BBA Energy Club
NEW Energy Course offering in Earth Sciences Department!
GEOL 3374: Petroleum Geology, Peak Oil, and the Future of Energy
T, TH 11:00 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Pre-Req: 1300-level earth science class or permission of instructor Matthew Hornbach (will not have email until August, but if you are interested in this class, please email Marsha Faram at mfaram@cox.smu.edu and I will get to instructor.(Intro Level, majors and non-Majors welcome)
(Text Book: Selley, as well as multiple handouts and additional readings to be provided)
Course Description:
For the past century, petroleum has represented a critical global energy resource. As Earth’s human population approaches seven billion, demand for petroleum continues to rise while production at supergiant oil fields steadily declines. For the past 3 years, global production has remained stagnant, despite increasing demand and high-prices, leading many energy experts to argue we’ve reached “Peak Oil” – the upper limit of global oil production. Proponents of Peak Oil believe we are at the very early stages of steady, inevitable production decline that may culminate in a severe global energy crisis. Conversely, experts opposing the Peak Oil paradigm suggest advances in geology, geophysics, and engineering, combined with other break-through technologies have the potential to sustain, if not increase, production of hydrocarbons (especially natural gas), avoiding a global energy shock.
This class takes a close look at the future of energy in the 21st century. It examines the concept of Peak Oil through the lens of earth science, and begins by looking at the history and basic science behind petroleum geology, the evolution of oil fields, and the impact advances in geophysics and engineering have made on petroleum production. It reviews the concept of Peak Oil outlined in M. King Hubbert’s 1956 paper, as well as more recent studies both for-and-against the Peak Oil paradigm. The last third of the class analyzes recent advancements in petroleum geology and their associated environmental hazards, including shale gas, shale oil, coal-bed methane, tar-sands, gas hydrates, ultra-deepwater drilling, and the impact of unconventional recovery methods such as hydraulic fracturing. We conclude by examining state-of-the-art energy and environmental research at SMU’s Huffington Department of Earth Sciences and what these studies indicate for the future of energy.
BBA Energy Club Officers 2011-2012
Co- president Fall 10: James Alexander
Co-president Fall 10: Matt Evans
President- Elect Spring 2012: Lizzy Chesnut
Co-VP of membership: Andrew Thorington
Co-VP of membership: Ryan Chuang
VP External Relations (Dallas/FW): Peterson Hawkins
VP External Relations: (Houston): Blake Rankin
VP of Project Development: Stephen Anderson
Co-VP of Internal Relations: Dallas Blagg
Co-VP of Internal Relations: Kelsey Knobloch
Co-VP of Finance: William Badarak (liaison with campus organizations)
Co-VP of Finance: Trev Wilgus (treasurer for club)
Join us on FACEBOOK: SMU Energy Club