Energy Geosciences MSc

Energy Geosciences MSc students present their work in the field

We believe that field experience is at the core of any training in geosciences. Understanding the concepts of sedimentology, structural geology, subsurface storage and resource exploration requires a solid knowledge acquired in the field on how sediments are deposited and deformed. Our MSc course offers two residential fieldtrips in the Spanish Pyrenees and the Southwest England. In the field, our students make observations, collect data and work in teams to present what they have learned from rock outcrops.

Pyrenees
During this field course students explore the anatomy of a young collisional mountain belt, from its deep crustal roots to the most recent sediments shed from its leading edge. The Pyrenees offers seismic-scale outcrops and 3-D exposures, forming a natural laboratory that is visited by universities and industry geologists from all over the world. Students learn about the interplay between structural evolution, paleoenvironments and sedimentary processes, as well as how field evaluation is critical in understanding geological processes and exploration for the resources needed for energy and technology.

Energy Geosciences MSc students examine thrust structures in the Spanish Pyrenees

Southwest England
With this field course, students will examine the geology and subsurface resources in SW England. Students will look both to the petroleum geoscience and the sustainable resources of the region with particular emphasis on the crossover between energy resources and storage. The field course will start in Cornwall to gain an understanding of geothermal resources. The trip will then move to the southern margin of the East Bristol Channel Basin where the world class exposures of the north Somerset coast are an excellent laboratory for the better understanding of fault & fold structures and associated fracture systems. The field trip will continue in Dorset, a world class locality to investigate source rocks as well as trap and seal parts for both petroleum and subsurface storage systems.

Energy Geosciences MSc students examine Triassic reservoir units in SW England

Gayatry Kolathur - Class 2024
"The MSc in Energy Geosciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, was a pivotal step in my academic and professional journey and was a life-changing decision. The program offered a blend of rigorous coursework, practical fieldwork, and access to advanced laboratory techniques, promoting both technical expertise and critical thinking. Field trips and industry collaborations provided invaluable exposure to real-world challenges in sustainable energy. The unwavering support from the faculty of Earth Sciences department helped me develop the skills and confidence needed as a geoscientist. This program not only laid the foundation for my career but also inspired me to contribute meaningfully to the energy transition and a sustainable future."

Thameem Muhammed - Class 2022
"My time at Royal Holloway University of London pursuing the MSc Energy Geoscience was an exceptional and transformative experience. The program's comprehensive curriculum, dedicated faculty, experienced guest lecturers, and hands-on learning opportunities prepared me to contribute meaningfully to sustainable energy exploration and innovation. From state-of-the-art facilities to well planned and engaging fieldwork, both in England and abroad, every aspect of the program fostered a deep sense of responsibility towards a greener future. I affirm that my position as a Geoscience Technical Assistant at TGS would not have been possible without the knowledge and skills I gained through this course and support from the Earth Sciences department. I wholeheartedly recommend this esteemed institution to anyone seeking to make a positive impact in the energy sector. Thank you, Royal Holloway, for shaping me into a confident and socially responsible energy professional."

You can find Thameem on LinkedIn here

Dinara Dassanayake - Class 2022
"Joining the Energy Geosciences MSc course was one of the best decisions I've made. Not only did it enable me to gain a thorough understanding about both the renewable and non-renewable energy sectors, but I was also given the opportunity to make lifelong friends. In addition, our thesis project was an excellent opportunity for us to collaborate with companies within the energy industry, demonstrate our knowledge and gain valuable work experience which played a crucial role in my job applications. I'm extremely thankful to our lecturers for always supporting us to ensure we gain the absolute best out of our degrees. I can confidently say that my position as a Sustainability Consultant at Onnu would not have been possible without the knowledge and skillset I gained through this course."

You can find Dinara on LinkedIn here

Thomas Howlett - Class 2019
"Taking this MSc course was an essential step in progressing my career and it has opened many doors for me. Without it, I would not have been able to work at any of the jobs I have had since graduating. It is a very comprehensive course and provides students with a wide range of useful skills and knowledge which places them in good stead for a productive and rewarding career. There are lots of opportunities for fieldwork which is important in understanding the concepts taught in the classroom and the department makes the most of its numerous industry contacts and alumni with lots of guest speakers visiting and frequent opportunities to network with people within the industry. The lecturers themselves deliver the course material in an easy to understand manner and are always on hand to help explain topics. I highly recommend taking this course if you want to kickstart your career in the energy sector."

