data at a regional scale to understand the geology of a basin and its potential for energy resources and storage at all scales from small to large.

Open All

Course Details

Course Code	GEOLOGY 3515
Course	Energy Resources III
Coordinating Unit	Earth Sciences
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
Assumed Knowledge	GEOLOGY 1103 and GEOLOGY 2500 and GEOLOGY 2501

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Rosalind King

This course will be taught by course coordinator A/Prof. Ros King, A/Prof. Kathryn Amos and Dr Mark Bunch.

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Schedule
Week	Module	Lecture	Practical	Assessment
Week 1	Basins	Tectonics of Basins Basin Formation and Development Tute - Basins (assessed)	Basin Structure	Tute Exercieses
Week 2		Basin Fill Stratigraphy Tute - Basin Fill	Flume Tank Stratigraphy
Week 3		Sequence Stratigraphy I Sequence Stratigraphy II	PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Week 4		Biostratigraphy Integrated Stratigraphic Analysis Tute - Stratigraphy (assessed)	Stratigraphic Interpretation (Core Library)	Tute Exercises
Week 5		Sediment sources, provenance, geochemistry Diagenesis, uplift history, overpressure and heat flow Tute - Basin Analysis	Provanance of Sediments
Week 6		Hydrogeology (fluid dynamics) Petrophysics I	Oral Exams Session	Oral Exam
Week 7		Petrophysics II Tute - Petrophysics Reflection	Rock Properties from Borehole Logs
Week 8		Fault and Fracture Networks Geothermal and Nuclear Energy Tute - Geothermal	Migration Superhighways
Week 9		Hydrocarbons I Hydrocarbons II Tute - Hydrocarbons	Hydrocarbons
Week 10		CO2 Sequestration Hydrodynamics Tute - CO2 Systems	CO2 Sequestration
Week 11		Hydrogen Storage Hydrogen Storage Tute - Hydrogen Storage	Hydrogen Storage
Week 12		No Lectures	Future of energy in Australia & Poster Prep
Week 13			Poster Session	Poster Presentation

Course Learning Outcomes

Successful students in this course should be able to:

1	Demonstrate proficiency in practical skills to identify energy resources
2	Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamentals of the formation of sedimentary basins and evaluate and interpret the processes leading to the storage of energy systems
3	Use and evaluate the appropriate strategies and methods for exploration of energy resources and potential storage and the scientific approaches being applied to exploration, production and storage
4	Integrate data of varied type (stratigraphic, geochemical, geophysical) to analyse the potential of an energy resource
5	Demonstrate understanding of the position of the energy industry (e.g. water, CO2 sequestration, hydrogen, geothermal, hydrocarbons) in the Australian economy
6	Demonstrate knowledge of the geological characteristics of the geology of Australian energy resources

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1, 2, 3, 4 and 6
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	1, 4
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	4, 5, 6
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	5, 6
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	5, 6
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Students will receive a detailed packet of course notes and a digital copy of all slideshows from lectures. These will be readily available on MyUni.

While not compulsory, a laptop or tablet will be useful for some practical sessions.

Online Learning

Additional course-related material is available through MyUni. We use it often. Students should regularly check the MyUni website for important course-related announcements. Teaching materials, reminders and course documentation will also be posted on this site. This information will be sent to your 成人大片 email accounts so ake sure you check them regularly.
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course consists of:
- 1 x 5-hour COMPULSORY practical session per week from weeks 1 to 13 (excluding the public holidays).
- 2 x 1-hour lecture sessions per week from weeks 1 to 12 (excluding the public holidays).
Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., practical and lectures), as well as non-contact time (e.g., completion of tasks, reading and revision).

For this course there are 7 hours of contact time in class, therefore, you are expected to spend an additional 5 hours on non-contact time finishing practicals (where appropriate), revising and completing additional readings.

Learning Activities Summary

See course timetable above

Specific Course Requirements

Attendenance at ALL practical sessions is COMPULSORY.
Absences must be approved by the Course Coordinator via the form on My Uni and appropriate documents.
Failure to attend these practicals may result in failure of the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
2x tute exercise sets	Formative and summative	Weeks 1 and 4	10% (5% each)	2, 6
Oral Exam	Formative and summative	Week 6	20%	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Poster Presentation	Summative	Week 13	30%	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Final Exam	Summative	Exam Period	40%	2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Assessment Related Requirements

Attendance at practicals is compulsory. The learning outcomes for this course are substantially dependent on
this hands-on experience and practice. Therefore, missing any practical class in the semester without an allowed absence will result in a grade of FAIL being recorded for the course. Students are able to apply for an allowed absence to the Course Coordinator.

Assessment Detail

Tute Exercise Sets (10%)
In class tutes held during the second lecture slot each week will review content from the weeks lectures and practical. A set of practical exercises will be provided to examine a students knowledge and understanding of the subject at that point and will be used to guide the tutorial and future lecture content. They should also be used to focus a student in their revision. The exercises will include a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions, quick calculations, photo, map or log interpreation. Exercise sets from weeks 1 and 4 will be examined.

Oral Exam (20%)
This exam will cover aspects of energy resources and associated datasets for content provided in weeks 1 to 5 of lectures and practcials. The exam will involve a short (~15mins) discussion between the student and two members of teaching staff. The student will be assessed on their understanding of the content. These will be held at an allocated time during the week 6 practical session.

Poster Session (30%)
Each student will prepare and present a poster on their chosen topic. It will be presented in the week 13 practical session.

Final Exam (40%)
An exam is set at the end of the course to ensure summative knowledge of the course material.

Submission

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the
assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

成人大片