Postgraduate Engineering 2017-2018

With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleted reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations. An awareness of the laboratory assessment of the effectiveness and environmental impact of different enhanced oil recovery methods is provided. The recovery of heavy oils is discussed. Throughout the course, examples are drawn from real life case studies.

The aim of this course is to introduce the student to the issues to be considered when conceiving the design of offshore jacket structures. Key concepts covered include strength and fatigue design, environmental loading, foundation design and fabrication and installation

This course is delivered by Distance Learning, where the students will access the teaching content via the web. The course tutor will be contactable on the on-line forum, as well as via email.

This course provides an introduction to the behaviour of the thin-walled stiffened plate structures that are found in the Oil and Gas Industry.  The small deflection and large deflection theories (including elasto-plastic effects) are presented for a wide range of in-plane and out-of-plane load actions.  A key feature is to explain how these behaviours are represented in Design Codes of Practice.

The course serves as the entrance to the field of safety and reliability engineering with the introduction of the basic concepts and tools of safety and risk management. Legal frames related to engineering safety are also introduced.

Contents include: Fundamentals of safety engineering; natural and man-made hazards; safety measures; accident and failure statistics; fundamentals of risk management; risk assessment techniques; classical reliability theory; modelling of engineering systems as series and parallel systems; redundancy; fault trees and event trees; availability and maintainability; UK safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act and its historical, offshore and other regulations.

The aim of this course is to get an understanding of applied probability and statistics. Students will be able to handle variables of a random nature, deal with parameters of different distributions and data of scattering nature.

Hydrocarbon fires and explosions produce extreme loading on engineering components. Structural steels lose their strength and stiffness well below the temperatures associated with hydrocarbon fires. Safety-critical elements must be designed to withstand both these temperatures and the blast overpressures that result from hydrocarbon explosions. Simple models are used to assess the loading that results from fires and explosions. Structural elements are analysed to illustrate the design procedures that are required to prevent escalation and to design against major accident scenarios.

This course is to develop a broad understanding about the basic concepts in electrical engineering and power systems with emphasis on electrical systems used in conjunction with renewable power generation techniques.

The course provides an understanding of the flow of hydrocarbon fluids through reservoir rocks and the interplay between the fluid and rock properties and reservoir performance.

The purpose of this course is to explain the behaviour of steelwork connections and how this is translated into a wide range of design tools.

The fundamental concept is one of force paths, and how this applies to a wide range of different types of connections  is the key feature of this course.

The course is assessed by four coursework assignments.  Although the first two are standard designs, the third and fourth assignment are both for a very non-standard detail which requires fundamental thinking about connection behaviour, and about the practical constraints that need to be accommodated

The course aims to provide understanding of main principles and techniques underpinning computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combining numerical methods with practical experience using appropriate software. The course develops a foundation for understanding, developing and analysing successful simulations of fluid flows applicable to a broad range of applications.

Need for understanding structural dynamics in modern offshore engineering and beyond arises from the fact that structures are often subjected to dynamic loads such as waves, wind, earthquake, blast and impacts. The structural engineer must therefore be able to understand and quantify dynamic loads and their effects in design and analysis. This course explains structural dynamics starting from the underlying first principles, through more advanced concepts and methods (including analytical and numerical), to practical applications to offshore structures. Theoretical concepts are illustrated by worked examples and numerous tutorial problems and assignments will enable students to gain confidence in their use.

This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of well fluids and reservoir testing and the implications for reservoir characterisation and field development. The theory of reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard analysis techniques are explored using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.

Hydrocarbon fires and explosions produce extreme loading on structures. The purpose of this course is to develop the ability to design structural components to operate effectively in fire and blast loading scenarios in order to promote safety.  Fundamental principles and concepts are covered to provide the essential physical understanding of a structure’s behaviour at high temperatures or under dynamic loading. Simple models are used to assess the loading that results from fires and explosions. Industrial standards and design guidelines are explained.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the students’ own choice, offering the student the opportunity of putting their acquired knowledge in to a practical application. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertations on a problem within their own organisations and demonstrate how the project management techniques that they have covered can be put in to practice. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme.

With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleting reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and gas and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations.  

This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored.

The course provides an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models.

The course provides an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models.

This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of well fluids and reservoir testing and the implications for reservoir characterisation and field development. The theory of reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard analysis techniques are explored using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.

The course provides an understanding of the flow of hydrocarbon fluids through reservoir rocks and the interplay between the fluid and rock properties and reservoir performance.

This course provides students with an understanding of the engineering science and principles that underpin the drilling of oil and gas well, production technologies, design methodologies, as well as associated safety and environmental considerations.

This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored.

With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleting reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and gas and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations.  

This course will equip students with the required knowledge of offshore and subsea oil and gas production systems, and to enable them to gain an appreciation of the infrastructure and facilities that need to be removed during decommissioning.

The course provides an understanding of the flow of hydrocarbon fluids through reservoir rocks and the interplay between the fluid and rock properties and reservoir performance.

The purpose of this course is to explain the behaviour of steelwork connections and how this is translated into a wide range of design tools.