You can find Thomas on LinkedIn here

Shehzad Salim - Class 2022
"Studying Master's in Energy Geosciences at the department of earth sciences of the Royal Holloway University of London was pure joy by all means. The academic year went by so quickly, leaving us with some really valuable experiences, knowledge and memories. Apart from the lectures by really friendly and helpful professors that are highly qualified in their respective fields, workshops by guest lecturers that have excelled at what they do gave me the confidence and hope for a fun career going ahead. The overall atmosphere, the people and the resources, and the quality of knowledge that encompassed me was the main reason of satisfaction of studying at RHUL. As someone who LOVES travelling and fieldworks, the department of earth sciences surprised me with their well planned, well-executed field trips both in England and abroad. Those were the best weeks of the whole year for me. Anybody who wants to make a difference in the future of our planet and to create a sustainable environment for all of us to live in, I believe that this course equips you with all the weapons of wisdom and with an army of professors and friends around you for the rest of your journey ahead."

You can find Shehzad on LinkedIn here

Gabriella Adams - Class 2022
“The MSc Energy Geoscience course has provided me with great academic knowledge alongside industry skills training. The course has helped boost my skills alongside personal development throughout this year. I enjoyed the course content thoroughly, as I developed on my undergraduate knowledge. The masters helped open doors for career opportunities, and this was possible due to the supportive and understanding lecturers we had. If any assistance or support was needed lecturers would respond very quickly and were always there.“

You can find Gabriella on LinkedIn here

Alex McCabe - Class 2022
“I attended the Energy Geosciences MSc between 2021 and 2022 on the recommendation of an industry contact. The main thing that impressed me about the course was the clear desire from the members of staff and visiting lecturers for their students to learn and understand the real-world implications of their teachings. Theory was always very well complimented by opportunities for application, culminating in the great experience that was the independent project. I strongly encourage any student looking to excel themselves to consider this course, the whole structure donates to industry relevant development. I say this now from the position of Geoscientist at Merlin Energy Resources, a position I would not have obtained if I hadn’t completed the Energy Geosciences MSc at Holloway.”

You can find Alex on LinkedIn here

Juliet Chiamaka Ibhafidon - Class 2022

"Pursuing my MSc at Royal Holloway provided an exceptional foundation for my understanding of the expansive field of geosciences. The comprehensive teaching and rigorous assessments deepened my appreciation for the intricacies of the energy sector, particularly in today's climate of soaring global energy demand and the urgent need to maintain global temperatures below 2°C.
The department's cutting-edge curriculum thoroughly prepared me to tackle these critical real-world challenges. Our learning experiences were unparalleled, including overseas fieldwork and hands-on training with the latest industry software. These opportunities significantly enhanced both my technical expertise and essential soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, resilience, and mental grit.
The knowledge and skills I honed during my studies were pivotal in securing my dream job. The academic staff were exceptionally supportive throughout my time at Royal Holloway and have continued to provide invaluable assistance post-graduation. They ensured that all my queries were addressed comprehensively and with genuine care.
f given the opportunity to pursue further education in the UK, I would unequivocally choose Royal Holloway again. I have no regrets about joining this outstanding university and department.                                                                                                                           I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone considering advanced studies in geosciences."

Juliet now works as Geophysicist with Fugro . You can find Juliet on LinkedIn here. 

Jonathan Rowe - Class 2021
“Completing the Energy Geosciences MSc really improved my confidence, not just within geosciences but more broadly with my self-belief in what I can achieve. The Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway is very close-knit, making it easier to chat and get support from academic staff and other students. I found the coursework-oriented approach to assessments extremely beneficial, allowing me to consolidate my learning of the taught theory through practical application. The course gave me the opportunity to learn important skills for multiple applications across the field of geoscience from interpreting cores to understanding basin scale structural and stratigraphic evolution, both laterally and over geological time. The topic variation for the independent projects was a massive highlight, giving students great opportunities to focus on particular disciplines (and related skills) within energy geosciences. I thoroughly enjoyed my independent project, focused on evaluating the use of groundwater and/or subterranean river water to cool the London Underground tube stations. Excitingly, my supervisor (Dr. Jonathan Paul) and myself have received funding from the ARIES DTP to continue this research as a PhD project and I look forward to continuing this research at Royal Holloway!”

