GL5069: Borehole Geophysics and Petrophysics

GL5069: BOREHOLE GEOPHYSICS AND PETROPHYSICS (2026-2027)

Last modified: 22 Jul 2026 13:41

Course Overview

By the end of this course, the student should:

Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement (Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy).
Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.

Course Details

Study Type	Postgraduate	Level	5
Term	First Term	Credit Points	15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr Rachel Brackenridge Dr Nicholas Schofield

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

The Course aims are:

To provide sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical training for the student to be capable of working independently on a wide range of petrophysics and borehole geophysics analysis tasks in industry.
To make the student aware of the physical and chemical properties of rocks as an aid to describing subsurface geology.
To introduce the major techniques for downhole logging, covering the principles by which each works, the information obtained, and the reliability of that information.

The main learning outcomes are:

Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
Know how these are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes. Calculate in-situ reserves (STOIIP/STOOIP), estimate moveable fraction (recoverable, Reserves)
Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
Understand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
Understand how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.

Content of the courses:

Petrophysics and borehole geophysics: all standard wireline log tools, log suites, lithologic determination from cross plots, computerised log analysis, DST, RFT and pressure testing

Lectures (petrophysics) 35 hours
Image log workshop 15 hours

Teaching style:

Teaching is by a mixture of lectures, labs and tutorials organised into three hour blocks.

Assessment:

Most class exercises are formative with instant feedback. There are one summative in course assessment and an examination. The summative CA elements are:

Open book petrophysics test (50%)
One examination paper (50%)

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 21st September 2026 for Term 1 and Full Year courses and 8th January 2027 for Term 2 courses.

Summative Assessments

Petrophysics Class Test

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	30
Assessment Weeks	11	Feedback Weeks	11	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Petrophysics Class Test worth 30% of the overall grade. Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include: Total CGS mark Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail) Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question. Overall feedback

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
Procedural	Analyse	Know how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
Procedural	Evaluate	Know how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.

Petrophysics Open Book Exam

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	70
Assessment Weeks	19	Feedback Weeks	24	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	1.5-hour Petrophysics Open Book Exam worth 70% of the overall grade. Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include: Total CGS mark Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail) Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question. Overall feedback

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
Procedural	Analyse	Know how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
Procedural	Evaluate	Know how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Exam - Multiple Choice Questions

Assessment Type	Summative	Weighting	100
Assessment Weeks	24	Feedback Weeks	25	Look up Week Numbers
Feedback	Standardized feedback will be provided through feedback sheets and will include: Total CGS mark Ranking (excellent, very good, good, pass, fail) Individual mark for each question with brief specific feedback on each question. Overall feedback

Learning Outcomes

Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on or with the Course Coordinator
Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the Petrophysical rock properties that affect fluid storage and movement Porosity, Permeability, Saturation, Mineralogy.
Procedural	Evaluate	Know how petrophysical properties are assessed in order to compute hydrocarbon volumes.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the primary wireline and LWD logging tools: Measurement, Fundamental physical principles, and applications.
Procedural	Analyse	Know how to interpret image logs for structural and sedimentary information, and its integration with other data.
Conceptual	Understand	Understand the measurement principles and applications of image logs.

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