The fundamental concept is one of force paths, and how this applies to a wide range of different types of connections  is the key feature of this course.

The course is assessed by four coursework assignments.  Although the first two are standard designs, the third and fourth assignment are both for a very non-standard detail which requires fundamental thinking about connection behaviour, and about the practical constraints that need to be accommodated

The course introduces concepts involved in offshore brownfield structural engineering, including case studies and design examples for small, medium and large projects, as well as an overview of  lifting guidance, structural integrity management and offshore survey information.

Emphasis will be placed on good detailing and clarity of presentation of design calculations.

Students will access the teaching content via MyAberdeen and the course tutor will answer queries and provide guidance through an on-line forum.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the students’ own choice, offering the student the opportunity of putting their acquired knowledge in to a practical application. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertations on a problem within their own organisations and demonstrate how the project management techniques that they have covered can be put in to practice. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme.

This course builds on the re-framing approach to organisational life by considering whether a project manager should be a structural, symbolic, political or HR leader.  The main academic content surrounds theories of leadership, and that of groups and teams, and is designed for students to reflect on their leadership and leadership development.

Gives an overall picture of project management and introduces students to the main subject areas which make up this area of study. Emphasis is placed on practical skills, including writing and presentation. Students are given an overview of project management terms and definitions.  Introduction to project budgeting in the context of company finance is addressed and the area of risk management (including probability, risk attitudes and risk analysis methods) introduced. Introduction to the important area of safety management as well as an introduction to managing project teams. Topics are covered in greater depth at a later stage of the course

This course introduces students to the problems of organisational life.  The organizing concept for this course is the re-framing situations  whereby students will learn to understand work / business situations through four lenses (organisational structure, organisational culture, power & politics, and HR).  

This course examines the full life cycle of biomass and bioenergy industries including resources, technologies, environmental and sustainable issues, and challenges facing the use and application of these forms of energy in the energy mix.

This course begins with basic concepts in electrical engineering such as voltage, current, circuit elements, waveforms, frequency, complex notation and phasor diagrams. This is followed by study of vital equipments such as transformers, generators, and power converters. As a case study, application of this knowledge to wind farms, from turbines to grid connection will be considered.

This course examines the solar and geothermal energy industries including resources, technologies, practical implementation, development, barriers, environmental and sustainable issues. Some case studies are investigated for solar and geothermal energy projects. Students will carry out a design project to enhance their intellectual ability and transferable skills.

This course builds on the re-framing approach to organisational life by considering whether a project manager should be a structural, symbolic, political or HR leader.  The main academic content surrounds theories of leadership, and that of groups and teams, and is designed for students to reflect on their leadership and leadership development.

This course comprises two elements, Quality Systems and Risk Management. In the Quality Systems element students are introduced to the principles behind modern quality systems, and business process management. Statutory standards are investigated and discussed e.g. ISO9000, EFQM. The roles of statistics and statistical control in both quality and risk are addressed. The risk management element discusses in detail various qualitative techniques commonly used in industry and investigates how quantitative methods can be put into practice. Its importance in the area of project management is discussed in a holistic way, with practical examples of how this works in industry.

The aim of this course is to get an understanding of applied probability and statistics. Students will be able to handle variables of a random nature, deal with parameters of different distributions and data of scattering nature.

This course comprises two elements, Quality Systems and Risk Management. In the Quality Systems element students are introduced to the principles behind modern quality systems, and business process management. Statutory standards are investigated and discussed e.g. ISO9000, EFQM. The roles of statistics and statistical control in both quality and risk are addressed. The risk management element discusses in detail various qualitative techniques commonly used in industry and investigates how quantitative methods can be put into practice. Its importance in the area of project management is discussed in a holistic way, with practical examples of how this works in industry.

The course provides an introduction to project management and is aimed at students who expect to be working in a project related environment or are considering a potential move into project management.

The course covers a number of key aspects of project management from the project managers perspective and so whilst it does cover areas such as planning and estimating it is NOT intended to prepare students for such roles.

Students are expected to apply their learning by completing a piece of group project work.

Hydrocarbon fires and explosions produce extreme loading on engineering components. Structural steels lose their strength and stiffness well below the temperatures associated with hydrocarbon fires. Safety-critical elements must be designed to withstand both these temperatures and the blast overpressures that result from hydrocarbon explosions. Simple models are used to assess the loading that results from fires and explosions. Structural elements are analysed to illustrate the design procedures that are required to prevent escalation and to design against major accident scenarios.

This module aims to introduce the students to the principle roles, functions and the legal obligations of managers.  We will discuss the differences between managing small and large organisations.  In addition, the course discusses the development and the management of the economy of geographical regions (Macro-economics). 

Emphasis will be placed on the leadership and management behaviours and qualities.  Throughout we will refer to topical cases to illustrate the good practices within organisations.

On completion the students should be able to critically analyse the strategy organisations, identify reasons for business failures and develop a business plan for a new venture.

This module aims to introduce the students to the principle roles, functions and the legal obligations of managers.  We will discuss the differences between managing small and large organisations.  In addition, the course discusses the development and the management of the economy of geographical regions (Macro-economics). 

