The Department of Chemical Engineering

Overview

The Petroleum Studies Unit (PSU) operates under the Department of Chemical Engineering where it provides offerings of one (1) Postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering & Management and three (3) taught Masters Degrees in Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Engineering & Management, and Reservoir Engineering. They consist of eight (8) taught courses, a Research Methods course and an Independent Project.

MSc Petroleum Engineering involves the application of earth and physical sciences to the evaluation and exploitation of natural hydrocarbon resources. The dominant problems of the petroleum engineer are those of flow and equilibrium in porous media, in vertical and horizontal well bores, in surface pipelines and in primary process equipment. The complexity of the hydrocarbon fluids, and the geological strata involved in flow in reservoirs and production systems raises problems requiring sophisticated numerical techniques for their solution. In the practical field, drilling and production engineering continually pose new engineering problems requiring engineered solutions.

Postgraduate Diploma and MSc Petroleum Engineering & Management provides the option to study the management and commercial aspect of the petroleum industry. Decision-making, contractual negotiations and arrangements, financial implications and man power management must be well understood and executed at various stages.

MSc Reservoir Engineering seeks to economically optimise the exploration of the reservoir. Reservoir Engineering is a sub-set of Petroleum Engineering where understanding of the reservoir is studied in more detail.

The MSc petroleum programmes can be described as conversion types, since they prepare students who have a basic science or engineering degree or even a petroleum background at the bachelors level to enter into specialty petroleum engineering fields. The curriculum of our MSc programmes are geared towards the generation of new knowledge while developing and transferring methods, techniques, methodologies and tools that lead to improved processes in industry.

The PSU has very strong ties to the energy industry through an active Industry Liaison Committee established for the interchange of advice and ideas in maintaining industry relevance of the Department's MSc petroleum programmes. Visiting lecturers from the industry and government establishments also make an important contribution to the more specialised teaching of the MSc programmes.
 

Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

The PSU has a strong interaction with the Society of Petroleum Engineers, an international learned society looking after petroleum engineering. The aim of the SPE is to disseminate frontier knowledge from fundamental to field experience, including cost benefit. Over the years, the SPE has been most generous in its support to Petroleum Engineering at UWI, including scholarship support, running a student research paper event and welcoming students to their meetings and conferences.

Programme Objectives

Technical deepening and broadening beyond the level covered at the bachelors level while providing the necessary background for employment in the oil and gas industry, a springboard for a research degree, as well as serving as a refresher for those already working in industry.
 

Accreditation

MSc Petroleum Engineering and MSc Reservoir Engineering are accredited by the Energy Institute (UK) en route to CEng.
 

Areas of Research

Current research includes:

• Unconventional Reservoirs: Heavy Oil, Shale Oil, Tar Sands and Gas Hydrates

• Oil and Gas PVT and Phase Behaviour Studies

• Carbon Dioxide Sequestration, EOR and CERM

• Reservoir Characterisation with Nano-Particle Technology Application

• Drilling Technology and Wellbore Stability

MSc Programme Structure and Course Requirements

Following the guidelines established by the Energy Institute in the United Kingdom, students will be required to pursue an appropriate course of study as determined by The UWI School for Graduate Studies and Research, St. Augustine and the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Students are required to complete 44 credits for the award of the MSc Petroleum Engineering and MSc Reservoir Engineering. Students should demonstrate proficiency in Petroleum or Reservoir Engineering by satisfactory completion of at least 32 credits of coursework (comprised of core and compulsory courses) and 12 credits in their research project (3 credits Research Methods and 9 credits Independent Project).

Students are required to complete 42 credits for the award of the MSc Petroleum Engineering & Management. Students should demonstrate proficiency in Petroleum Engineering and Management by satisfactory completion of at least 30 credits of coursework (comprised of core and compulsory courses) and 12 credits in their research project (3 credits Research Methods and 9 credits Independent Project).

Duration of Study: The MSc programme is offered both Part-Time and Full-Time, and must be completed in 3 years and 5 years respectively.

Course Load: A Part-Time student is required to carry half the course load per semester than that of a Full-Time student.

Evaluation:  All courses will normally be assessed by coursework and final examination. Candidates will be required to pass BOTH the coursework and examination.

Research Project  — For ALL programmes listed above

9 Credits
 

Students need to complete ALL courses and receive authorisation from the Coordinator before he/she can register for PENG 6024.

The objectives and learning outcomes for the Project Report under the MSc management option will be similar to Project Report PENG6024 currently offered in the MSc Petroleum Engineering programme. The primary difference is that the emphasis of the management option will be around the theme of management in the Petroleum Industry.

Students are to note the following:

• Part-Time students must normally submit their PENG 6024 Project Reports twelve (12) months from date of registration

• Full-Time students must normally submit their PENG 6024 Project Reports nine (9) months from date of registration

Candidates who fail to submit their reports in good time shall be removed from the Register of Postgraduate students.

What's Next

For further information on the postgraduate petroleum programmes, please contact us with your questions. Information on the application and registration process can be found via the links below.