Oil and Natural Gas Course

Lesson 1 • Global Energy Landscape Overview

Covers the role of hydrocarbons in global energy supply and demand dynamics. Connects industry scale to the economic and geopolitical forces shaping it.

Lesson 2 • Types of Hydrocarbons and Reservoirs

Distinguishes crude oil grades, natural gas types, and unconventional resources. Builds vocabulary essential for all subsequent technical chapters.

Lesson 3 • Industry Structure and Value Chain

Maps the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments and their interdependencies. Provides the structural framework used throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Key Industry Stakeholders and Roles

Identifies national oil companies, international majors, service companies, and regulators. Clarifies decision-making authority across the value chain.

Lesson 1 • Migration and Trapping Mechanisms

Describes primary and secondary migration pathways and the structural conditions that trap hydrocarbons. Links geology to commercial accumulation potential.

Lesson 2 • Reservoir Characterisation and Modelling

Integrates geological and petrophysical data into a reservoir model. Prepares students to understand how models guide field development decisions.

Lesson 3 • Geological Data Acquisition Methods

Introduces seismic surveys, well logs, and core analysis as primary data sources. Connects data types to geological interpretation workflows.

Lesson 4 • Reservoir Rock Properties

Covers porosity, permeability, and fluid saturation as controls on reservoir quality. These parameters directly determine production potential.

Lesson 1 • Well Design and Casing Programmes

Covers well trajectory planning, casing string design, and cementing objectives. Establishes the engineering basis for safe and effective well construction.

Lesson 2 • Drilling Fluids and Wellbore Stability

Explains drilling fluid functions, types, and wellbore pressure management. Directly supports understanding of well control and formation integrity.

Lesson 3 • Exploration Strategy and Prospect Generation

Covers basin analysis, play concepts, and prospect risking methods. Connects geological knowledge to commercial exploration decision-making.

Lesson 4 • Drilling Rig Types and Components

Identifies land, jack-up, semi-submersible, and drillship rigs and their key systems. Provides the equipment context for understanding drilling operations.

Lesson 1 • Process Safety Management Fundamentals

Covers process hazard analysis, management of change, and mechanical integrity as PSM pillars. Connects systematic safety management to major accident prevention.

Lesson 2 • Well Control and Blowout Prevention

Explains kick detection, well control procedures, and BOP equipment operation. Directly addresses the highest-consequence drilling hazard in the industry.

Lesson 3 • Hazardous Materials and Toxic Gas Risks

Identifies H2S, BTEX, and other hazardous substances and their exposure controls. Prepares workers to recognise and respond to toxic release scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Environmental Impact and Spill Response

Covers oil spill prevention, containment strategies, and environmental impact assessment. Links operational decisions to environmental protection obligations.

Lesson 1 • Production Data Analysis and Decline Curves

Applies decline curve analysis to forecast production and estimate ultimate recovery. Connects historical data to reserve estimation workflows.

Lesson 2 • Well Performance and Inflow Analysis

Covers inflow performance relationships and tubing performance curves to optimise production rates. Provides tools for diagnosing well productivity issues.

Lesson 3 • Reservoir Pressure and Material Balance

Introduces material balance equations to estimate reserves and track reservoir depletion. Links pressure data to volumetric and production history.

Lesson 4 • Drive Mechanisms and Recovery Factors

Explains natural drive mechanisms and their effect on recovery efficiency. Connects reservoir energy to production performance expectations.

Lesson 1 • NGL Extraction and Fractionation

Describes cryogenic expansion, refrigeration, and lean oil absorption for NGL recovery. Links NGL extraction to product value and pipeline quality requirements.

Lesson 2 • Gas Dehydration Processes

Covers glycol absorption and molecular sieve dehydration to meet pipeline water content specs. Connects moisture removal to hydrate prevention and corrosion control.

Lesson 3 • Gas Compression and Pipeline Conditioning

Covers compression types, pipeline pressure requirements, and gas quality specifications. Connects processing outputs to midstream transport readiness.

Lesson 4 • Acid Gas Removal and Sweetening

Explains amine treating, physical solvent, and membrane processes for CO2 and H2S removal. Prepares students to evaluate sweetening options for different gas compositions.

Lesson 1 • Conversion and Upgrading Processes

Describes fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and coking to upgrade heavy fractions. Connects conversion units to refinery yield optimisation.

Lesson 2 • Crude Oil Assay and Refinery Feedstocks

Explains crude assay data, API gravity, sulfur content, and their effect on refinery economics. Connects crude selection to downstream processing choices.

Lesson 3 • Hydrotreating and Product Quality

Explains hydrotreating to remove sulfur, nitrogen, and metals from product streams. Links treating severity to fuel quality and environmental compliance.

Lesson 4 • Atmospheric and Vacuum Distillation

Covers the separation of crude into fractions by boiling point in atmospheric and vacuum towers. Establishes the primary separation step for all downstream units.

Lesson 1 • Fiscal Regimes and Contract Structures

Compares concession agreements, production sharing contracts, and service agreements. Clarifies how fiscal terms affect project economics and operator incentives.

Lesson 2 • Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management

Applies portfolio theory, risk diversification, and strategic frameworks to upstream asset management. Prepares students for senior commercial and planning roles.

Lesson 3 • Project Economics and Cash Flow Modelling

Covers capital cost estimation, operating cost structures, and discounted cash flow analysis. Provides the quantitative foundation for investment decision-making.

Lesson 4 • Reserves Classification and Reporting

Explains proved, probable, and possible reserves categories and reporting standards. Connects reserve estimates to asset valuation and investor communication.