Emphasis will be placed on the leadership and management behaviours and qualities.  Throughout we will refer to topical cases to illustrate the good practices within organisations.

On completion the students should be able to critically analyse the strategy organisations, identify reasons for business failures and develop a business plan for a new venture.

The course provides an introduction to project management and is aimed at students who expect to be working in a project related environment or are considering a potential move into project management.

The course covers a number of key aspects of project management from the project managers perspective and so whilst it does cover areas such as planning and estimating it is NOT intended to prepare students for such roles.

Students are expected to apply their learning by completing a piece of group project work.

The course introduces concepts involved in offshore brownfield structural engineering, including case studies and design examples for small, medium and large projects, as well as an overview of  lifting guidance, structural integrity management and offshore survey information.

Emphasis will be placed on good detailing and clarity of presentation of design calculations.

This course is delivered by Distance Learning only for students studying for the MSc Oil & Gas Structural Engineering. Students will access the teaching content via MyAberdeen and the course tutor will answer queries and provide guidance through an on-line forum.

The aim of the course is to give students a theoretical and practical understanding of the main technologies and unit operations involved in upstream oil and gas processing. The key aspects of process safety are also covered to provide the basis for developing safe and operable systems.

This course introduces the key concepts and components that form the subsea control system. A subsea control engineer must be comfortable in dealing with a multitude of engineering concepts at the basic level. Subsequently, this course borrows from concepts in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, civil and structural engineering and hydraulics to name a few. The course tends to give a high-level systemic introduction of the various fundamental aspects necessary for a well-operating subsea control system.

This course is for students studying MSc Subsea Engineering. The aim is to provide knowledge of materials engineering and selection, and failure and degradation issues in a subsea environment, including life cycle analysis; to provide knowledge for understanding and applying the relevant design standards and selection guidelines; and to provide a detailed understanding related to fault finding and integrity management. Fundamental studies are combined with industry applications.

·         Principles of materials selection

·         Materials and component qualification: design standards and testing/acceptance regimes

·         Degradation processes – corrosion, erosion, stress corrosion

·         Failure processes – fracture and fatigue

·         Inspection techniques

·         Integrity management procedures

This course introduces the key concepts and components that form the subsea control system. A subsea control engineer must be comfortable in dealing with a multitude of engineering concepts at the basic level. Subsequently, this course borrows from concepts in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, civil and structural engineering and hydraulics to name a few. The course tends to give a high-level systemic introduction of the various fundamental aspects necessary for a well-operating subsea control system.

This course is for students studying MSc Subsea Engineering. The aim is to provide knowledge of materials engineering and selection, and failure and degradation issues in a subsea environment, including life cycle analysis; to provide knowledge for understanding and applying the relevant design standards and selection guidelines; and to provide a detailed understanding related to fault finding and integrity management. Fundamental studies are combined with industry applications.

·         Principles of materials selection

·         Materials and component qualification: design standards and testing/acceptance regimes

·         Degradation processes – corrosion, erosion, stress corrosion

·         Failure processes – fracture and fatigue

·         Inspection techniques

·         Integrity management procedures

This course is to provide an understanding of the issues as well as the uses applications and conversion technologies of biomass and bioenergy.

This course is to provide an understanding of generation from solar and geothermal sources, the associated technologies and the main technical challenges.

The course is in two parts, Portfolio Management and Programme Management.

The course teaches the Portfolio Management Process providing students with the knowledge and tools to understand why project selection, strategically aligned to corporate objectives, with the optimum mix of risk v reward is vital for an organisation’s success.

It further teaches all areas of Programme Management which helps an organisation to provide a framework for the co-ordination, management and control of all projects and business as usual activities that deliver benefits or outcomes from change.

The course is in two parts, Portfolio Management and Programme Management.

The course teaches the Portfolio Management Process providing students with the knowledge and tools to understand why project selection, strategically aligned to corporate objectives, with the optimum mix of risk v reward is vital for an organisation’s success.

It further teaches all areas of Programme Management which helps an organisation to provide a framework for the co-ordination, management and control of all projects and business as usual activities that deliver benefits or outcomes from change.

This course will equip students with the required knowledge of offshore and subsea oil and gas production systems, and to enable them to gain an appreciation of the infrastructure and facilities that need to be removed during decommissioning.

The course serves as the entrance to the field of safety and reliability engineering with the introduction of the basic concepts and tools of safety and risk management. Legal frames related to engineering safety are also introduced.

Contents include: Fundamentals of safety engineering; natural and man-made hazards; safety measures; accident and failure statistics; fundamentals of risk management; risk assessment techniques; classical reliability theory; modelling of engineering systems as series and parallel systems; redundancy; fault trees and event trees; availability and maintainability; UK safety legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act and its historical, offshore and other regulations.

Historical safety/loss trends set the context for the topic. Major process hazards are reviewed with the accident process.  Legislative frameworks utilised by industry are presented, highlighting differences between regions.

Hazard management systems and supporting safety analysis techniques are presented.  These include: HAZID; LOPA; HAZOP; Event Trees; FMEA.  ALARP is presented and reinforced by example.

