Earn a Master of Science in
Geoenergy Engineering
Earn master’s degree in Geoenergy Engineering and tackle global warming and energy supply challenges! Secure a sustainable energy future by developing innovative technologies and optimizing processes of carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy recovery and geological hydrogen storage.
The program will provide plenty of career opportunities in lower-carbon energy sectors, geothermal energy and the evolving hydrogen industry. Join DPE now and together we will shape the future of sustainable energy!
Applications for the upcoming winter term 2024/2025 need to be submitted by September 5, 2024 at 23:59.
Full-time program
Classes in English
Starts March 1, 2024
1st Semester
2nd & 3rd
4th Semester
1st Semester: Advanced Foundations
HSE, Economics & Project Management
Safety is paramount! The target of HSE course is to introduce the technical rules and protocols regarding health, safety, and environment which are key requirements for any operation in the field. You will also get a well-rounded base of Advanced Geoenergy Economics and Crisis Management as well as hone your capabilities in financial modelling of projects and in economic decision-making under uncertainty.
Field Development
The course introduces students to various aspects of Geoenergy Engineering and defines its space in the overall energy system. Course elements relate to geothermal energy, fossil fuels, decarbonization, energy storage and economics. The topics of energy and climate, security of supply and responsible engineering will be discussed. At the Computational Continuum Mechanics lecture you will gain insight into a general simulation workflow and create a connection between physics models and their numerical solutions in fluid dynamics and solid mechanics.
Advanced Geosciences
Time to dig deeper! At Geophysics, Geoenergy Exploration, Geomechanics, Geomodelling and Geochemistry lectures you will expand your knowledge about geosciences on an advanced level. These courses will enable you to assess borehole stability, establish simple static reservoir models, understand natural processes and chemistry of aqueous solutions and apply classical geophysical well-logging methods.
CO2 Capture, Storage & Utilization
The lecture comprises an overview of technical possibilities for CO2 capture, utilization and storage to give the students a closer look at currently discussed and partly implemented methods of technical climate protection. Since these processes will be of increasing importance for the future industry, the students should get an impression of the available technologies and their advantages and disadvantages in order to enable the further development and implementation of climate protection measures in the industry on an engineering basis.
2nd & 3rd Semesters: Master Classes
You have studied the advanced fundamentals. Now it is time to specialize in your field of study. You will spend a year in the respective master class together with your colleagues. A maximum of 25 students are educated in each master class per year, where full academic support of our scientists and infrastructure are provided to you, including a permanent working space. Advanced courses in the Geoenergy master class will cover everything you need in your toolbox as a future Geoenergy engineer.
Geological Carbon & Hydrogen Storage
The course will cover the reservoir-related fundamentals of geological gas storage and decarbonization, predominantly focusing on CO2 and H2 storage. It will provide an overview of storage options and enable participants to evaluate storage and flow capacities, safety factors (CO2), the efficiency of gas injection and reproduction cycles (H2) as well as in-situ gas conversion (H2 to CH4).
Green Hydrogen Technology
Decarbonizing the planet is one of the primary goals of countries around the world. By 2050 a significant share of the energy should be provided by hydrogen. Currently, hydrogen is produced by using fossil fuels. The decarbonizing of hydrogen production by using surplus renewable energy can reduce the global CO2 emissions significantly. This lecture will provide an overview of the properties of hydrogen and its potential for the future. Conventional hydrogen production will be compared to green hydrogen production.
Geothermal Reservoir Engineering
The objective of the course is to give an insight into the fundamentals of geothermal reservoir engineering. The course enables participants to evaluate geothermal reservoirs, quantify geothermal systems with respect to geothermal potential and enthalpy extraction, and develop extraction and storage strategies.
Field Development & Advanced Well Construction
Advanced Well Construction and Placement, Well Monitoring and Analysis and Field Development will provide you with the skills you need to drill complex wells and control the wellbore in critical situations. You will learn about well characterization, well and reservoir optimization, drilling, design of surface facilities, economic forecasting and application to regulatory authorities. You will also get to know how to create the necessary geoscience models and well plans.
Reservoir Modeling & Simulation
In these lectures, you will acquire knowledge regarding advanced reservoir engineering concepts such as reservoir simulation methods and reservoir characterization and modeling. You will get in touch with specialized software that is used in the international companies for reservoir modeling and simulation of multi-phase reservoir flow.
Advanced Geoenergy Production Engineering
During this course, you will concentrate on optimizing the production from existing wells. The core aspects you will focus on are: on the one hand, the increase of the well lifetime by improving flow assurance of wells and production data management for understanding the behavior of your fields. On the other hand, reducing operational expenditures by applying the optimized artificial lift systems, energy-efficient processes and alternative materials.
4th Semester: Master’s Thesis
During your last semester, you will work on a thesis to confirm your Geoenergy engineering skills by applying and linking all the knowledge you have gathered over these years. You will defend your master’s thesis and finally obtain a Master of Science in Geoenergy Engineering degree from Montanuniversität Leoben and the opportunity to work in Austrian and international companies all over the globe.