CHENNAI: The University of Madras, in order to boost industry-academia collaboration, will be launching an exclusive practical course on Mud logging and Petroleum Geology course in collaboration with Geolog International, Amsterdam, from the academic year 2020. Mud logging is the creation of a detailed record of a borehole by examining the cuttings of rock brought to the surface by the circulating mud.
Although most commonly used in petroleum exploration, mud logging is also sometimes used when drilling water wells and in other mineral exploration and hydrocarbon exploration. Geolog International is one of the largest international mudlogging company and it works with several petroleum companies globally.
As a part of the collaboration, the varsity has executed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Geolog to set up a state-of-the-art Petroleum Geology Training Laboratory in the Guindy campus of the varsity and provide training to students, said Siva Kumar Thangamani, the operations manager of Geolog International and an alumni of the varsity.
The company will provide course materials and the equipment, while the varsity has provided the space and staff for training. The laboratory will be used by post graduate students of Applied Geology Department at the varsity. “The module has been introduced to cater to the consistently increasing demand for graduates in Geology, Applied Geology and Earth Sciences,” said a senior official from the varsity.
The official added that students from the department have diversified into fields like Crystallography, Minerology, Geophysics, Coastal Zone Management and Disaster Management among other fields.
He added that the department has increased the number of seats from 15 to 40 in the last five years alone owing to the number of eligible students wanting to pursue the course and companies that are looking to recruit geologists.
Training lab
As a part of the collaboration, the varsity has executed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amsterdam-based Geolog International to set up a state-of-the-art Petroleum Geology Training Laboratory in the Guindy campus of the varsity and provide training to students, said Siva Kumar Thangamani, the operations manager of Geolog International and an alumni of the varsity