Management measures to prevent major accidents (Major Accident Prevention Policies, MAPP; Safety Management Systems, SMS) and the role of the legislator are presented.

Candidates analyse major accidents and use the taught material to identify barriers which failed and establish underlying causes of accidents.

The nature of fires & explosions is covered with basic models describing their characteristics. Thermal radiation is reviewed & modelled.  Source & dispersion models for single and multi-phase systems are presented.  Models for low temperatures generated on blowdown/expansion are presented.  Fluid flow in networks is analysed focussing on fire water systems and flare/blowdown networks.  Toxicity & dispersion are reviewed and extended.

Loss of containment statistics are reviewed with critical plant & equipment.  Industry codes and standards are reviewed.  The key area of HP/LP interfaces is covered.  Gas blowby examples & case studies are presented.  Identification and quantification of loss of containment scenarios are presented and analysed.

This course provides students with an understanding of the engineering science and principles that underpin the drilling of oil and gas well, production technologies, design methodologies, as well as associated safety and environmental considerations.

Course provides a detailed understanding of the techniques used for installation, inspection, and maintenance of subsea systems, including seabed hardware, pipelines and risers, and the implications of such techniques for the design of subsea components and systems.

The module will provide detailed knowledge on various techniques and trends in the installation, inspection and maintenance of subsea equipment, especially pipeline and riser systems and principal components.  It will provide engineers with a sufficiently broad awareness of techniques used throughout offshore operations to give an appreciation and understanding of system limitations and appropriate applications for different subsea environments

Course provides a detailed understanding of the techniques used for installation, inspection, and maintenance of subsea systems, including seabed hardware, pipelines and risers, and the implications of such techniques for the design of subsea components and systems.

The module will provide detailed knowledge on various techniques and trends in the installation, inspection and maintenance of subsea equipment, especially pipeline and riser systems and principal components.  It will provide engineers with a sufficiently broad awareness of techniques used throughout offshore operations to give an appreciation and understanding of system limitations and appropriate applications for different subsea environments

The need for understanding dynamics in modern structural engineering arises from the fact that structures are often subjected to dynamic loads such as waves, wind, earthquake, blast and impacts. The structural engineer must therefore be able to understand and quantify dynamic loads and their effects. This course reviews the fundamentals of structural dynamics and explains more advanced concepts and methods (including analytical and numerical), as well as their applications to practical design and analysis problems. The theoretical concepts are illustrated by worked examples and numerous tutorial problems and assignments will enable students to gain confidence in their use.

The aim of this course is to understand and be able to carry out probabilistic modelling of uncertainty in engineering components and systems. Students will be able to obtain a good knowledge and understanding on random variables in probabilistic analysis and be able to carry out approximation and numerical schemes on components and systems.

The need for structural reliability analysis in modern offshore engineering arises from the imperative to control and manage risk of failure. However, to be able to do so it is first necessary to measure and quantify the risk. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to structural reliability starting from the underlying principles of statistics and probability, through structural reliability concepts and methods, to practical applications to complex offshore structural systems. The theoretical concepts are amply illustrated by worked examples and numerous tutorial problems and assignments will enable students to gain confidence in their use.

This course is designed for students to develop skills in the Structural Engineering of Jacket Attachments, with the key emphasis on structural clamps.

The course introduces the concepts involved in the design of Jacket Attachments, mainly structural clamps. It offers a range of design specifications, case studies and worked examples.  Emphasis is placed on good detailing and clarity of presentation of design calculations.  Design guidance is drawn from a wide range of bespoke industry practice, and serves to represent the range of approaches to the complex design of structural clamps.

The aim of this course is to understand and be able to carry out probabilistic modelling of uncertainty in engineering components and systems. Students will be able to obtain a good knowledge and understanding on random variables in probabilistic analysis and be able to carry out approximation and numerical schemes on components and systems.

Risk assessment, the common tools used for (and the legal requirement associated with) risk assessment are covered. Students will have a thorough understanding on the components of good assessment and management of risks, and be familiar with the basic requirement for HAZID, HAZOP, SIL, QRA and the Safety Case.

This course is to provide an understanding of the need to and the efficiency behind conversion of energy from one form to another and the need to store energy in distinct forms, while minimising energy losses.

This course is to provide an insight into the legislation, planning and the economics framework which shape UK, European and international energy provisions from conventional and renewable sources.

This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of well fluids and reservoir testing and the implications for reservoir characterisation and field development. The theory of reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard analysis techniques are explored using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.

Offshore oil and gas structural Engineering course covering the conceptual design of topsides modules. Emphasis is placed on the variety of loading conditions, such as in-place analysis, load out, lift, and installation. Course covers manual calculations and drafting and offers worked examples.  Requires structural engineering background (e.g. truss analysis, member design) and the use of code checks.

The course provides an understanding of the flow of hydrocarbon fluids through reservoir rocks and the interplay between the fluid and rock properties and reservoir performance.

This course provides students with an understanding of the engineering science and principles that underpin the drilling of oil and gas well, production technologies, design methodologies, as well as associated safety and environmental considerations.

