4 - Geology and Hydrocarbon Formation

The term ‘Geology’ is derived from the Greek words for ‘Earth’ and ‘Study’, and this module will explain why an understanding of geology is so important to the oil and gas industry.  It will help you to identify the different types of rock, and rock formations, that may contain hydrocarbons.

Our planet is around 4.6 billion years old, and this module will provide a brief history of the Earth, and show you how, over millions of years, the Earth has been shaped and hydrocarbons have formed.

Approximate course duration: 50 minutes.

Module One

The aim of this module is to teach you about the following subjects:

• Geology and its importance to the petroleum industry
• Geological timescales
• Rocks and their formation

Approximate module duration: 30 minutes

Module Two

The aim of this module is to teach you about the following subjects:

• Hydrocarbon formation and storage
• Hydrocarbon exploration and discovery

Approximate module duration: 20 minutes.