Hans Machel

Contact

Faculty of Science - Earth & Atmospheric Sciences Admin
Email
hmachel@ualberta.ca

Overview

Research

Research area

Carbonate diagenesis, sedimentary petrology and geochemistry, petroleum geology

Research interest

Prof. Hans G. Machel's fields of research and expertise are mainly in carbonate diagenesis with applications to petroleum reservoirs. His current research program deals with all types of diagenesis in carbonate rocks, with an emphasis on processes that commonly result in large yet often unpredictable changes in porosity and permeability: dolomitization (limestone transformation to dolostone), karstification (large-scale dissolution, including cave formation), brine chemistry and fluid flow in shallow and deep carbonate aquifers. Locations recently investigated or under consideration are outcrops in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Montana, Texas, Barbados, Bahamas, Spain, Italy, and Hungary, ranging in age from Devonian to Pleistocene. Most investigated oil and gas reservoirs are in the Alberta subsurface. He has also published several conceptual papers, such as on dolomitization, bacterial and thermochemical sulfate reduction, and cathdoluminescence in carbonates. Individual research projects commonly apply a variety of surface, subsurface, and geochemical methods.

Research opportunities

Graduate projects under consideration are as follows.

  • Project 1. “Recrystallization of regionally extensive Devonian dolostones in Alberta, Canada”.
    One new Ph.D. project - subsurface
  • Project 2. “Squeegee Flow in the Rocky Mountain Front Ranges, Alberta, Canada”.
    One new Ph.D. project - outcrop with correlation to subsurface
  • Project 3. “Dolomitization of the Grosmont heavy oil reservoir”.
    One new M.Sc. project - subsurface
  • Project 4. “Karstification of the Grosmont heavy oil reservoir”.
    One new Ph.D. project - subsurface
  • Project 5: "Cathodoluminescence microscopy and spectroscopy of diagenetic carbonates"
    One new M.Sc. project - lab-based