 You can find Jonathan on LinkedIn here.

21 February 2025
Learn about the Energy Geosciences MSc with our online tester lecture:

6 February 2025
Earlier in the year, our Prof Dave Waltham submitted written evidence for the Government Enquiry on Workforce Planning to Deliver Clean, Secure Energy. The Committee has now accepted and published our submission:
 
https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/134124/pdf/
 
The evidence highlight the importance of geoscience in tackling Net-Zero and the need to support training courses in subsurface analysis such as our Energy Geosciences MSc in the department.

18 December 2024
We had a very successful meeting with the Energy Geosciences MSc Advisory Board. We would like to express our gratitude to the board members who participated in the meeting and engaged in discussions with our MSc students during the pizza lunch. We also want to thank Andy Thompson (North Sea Transition Authority) for his interesting presentation titled ‘Leveraging legacy petroleum data to inform and enable the Energy Transition’, which was presented to both the students and the board.

28 October 2024
Prof Dave Waltham, who teaches in the Energy Geosciences MSc, has just published a piece about natural hydrogen. You can read the article here.

23 October 2024
The Energy Geosciences MSc students had a packed start of term. They kicked things off with a seminar on energy transition with Prof Jonathan Craig, then headed out to the field to acquire seismic data. In the lab, they got to practice coding and data analysis with Prof David Waltham.

12 September 2024
The Energy Geosciences MSc students have finished their summer projects and presented their results at our departmental symposium last week. It was great see that the hard work through the summer has generated such stunning presentations and posters. 

7 September 2024
Our department ranks in the top 10 Earth and Marine Sciences Departments in the Guardian University Guide 2025. 

4 July 2024
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students are currently in the Spanish Pyrenees looking at spectacular seismic-scale outcrops of fold-fault systems. Transcending scales and taking a regional perspective are key aspects for better understanding the geology underneath our feet. Thanks to our staff teaching in the Energy Geosciences MSc leading the field trip Ian Watkinson and Jurgen Adam. Thanks also to our visiting industry expert Philip Hirst who co-lead the fled trip along with Ian and Jürgen.

15 May 2024
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students gain valuable real-world experience this summer through exciting projects alongside leading industry partners and organisations.

16 April 2024
Congratulations to Domenico Chiarella, Nicola Scarselli and Jürgen Adam who have edited the newly published book by Elsevier entitled "Regional Geology and Tectonics
Volume 2: Phanerozoic Rift Systems and Sedimentary Basins". This book comes on the heel of the first volume of the series published in 2020. Domenico, Nicola and Jürgen teach in our MSc programme.

30 March 2024
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have completed the grand tour of SW England. They have been in Cornwall to examine Devonian strata and Permian igneous intrusions and visited Eden Geothermal where we learnt about drilling and operations of a geothermal site. Thanks to Tony Bennett, Steve Mabbott and the staff at the Green Build Hub for welcoming us at Eden!
Their journey continued to Somerset and Dorset, where iconic geological sites offered a firsthand look at how field geology is vital for resource exploration and subsurface storage of fluids.

15 February 2024
Very busy times for our Energy Geosciences MSc students who have been working in our computer lab as well as in class learning about core logging, geostorage, basin modelling, subsurface evaluation. A big thank you to our external contacts and industry experts who have contributed to the teaching -
John Hughes, Ashely Price, Bernie Vining, Anirban Basu, Leigh Truelove, Lawrence Gill, Callum Leighton, Herbert Volk, Jonathan Craig, James ILIFFE, Chris Willacy, Bill Senior, Trevor Burchette, David Griffith.

12 January 2024
Prof David Waltham who teaches geophysics in the Energy Geosciences MSc has penned a piece on The Conversation about the role of 'gold' hydrogen in the energy transition. You can read the piece here.

