Supervisors: Dr Sarah Davies (University of Leicester - UoL), Dr Mike Stephenson (British Geological Survey - BGS), Prof Melanie Leng (NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory)

See below for full supervisory list

I am interested in the processes behind the deposition of mudstones and their implications for gas generation: What is the variability of biological input and are there systematic changes in its distribution through the stratigraphy? What sedimentological processes and changes in palaeoenvironment were involved in the development of different lithofacies, and can we tie these to certain amount and types of organic matter?

The final aim of my project is to develop a predictive model relating biological input to shale gas prospectivity.

Research Significance

Organic-rich mudstone successions are increasingly targeted as prospects for shale gas. In Europe, where commercial extraction of shale gas might be realised in the near future, a variety of potential shale gas plays can be found in sedimentary basins. Both terrestrial and marine derived organic material can generate gas; but an understanding of the primary controls on concentration, distribution and composition of organic carbon in fine-grained sediments is essential to locate sedimentological 'sweet spots' in unconventional gas systems.

Study Area & Methods

My research focuses on Lower Namurian mudstones of Central England. These were deposited in a series of linked sub-basins in the southern part of the Central Pennine Basin and display a remarkable cyclic stratigraphy built up of fossil-rich marine bands and thick successions of fossil-barren clay-rich mudstones and calcareous or silty mudstones. This pattern is perceived to reflect changes in sea-level in the context of the Late Palaeozoic southern hemisphere glaciation. Similarly, the organic matter preserved in the mudstones is represented by a diverse mixture of plant debris derived from pro-delta turbidity currents and algae material generated in the water column.

In my investigations I use sedimentological core logging and optical imaging of thin sections to establish and interprete a scheme of different lithofacies. Stable carbon isotope geochemistry is used to delineate different sources of organic matter. In addition, normal transmitted light and flourescence microscopy is performed on palynological slides, in order to characterise palynofacies of the samples.

Different lithofacies display certain assemblages of organic material: (Top) pelleted shell-bearing calcareous mudstone is associated with diffuse, coherent particles of a granular variety of amorphous organic matter; (Bottom) sand- and plant debris-bearing mudstone contain much better defined organic constituents, consisting of large biostructured plant fragments and degraded plant material.

Papers & Presentations

'Investigation of the distribution and composition of organic matter in the Namurian Upper Bowland Shale - a potential UK gas Shale': Talk presented at British Sedimentological Research Group (BSRG) Annual General Meeting, December 18-20, Imperial College, London.

'Is it all about TOC? A Biological Approach to Shale Gas Prospectivity in the UK': Talk presented at Source Rocks: Character, Prediction and Value; Petroleum Group Conference, September 12-13, 2011, The Geological Society, London.

'Primary Controls on Organic Carbon Content in UK Upper Mississippian Gas Shales': Poster presented at AAPG Annual Convention & Exhibition, April 10-13, 2011, Houston, Texas. Click here for an electronic version of the presentation

'Primary Biological Controls on UK Lower Namurian Shale Gas Prospectivity: Understanding a Major Potential UK Unconventional Gas Resource': Poster presented at The Geology of Unconventional Gas Plays; Petroleum Group Conference, October 5-6, 2010, The Geological Society, London.

Published work include

A. Hartwig, S. Könitzer, B. Boucsein, B. Horsfield & H.-M. Schulz, 2010, Applying classical shale gas evaluation concepts to Germany—Part II: Carboniferous in Northeast Germany, Chemie der Erde 70, S3, 93–106

S. Bernard, B. Horsfield, H.-M. Schulz, A. Schreiber, R. Wirth, T. T. A. Vu, F. Perssen, S. Könitzer, H. Volk, N. Sherwood & D. Fuentes, 2010, Multi-scale detection of organic and inorganic signatures provides insights into gas shale properties and evolution, Chemie der Erde 70, S3, 119–133

Links

This project is part of the Borehole Research Group at Leicester.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me sven.koenitzer@le.ac.uk

Supervisors: Dr Sarah Davies (University of Leicester - UoL), Dr Mike Stephenson (British Geological Survey - BGS), Prof Melanie Leng (NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory), Dr Sarah Gabbott (UoL), Dr Lucia Angiolini (Universita degli Studi di Milano, Italy), Dr Joe Macquaker (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada), Dr Christopher Vane (BGS), Dr David Millward (BGS) & Dr Ian Kane (Statoil Research Centre, Norway)