This course is for students studying for MSc Oil & Gas Structural Engineering and can be taken by MSc Safety & Reliability Engineering for Oil & Gas students as an optional course .

This course deals with fatigue and fracture mechanics and its application to structural design and assessment. It encompasses theoretical background, but the emphasis will be on practical application.

This course is delivered by Distance Learning, where the students will access the teaching content via the web in 4 blocks at 3 week intervals. The course tutor will have scheduled times of delivery on the on-line forum. 

This course includes three key components where chemistry is fundamental to upstream and downstream oil and gas transport and processing. In this course, you will learn about general pipeline flow assurance, and risks related to the chemistries of waxes, resins, asphaltenes, gas hydrates and scales. Chemical strategies for managing flow assurance are discussed. Processes involved in converting oil to valuable fuels and chemicals are investigated. These include: distillation, coking, cracking, hydrotreatment and reforming. Natural gas utilisation including transport, processing and conversion to upgraded products is also covered, to give an overview of chemistry in the oil and gas industry.

This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored.

The course provides an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models.

With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleting reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and gas and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations.  

The course provides an understanding of the flow of hydrocarbon fluids through reservoir rocks and the interplay between the fluid and rock properties and reservoir performance.

This course provides students with an understanding of the engineering science and principles that underpin the drilling of oil and gas well, production technologies, design methodologies, as well as associated safety and environmental considerations.

This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored.

With growing demand on energy, there is increasing need to maximise the production of oil and gas, especially from depleting reservoirs. This course examines the methods and processes of enhanced recovery of oil and gas and provides students with the knowledge and understanding required to develop, acquire and safely integrate enhanced oil recovery technologies into field development plan and field operations.  

The course provides an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models.

This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of well fluids and reservoir testing and the implications for reservoir characterisation and field development. The theory of reservoir pressure testing is introduced, testing methods examined and some of the standard analysis techniques are explored using both “hand calculations” and industry standard software.

This course offers the student the opportunity to put acquired technical knowledge and skills into practical application through independent and individual project work.

This course includes three key components where chemistry is fundamental to upstream and downstream oil and gas transport and processing. In this course, you will learn about general pipeline flow assurance, and risks related to the chemistries of waxes, resins, asphaltenes, gas hydrates and scales. Chemical strategies for managing flow assurance are discussed. Processes involved in converting oil to valuable fuels and chemicals are investigated. These include: distillation, coking, cracking, hydrotreatment and reforming. Natural gas utilisation including transport, processing and conversion to upgraded products is also covered, to give an overview of chemistry in the oil and gas industry.

Smooth petroleum production requires an understanding of all technical disciplines in facility design and their deliverables as well as of specific new technologies. Competent facilities engineering is needed from concept selection to commissioning and maintenance.

Facilities engineering course focuses on equipment and systems from the well head to the delivery point of the oil and gas industry. This includes not only the processing of the oil and gas but the support systems which might include water treatment, power generation and pollution abatement. 

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting or a study related to the Energy industry. They should demonstrate how the knowledge they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice to provide solutions towards addressing the problems. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme. 

Offshore oil and gas structural Engineering course covering the conceptual design of topsides modules. Emphasis is placed on the variety of loading conditions, such as in-place analysis, load out, lift, and installation. Course covers manual calculations and drafting and offers worked examples.  Requires structural engineering background (e.g. truss analysis, member design) and the use of code checks.

This course is aimed at students who wish to develop a detailed understanding of project management and control practices.  Very practical in its focus and assessments, students are introduced to the core elements of project planning and control including the development of detailed project schedules and budgets, the effective planning of project resources, methods for reporting progress, and mechanisms for exerting project control.  This course is delivered as a part time distance learning option.

This course gives an introduction to basic accounting and finance concepts, with particular emphasis on their application to Project Management.

The course addresses three main sets of topics:

·         Financial accounting, financial reporting, and accounts interpretation

·         Management accounting, with particular emphasis on project accounting issues

·         Project appraisal, using discounted cash flows and related techniques

It also considers the relationships between these and the organisational and behavioural context in which they are relevant.

The students are required to undertake a significant research project in small groups on a topic which will be relevant to industry. Both campus and distance learning students are expected to submit a group report of approximately 20,000 words.

This module builds on the certificate phase and aims to enhance the students’ understanding and knowledge of the many disciplines that comprise project. 

Course is delivered as a part-time option for on-campus and distance learning.   The students are required to co-ordinate their effort and contributions from each member of their small team. 

Campus & Distance Learning – Written Project Report (100%). 

This course builds on the re-framing approach to organisational life by considering whether a project manager should be a structural, symbolic, political or HR leader.  The main academic content surrounds theories of leadership, and that of groups and teams, and is designed for students to reflect on their leadership and leadership development.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the students’ own choice, offering the student the opportunity of putting their acquired knowledge in to a practical application. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertations on a problem within their own organisations and demonstrate how the project management techniques that they have covered can be put in to practice. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme.

