Petroleum Geology

The Petroleum Geology group at UT Permian Basin is led by Dr. Bob Trentham, Senior Lecturer in Geology and Director of the Center for Energy and Economic Diversification [CEED]. Dr. Trentham has been a geologist in the Permian Basin since 1980 working for Gulf Oil, Chevron Corporation, and as an independent consultant before coming to UT Permian Basin in 2001. He has worked a variety of both carbonate and clastic reservoirs and responsible for both new field and new pool discoveries in the basin. The group has amassed a collection of cores from over 300 wells from all sub-basins, platforms, and formations of the Permian Basin. These cores are readily used in class projects as well as the basis for Master’s theses that utilize core- and log-based data to characterize reservoirs of the Permian Basin. The Petroleum Geology group has led or participated in number of Department of Energy (DOE) and RPSEA funded studies of Residual Oil Zones, reservoir characterization of the San Andres and Grayburg formations, as well as worked with industry and faculty to develop research in state-of-the-art CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Residual Oil Zones.