My Research

My PhD research at the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Geneva, aims to study the sedimentology and architecture of late Carboniferous, coal-bearing, fluvio-deltaic deposits successions in South-Eastern Kentucky (USA) as reservoir analogue of some similar the oil & gas reservoirs in NW Europe, Russia and US. The focus of my study is on the Pikeville and Hyden Formations which offer exceptionally well exposed outcrops along impressive roadcuts. Those two formations accumulated in a foreland basin, in a shallow epicontinental foredeep basin formed to the West of the ancient Appalachian orogen. The basin is bounded by the Pine Mountain trust fault toward the East and the Cincinnati Arch toward the West. Different types of sedimentary facies thave been observed: low- to high-sinuosity river channel fill sandstone, coastal plain deposits and estuarine to deltaic deposits associated with brackish and marine shales. Whilethe depositional environment is generally dominated by fluvial processes, estuarine and deltaic deposits show a strong tidal influence.

The goal of my study is to build multi scale detailed 3D reservoir models using sedimentary facies, geometry distribution of individual depositional architectural elements (channel fill, crevasse splay, overbank deposits, floodplain vs marine shale, channel-fill clinoforms etc.) based both on outcrops and cores. The geological models will be corroborated by detailed analysis of porosity-permeability and rock texture and composition (rock-typing) using also the QEMSCAN technology. In addition coal and gas well data from the Kentucky Geological Survey data base. This integrated and multi-facet approach will allow me to get an insight of the 3D architectures and geometry of the sand bodies and reconstruct the sedimentary processes and behaviour of low-gradient fluvio-deltaic systems e.g. interaction between erosion/incision surfaces and depositional bodies.

This study is financed by Total SA and is carried out in collaboration with the Kentucky Geological Survey, Lexinghton (Kentucky, US).

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Sequence stratigraphy
• Rock-typing
• Reservoir characterisation
• Fluvial geology
• Modelling

Lecturer assistant

• Structural Geology
• General Geology