Risk assessment, the common tools used for (and the legal requirement associated with) risk assessment are covered. Students will have a thorough understanding on the components of good assessment and management of risks, and be familiar with the basic requirement for HAZID, HAZOP, SIL, QRA and the Safety Case.

Smooth petroleum production requires an understanding of all technical disciplines in facility design and their deliverables as well as of specific new technologies. Competent facilities engineering is needed from concept selection to commissioning and maintenance.

Facilities engineering course focuses on equipment and systems from the well head to the delivery point of the oil and gas industry. This includes not only the processing of the oil and gas but the support systems which might include water treatment, power generation and pollution abatement. 

This module is constructed around the project stage gate process which it covers in some depth. It begins with a discussion of project management and what constitutes project success. It then goes on to explore aspects of the project lifecycle including the importance of good framing, Option identification and selection, project execution and finally operation and review.

In the oil and gas industry, Petrochemical Engineering is the term used for onshore-based facilities, as opposed to offshore developments.  Students following this course will therefore develop skills in the design of petrochemical structures, including their foundations.

Concepts involved in the design of petrochemical structures are introduced, alongside a range of design specifications, case studies and worked examples. In addition to gaining practice in structural steelwork design, the novelty of this course is the inclusion of basic foundation design. Emphasis is placed on good detailing and clarity of presentation of design calculations. 

The background to the finite element method and its use in various industrial applications is explained in this course. As well as the modelling of linear static and dynamic problems, the modelling of material and geometric non-linearity is an important aspect of the course. Coursework assignments will be based on the student edition of ABAQUS which is supplied with the Course Textbook which students are required to purchase.

Offshore production of oil and gas requires transportation of the oil and gas from where it is produced to shipping vessels, storage tanks or refinery.  The transportation is done using pipelines which are installed on the seabed. This course examines the engineering and scientific concepts that underpin the selection of the material and size of such pipelines as well as safe installation and operation. The environmental impact and the role played by the seabed profile are also discussed. Contribution from industry-based practicing engineers is used to inform students of current practices and technologies in subsea pipelines.

The course provides students with detailed knowledge of risers systems design considerations. Typical riser systems including flexible, steel catenary, hybrid and top tensioned riser systems are covered. The ocean environmental hydrodynamics and interactions between vessel, mooring and riser systems are also considered.

There are many challenges during transport of oil and gas through pipelines. These challenges require a real grasp of the fundamentals in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, phase changes, deposition and/or obstruction, erosion and new technologies to ensure a reliable and cost effective provision of oil and gas. Deep water production, heavy oils, high water production, severe slugging, hydrates, sour gases, asphaltenes and waxes make this task even harder. This course will provide a detailed explanation of the topics, a well-balanced set of tutorials with real examples, invited lectures from experienced engineers and flow assurance specific software training.

Offshore production of oil and gas requires transportation of the oil and gas from where it is produced to shipping vessels, storage tanks or refinery.  The transportation is done using pipelines which are installed on the seabed. This course examines the engineering and scientific concepts that underpin the selection of the material and size of such pipelines as well as safe installation and operation. The environmental impact and the role played by the seabed profile are also discussed. Contribution from industry-based practicing engineers is used to inform students of current practices and technologies in subsea pipelines.

The course provides students with detailed knowledge of risers systems design considerations. Typical riser systems including flexible, steel catenary, hybrid and top tensioned riser systems are covered. The ocean environmental hydrodynamics and interactions between vessel, mooring and riser systems are also considered.

There are many challenges during transport of oil and gas through pipelines. These challenges require a real grasp of the fundamentals in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, phase changes, deposition and/or obstruction, erosion and new technologies to ensure a reliable and cost effective provision of oil and gas. Deep water production, heavy oils, high water production, severe slugging, hydrates, sour gases, asphaltenes and waxes make this task even harder. This course will provide a detailed explanation of the topics, a well-balanced set of tutorials with real examples, invited lectures from experienced engineers and flow assurance specific software training.

The background to the finite element method and its use in various industrial applications is explained in this course. As well as the modelling of linear static and dynamic problems, the modelling of material and geometric non-linearity is an important aspect of the course. Coursework assignments will be based on the student edition of ABAQUS which is supplied with the Course Textbook which students are required to purchase.

The course studies the physical principles, technologies and systems, and effects on the environment associated with renewable energy generation from wind, marine and hydro sources. The course provides understanding of the position of these sources of energy in the current and future global energy requirements and the technical challenges in meeting the future energy demands.

The laboratory exercise is designed to reinforce many of the concepts covered in lectures. This includes experiments on the performance characteristics of a turbine.

This course examines the interconnection between different forms of energy, the fundamental thermodynamics which limits the efficiency of energy conversion, device design limitations and the different ways in which energy might be stored.

This course examines global energy supply and demand relation in the context of legislations involving climate change, energy transmission and sustainability issues. The course will inform students on how planning and economics may impact on the operation of the renewable energy industry.

Advanced methods of connecting renewable energy to the grid are presented in this course. Two approaches are considered: direct connection to the grid and integration to the grid through power electronic converters. Fundamental engineering principles necessary for the design of both approaches are discussed. Case studies are used to enhance student knowledge and understanding.