21 December 2023
Congratulations to our MSc Energy Geosciences student Parichat Srisen for winning the prize for the best MSc project awarded by the British Sedimentological Research Group.
Parichat did a project on the charaterisation of a Miocene carbonate system in the Browse Basin (Australia) under the supervision of Domenico Chiarella and Trevor Burchette.

11 December 2023
A fantastic way to finish the autumn term for our Energy Geosciences MSc students. We had a careers event during which alumni Abby Hedger (Orsted) and Thameem Mulakkampilly Shamsudeen (TGS) have met the students. We also gathered to celebrate the great effort students have put into completing this first term. We look forward to seeing everybody back in the department in January.

3 November 2023
No classes last Wednesday for our Energy Geosciences MSc students so they could attend The Geological Society of London Careers Fair. Thanks to our student Helina Alemayehu for the pics.

13 October 2023
We had a very successful meeting of the Energy Geosciences MSc Advisory Board. We thank the board members who met and discussed with our MSc students. Many thanks also to Graeme Bagley for his thought-provoking presentation on the themes of geosciences in the next ten years.

At the meeting we also welcomed the new members of the board and we thanked them for their effort in supporting our course and students in the future -

Julian Richardson: CUO Green Solutions, Munich RE

Abby Hedger: Senior Geophysicist, Ørsted

Angus McCoss: CTO & Co-Founder, dCarbonX Limited

Waldemar Banasiak: Technical Manager, Saipem

Bill Powell: Senior Geoscientist, PGS

Brian Critchley: Principal Geoscientist, Geo-4D

4 September 2023
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have presented the results of their summer projects at our departmental symposium. Thanks to our industry contacts who have supported the students during the symposium. Congratulations to Parichat Srisen who earned the award for the Energy Geosciences MSc best research project! See LinkedIn post here.

1 July 2023
As part of her summer research project on the Scottish Coal Measures, our Energy Geosciences MSc Amanda Lima has visited the the British Geological Survey core store and laboratory in Keyworth | see LinkedIn post here.

5 May 2023
After the grand tour of SW England in March, our Energy Geosciences MSc students are in the field again. This time they are in the Spanish Pyrenees examining spectacular rock outcrops that demonstrate how field observations are critical to understand the subsurface for exploration and storage of energy resources. With Ian M. Watkinson, Domenico Chiarella and Philip Hirst.

29 March 2023
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have just come back from a geological grand tour of SW England. In Cornwall they examined spectacular outcrops of Devonian strata and Permian igneous intrusions. This provided the backdrop for a visit to Eden Geothermal Limited where they learnt about challenges and techniques involved in drilling a deep geothermal well - thanks to Tony Bennett for welcoming our students at Eden! In Somerset and Dorset, the students visited classic geological sites and learnt how field geology is critical for the exploration of hydrocarbon resources as well as for evaluating fluid flow and storage potential in the subsurface.

22 February 2023
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have just finished two weeks packed with lectures, practicals and seminars about subsurface energy storage and CCUS. A big thank you to Chris Willacy (Shell) for his lecture on induced seismicity, to Bill Senior (BluEnergy) for presenting the key business aspects of CCUS, to James ILIFFE (Shell) for an in-depth technical review of sealing mechanisms, and to Richard Worden (University of Liverpool) for his talk on CO₂ injectivity. Many thanks also to our Dave Waltham for organising these lectures as part of the 'CCS and Subsurface Energy' MSc module.

30 January 2023
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have been very busy after returning from the winter break. They have been in the lab with John Hughes and learnt geophysical workflows to assess the characteristics of reservoirs. With Ashely Price they have used pencils and paper to create common risk segment maps to define a framework for exploration of subsurface resources. The students have also worked with Lawrence Gill, Herbert Volk and Callum Leighton to learn how basic modelling workflows can be applied to better understand the geothermal, CCS and hydrocarbon potential of sedimentary basins.

1 December 2022
Our Energy Geoscience MSc students have been busy learning how to log cores with our industry lecturer and expert carbonate geologist Prof Trevor Burchette.

29 November 2022
The Energy Geosciences MSc students attended a careers event in our department today. Doreen Thompson-Addo from Royal Holloway careers office explained to students the range of services they can get from our University, from polishing CVs, to find graduate jobs and be fully prepared for interviews. Our students also met Dr. Dee Hay (Geothermal Lead at bp) and Hong-Ha Hang (Manager Technical Data Services at Perenco) and discussed careers opportunities for graduates in the geo energy sectors. Thanks to Doreen, Dee and Ha!

18 November 2022
The Energy Geosciences MSc students have been working in the computer lab with our industry lecturer Prof. Martin Insley and learnt how to use satellite imagery to understand the geology of remote terrains.

11 November 2022
Prof David Waltham, who teaches in our Energy Geosciences MSc course, has produced a new video that introduces the fundamentals concepts of Carbon Capture and Storage.
You can find the video here.

28 October 2022
The Energy Geosciences MSc students have been recently again in the lab with Prof Richard Ghail. They learnt this time how to use various GIS tools and related workflows.

21 October 2022
The Energy Geosciences MSc students are in the lab with Prof Dave Waltham learning how to code in R and master data analysis.

19 October 2022
Our 2022 graduate Ceirion Hopkins has just started his new position as Graduate Geophysical Advisor with Inosys. Ceirion together with Gabriella Adams, Alex McCabe, Ferdi Endinanda and James Harper have successful started their careers within weeks of completing our Energy Geosciences MSc programme.
LinkedIn post here.

11 October 2022
Prof Agust Gudmundsson, who teaches renewable energy on our Energy Geosciences MSc course, has just published a paper entitled 'The propagation paths of fluid-driven fractures in layered and faulted rocks'. The paper is Open Access so everyone can read if for free here.

10 October 2022
Great presentation this evening from David Eastwell (Nuclear Waste Services) to our Energy Geosciences MSc students on the importance of seismic data to search suitable sites for the disposal of nuclear waste. The talk highlighted how traditional subsurface skills are so critical to solve pressing energy challenges. Some very thoughtful questions and comments from our Energy Geosciences MSc students. Many thanks to David for meeting our students.

You can find David on LinkedIn here | LinkedIn post here

3 October 2022
Our Energy Geosciences MSc students have been learning how to investigate the subsurface utilising reflection and refraction seismic surveys. The students have been out acquiring seismic data with our lecturers Dr. Jonny Paul, Prof. Dave Waltham and Dr. Nicola Scarselli.

19 September 2022
Congratulations to our Prof Javier Hernandez-Molina, co-editors and authors on the newly published book by Elsevier entitled 'Deepwater Sedimentary Systems'. Javier teaches sedimentology on our Energy Geosciences MSc course. Congratulations Javier. See LinkedIn post here.

16 September 2022
Congratulations to Prof Domenico Chiarella and co-editors for their Volume II of The Geological Society Special Publication 495 focusing on the subsurface of the Atlantic Margin and the Barents Sea. Domenico teaches sedimentology and subsurface analysis on our Energy Geosciences MSc. Well done Domenico! See LinkedIn post here.

2 September 2022
We are delighted to announce that Watcharaphong Phothadee is the recipient of the 'Best Innovative Energy Geosciences Project' awarded by the Energy Geosciences MSc programme at Royal Holloway, University of London. The title of the research project is 'Determining stability of Fe-electrolytes in the UK Continental Shelf formation water for subsurface redox battery' under the supervision of Dr. Anirban Basu. Many congratulations Watcharaphong! You can find Watcharaphong on LinkedIn here.

1 September 2022
Our Energy Geosciences MSc student symposium has been a fantastic day fully packed with presentations and discussion. During the event, our students showcased the results of the research that they carried out during the summer. The presentations covered a great variety of themes centred around the wide field of the energy geosciences, including fractured reservoirs for lithium exploration; multistage salt structures; use of ‘big data’ for mineral resources; subsurface investigation for CSS, geothermal energy and hydrocarbon resources. Thanks to our guests who joined us online and ‘face to face’ on our lovely campus. Huge thanks to all companies and organisations who helped us this year with projects supervision and data.