THE PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCES TRACK: Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) are the main energy sources used by modern society. Thus far, there appears to be no alternative energy sources on a global scale and fossil fuels will probably remain the main energy resource for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the global demand for energy keeps growing. For coal and natural gas, the current and potential future reserves appear sufficient for the time being. Global demand for oil, however, keeps growing and already exceeds the rate of new discoveries and production capacity from conventional oil resources. Lately, new developments in unconventional resources in the US, particularly light tight oil, may extend the petroleum era for quite a long time.
In Israel, gas discoveries in the continental margin offshore in the last couple of decades, as well as an active search for new oil and gas resources (both conventional and unconventional), have emphasized the importance of Petroleum Sciences. At the same time, it also highlighted the shortage in professional Israeli manpower, knowledge, and research infrastructure in basic fields related to petroleum exploration, production, storage, transportation and processing.
To meet this need, the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a new graduate studies track in Petroleum Geosciences to educate a future generation of geoscientists leading advanced research in petroleum geosciences and petroleum exploration in Israel. The opening of this academic track is an important step within Israel’s national efforts to achieve energy independence by developing its scientific and technological expertise.
Prerequisite requirements:
- The required background to be accepted for graduate studies in the Petroleum Geosciences track is a BSc degree from BGU or an equivalent curriculum at other academic institutes, with a > 80 grade point average.
- Students may be required to study extra courses to complete the necessary background for the program’s core studies. If a prerequisite course is taken at the Bachelors degree level, it will not be recognized for credit points for the graduate studies.