The course studies the physical principles, technologies and systems, and effects on the environment associated with renewable energy generation from wind, marine and hydro sources. The course provides understanding of the position of these sources of energy in the current and future global energy requirements and the technical challenges in meeting the future energy demands.

The laboratory exercise is designed to reinforce many of the concepts covered in lectures. This includes experiments on the performance characteristics of a turbine.

The course is in two parts, Portfolio Management and Programme Management.

The course teaches the Portfolio Management Process providing students with the knowledge and tools to understand why project selection, strategically aligned to corporate objectives, with the optimum mix of risk v reward is vital for an organisation’s success.

It further teaches all areas of Programme Management which helps an organisation to provide a framework for the co-ordination, management and control of all projects and business as usual activities that deliver benefits or outcomes from change.

The world is full of uncertainties and there is a level of risk in every human activity, including engineering.  Many industries require an engineer to manage significant risks and design for high reliability, such as oil and gas, subsea, nuclear, aviation and large civil projects (e.g. bridges and dams).  To  meet these engineering challenges and make rational decisions in the presence of uncertainty, this course will introduce students to methods and tools used by engineers to analysis risk and reliability.

The course aims to give students knowledge and understanding of how larger process systems behave and are operated and controlled, with a focus being put on safety aspects. Specific cases across the safety hierarchy (basic and advanced process control, alarm systems, emergency shutdown and interlocks, safety relief) are addressed.

Candidates will develop PIDs for major systems applying LOPA and including instrumentation. Inherently safe equipment layout principles for both onshore and offshore applications are addressed.  Layouts will be developed for example applications.

The safety critical systems are reviewed and discussed.

Corrosion mechanisms are addressed together with materials for construction properties.  Basic corrosion models are presented for a wide range of fluids.  The operational modes which present most demand on materials are reviewed.  Corrosion in erosive environments is addressed.  Effects of temperature deviations in fire & blowdown are illustrated and analysed.  Case studies are used to illustrate common issues.

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) relates to how people interact with engineering systems. Failures in these areas are involved in all major incidents. Candidates explore them as part of this course. First, a review of major accidents will be undertaken to identify how equipment design, individual behaviours, and organisational behaviours contributed. Equipment/system design and the effect it has on individuals’ behaviours is explored. Human Error is addressed. Finally, organisational behaviours will be examined. Leading and Lagging indicators are explored and their strengths/weaknesses considered. Candidates have the opportunity to complete practical assessments led by industry practitioners with specialist expertise in HFE.

The world is full of uncertainties and there is a level of risk in every human activity, including engineering.  Many industries require an engineer to manage significant risks and design for high reliability, such as oil and gas, subsea, nuclear, aviation and large civil projects (e.g. bridges and dams).  To  meet these engineering challenges and make rational decisions in the presence of uncertainty, this course will introduce students to methods and tools used by engineers to analysis risk and reliability.

Decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure is becoming a major issue for the North Sea and other mature basins.  This course provides students with an overview of the stages of shutting down the production process and cleaning of the system and then the possible methods of removal of the structure.

This course serves as an introduction to managing risk in the decommissioning activities, by focussing on the usage of relevant tools for risk quantification. Students will be able to understand the significance of hazard identification and associate the failures with corresponding consequences. A brief overview of the influence of human factors on organisational behaviour would also be provided.

The following topics will be covered in the course:

1. Basic Concepts in Safety Engineering and Risk Management: Accident Sequences, Safety and risk measures and ALARP.
2. Risk based thinking for decommissioning planning.
3. Elementary concepts in Statistics and Probability: Statistical Inference, Data Description, and Introductory probability theory.
4. Introduction to and Elements of Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA): Frequency and Consequence analysis, Risk quantification and tools, and Interpretation of risk outcomes.
5. Safety case development for decommissioning and the associated significance in comparative assessment.
Introduction to human reliability and influence on organisational behaviour.

Decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure is becoming a major issue for the North Sea and other mature basins.  This course provides students with an insight into the process used to find the best decommissioning option for a particular installation, taking account of the complex interactions between, cost, technical feasibility, environmental and societal considerations and safety. 

Decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure is becoming a major issue for the North Sea and other mature basins.  This course provides students with an overview of the stages of shutting down the production process and cleaning of the system and then the possible methods of removal of the structure.

This course serves as an introduction to managing risk in the decommissioning activities, by focussing on the usage of relevant tools for risk quantification. Students will be able to understand the significance of hazard identification and associate the failures with corresponding consequences. A brief overview of the influence of human factors on organisational behaviour would also be provided.

The following topics will be covered in the course:

1. Basic Concepts in Safety Engineering and Risk Management: Accident Sequences, Safety and risk measures and ALARP.
2. Risk based thinking for decommissioning planning.
3. Elementary concepts in Statistics and Probability: Statistical Inference, Data Description, and Introductory probability theory.
4. Introduction to and Elements of Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA): Frequency and Consequence analysis, Risk quantification and tools, and Interpretation of risk outcomes.
5. Safety case development for decommissioning and the associated significance in comparative assessment.
Introduction to human reliability and influence on organisational behaviour.

Decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure is becoming a major issue for the North Sea and other mature basins.  This course provides students with an insight into the process used to find the best decommissioning option for a particular installation, taking account of the complex interactions between, cost, technical feasibility, environmental and societal considerations and safety. 

Students may have opportunity to carry out the project as part of an industrial placement. The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of students’ own choice. The students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting the Safety industry, and to demonstrate how the fundamentals they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting or a study related to the Energy industry. They should demonstrate how the knowledge they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice to provide solutions towards addressing the problems. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme. 

This course enables students to write a dissertation on a topic of the student’s choice relevant to renewable energy.

This course is for students studying MSc Safety & Reliability Engineering for Oil and Gas. Students may have opportunity to carry out the project as part of an industrial placement. The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of students’ own choice. The students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting the Safety industry, and to demonstrate how the fundamentals they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme.

This course offers the student the opportunity to put acquired technical knowledge and skills into practical application through independent and individual project work.

This course enables students to write a dissertation based on a process safety related topic. The wide aim of the course is to engage students in a problem which ties together the learning outcomes of the programme at an appropriate technical level.

This course offers the student the opportunity to put acquired technical knowledge and skills into practical application through independent and individual project work.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work based on a topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting or a study related to the Energy industry. They should demonstrate how the knowledge they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice to provide solutions towards addressing the problems. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the MSc programme. 

This course enables students to write a dissertation based on a subsea related topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting the Subsea industry.

This course enables students to write a dissertation based on a subsea related topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting the Subsea industry.

This course enables students to write a dissertation based on a subsea related topic of the student’s own choice. Students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting the Subsea industry.

The aim of the course is to permit students to undertake a piece of supervised academic research: to demonstrate critical thinking within a selected research subject; to collect, manage, and interpret data from a variety of sources; to prepare written documentation in a scientific manner appropriate for peer-reviewed publications.

The dissertation is an independent piece of work on advanced mechanical engineering topics. The students are encouraged to focus their dissertation on a problem confronting industry, and demonstrate how the design and operational fundamentals they have learned during the taught programme can be put into practice to provide solutions towards addressing the problem. The dissertation should contain a degree of original work and demonstrate in-depth knowledge and application of concepts acquired throughout the MSc programme.  

The aim off the course is to permit students to undertake a piece of supervised academic research: to demonstrate critical thinking within a selected research subject; to collect, manage, and interpret data from a variety of sources; to prepare written documentation in a scientific manner appropriate for peer-reviewed publications.

The aim off the course is to permit students to undertake a piece of supervised academic research: to demonstrate critical thinking within a selected research subject; to collect, manage, and interpret data from a variety of sources; to prepare written documentation in a scientific manner appropriate for peer-reviewed publications.

This course provides students with an overview of fundamental petroleum engineering concepts and operations. It focuses on exploration, drilling, production and reservoir management techniques used in the oil and gas industry. The purpose is to develop an understanding of the process and technology involved in the full life cycle of oil and gas from exploration to production and finally abandonment. The economic, risk, uncertainties and health and safety and environment issues associated with each process are highlighted.

The course provides students with an understanding of the principles of reservoir engineering and well test analysis and design. Fluid flow through hydrocarbon reservoirs and the interaction between the fluids and the reservoir is examined. This course also provides understanding of the fundamentals of pressure transient analysis, pressure build-up and draw-down and interference testing associated with reservoir characterisation. Laboratory experiments and use of industry standard software are used to enhance student learning.

The aim of the course is to provide an understanding of theoretical formulation, data sources and integration into simulator, and quantification of uncertainties necessary for transforming real reservoir engineering problems into manageable numerical simulation models. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of reservoir simulators and reservoir simulation technologies. The course incudes the theoretical basis for numerical simulation of fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Input data requirements and applications of simulation models for history matching and prediction of field performance are discussed. Practical use and hands-on experience of industry standard software is used to developed reservoir simulation skills.

The course provides students with an understanding of the engineering science and principles that underpin the drilling, completion design and operation of oil and gas production and injection wells. Strategies for the selection and design of casings, cementing methodologies as well as design and configuration of completion systems are introduced, with emphasis on safety implications. Challenges of directional and horizontal drilling methods and associated technologies are discussed. Completions components and methods are introduced. Production engineering, fluid flow in the well bore with a view to production of hydrocarbon resources is considered. Emphasis is placed on factors which inhibit oil and gas production as well as practical approaches to production enhancement. Computer modelling of oil and gas production is introduced. Laboratory experiments and a range of industry relevant case studies are used to support student learning.

This course provides a detailed overview of oil and gas field development from discovery to abandonment with particular focus on the decisions made prior to first production. The roles of uncertainties, economics considerations, safety and environmental impact on the design choices are explored. The course takes a multi-disciplinary approach to show the integration of subsurface characteristics; well and completions design; surface facilities; and petroleum economics; in the preparation of a viable field development plan.

This course offers the student the opportunity to put acquired technical knowledge and skills into practical application through independent and individual project work.