(Level A) $98,574- $105,611 per annum plus an employer contribution of 17% superannuation

30 months fixed-term | Full-time

The University of Adelaide is a large and successful university in Australia’s Group of Eight research intensive universities, distinguished by its international reputation and commitment to innovation and excellence in research and teaching. The University of Adelaide boasts one of Australia’s best research and teaching teams in the field of GeoEnergy, with a focus on fundamental and applied science and engineering research. The Discipline of Earth Sciences is in search of a post-doctoral research fellow (Level A) to join the Australian Research Council (ARC), state government and industry-funded Stress, Structure and Seismic (S3) Research Group to join an active team of researchers working on identifying and reducing geomechanical risks associated with carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is critical to proposed pathways to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, with an estimated total geological storage requirement of 190 Gt of CO₂. However, existing CCS projects only capture and store around 40 Mt of CO₂ each year, so considerable upscaling is required, including the characterisation of many new storage reservoirs. Quantifying and managing the risks of fault reactivation is the leading obstacle to increasing the implementation of CCS, because CO₂ injection into reservoirs results in increased pore fluid pressure, which can reduce the strength of rocks and faults, and induce brittle failure. This could result in induced seismicity, with hydraulic fracturing of sealing formations providing pathways for CO₂ leakage.

Using data from the Cooper-Eromanga basins in central Australia, which have the potential to be a world leading CCS hub, the post-doctoral research fellow appointed to this position will develop multiscale geomechanical tools and workflows to assist in basin-scale screening for CCS locations in order to:

• Enable prediction of pre-injection stress conditions and geomechanical properties of potential CO₂ storage sites;
• Quantify how historical injection and extraction activities have impacted the poro-thermo-mechanical properties of target CO₂  and understand how such changes may impact the likelihood of geomechanical reservoir deformation;
• Understand how fault rock properties impact the likelihood of fault reactivation during CO₂ injection; and
• Constrain how CO₂-water-rock interactions impact the geomechanical integrity of reservoirs and seals.

Essential Minimum Criteria

Level A:

1. A completed or nearly completed PhD in structural geology, geomechanics, tectonics or geophysics.
2. An established record of scientific achievements in structural geology, geomechanics, tectonics or geophysics, including publications in international peer reviewed journals.
3. Demonstrated knowledge and outstanding interdisciplinary research skills related to shallow crustal deformation and geomechanics.
4. Fluency in written and spoken English, and excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to author technical and/or scientific writing and present work in conference and review meetings.
5. Interpersonal skills and ability to work as both an independent researcher and as a member of a diverse research team, collaborating toward goals, solving problems, and developing scientific ideas.
6. