Contact Bruce Ainsworth (
) with your cv and areas of research interest to find out about current research and scholarship opportunities with RARG.
Potential Project Proposals:
Reservoir Architecture and Sandbody Connectivity in the Donkey Bore Syncline Salt-withdrawal Mini-basin, Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Bruce Ainsworth and Dr. Boyan Vakarelov
Project Level: MSc or PhD
This research project is focussed on improving geological models of deepwater sediment-filled, salt-withdrawal mini-basins in deepwater salt basins such as the Gulf of Mexico or West Africa. The work will focus on the Bunkers Sandstone in the Donkey Bore Syncline, Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Two phases are envisaged; 1) field work to generate a geometrical architectural element dataset and to establish a rigorous architectural framework for the turbidite sands in the study area, and 2) 3D reservoir modelling. This is an excellent opportunity to combine detailed field work with state-of-the-art industry focussed 3D reservoir model generation.
Reservoir Heterogeneities in Wave-influenced Coastal Depositional Systems
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Bruce Ainsworth, Dr. Boyan Vakarelov and Assoc. Prof. Simon Pattison (Brandon University, Canada)
Project Level: MSc or PhD
The WAVE Consortium, part of the Reservoir Analogues Research Group at the University of Adelaide, Australia, is seeking a research oriented geologist at PhD or MSc level student to undertake studies on sub-seismic scale reservoir heterogeneities in mixed-influence shallow marine systems. This work will involve examination of modern coastal systems (Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia) and outcrop sites (North America; Egypt) that will test the importance of the interactions of wave, fluvial and tidal energy on preserved stratigraphic architecture. The positions will provide the successful applicants with experience in clastic sedimentology, remote sensing, reservoir modelling and interaction with industry sponsors. The applicants must be willing to conduct field work in remote locations. A key part of the project will be collaboration with industry consortium members including working visits to sponsor locations (Austria, Canada, USA, Australia).
High Resolution Anatomy of a Pleistocene Lowstand Delta Complex
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Bruce Ainsworth, Andy Mitchell and Dr. Boyan Vakarelov
Project Level: PhD
The project will focus on the seismic stratigraphy of a large Pleistocene lowstand delta complex. The anatomy of the complex will be determined utilising seismic stratigraphic and attribute analyses combined with shallow boring and grab samples. The evolution of the delta complex during the numerous Pleistocene climate changes (glacial and non-glacial periods) will be traced and the complex stratigraphy of the shelf margin unravelled.
Reservoir analogues of the Channel Country, central Australia
Supervisor: Dr Kathryn Amos
Project Level: MSc or PhD
The Channel Country rivers of central Australia are mud-dominated, dryland, anabranching rivers with complex channel pattern and floodplain geomorphology. Floodplains reach widths of 70 km and contain a large number of geomorphic elements, including anabranching channels, levees, waterholes, splays, and floodplain-surface channels with associated bar-form floodplain highs. Initial research conducted by Dr Kathryn Amos indicates that many geomorphic elements within these fluvial systems may not have distinct facies. However, very few sites within the regionally extensive Channel Country rivers have been investigated and key elements have been identified as those most likely to contain reservoir analogue material. This project aims to describe the sedimentology of these geomorphic elements, and to produce a new facies model for the Channel Country fluvial systems. Ancient successions of interest to the petroleum industry for which this facies model may provide a modern analogue will be selected and a comparison between the modern system and an ancient case study will be conducted, hopefully in collaboration with an industry partner.
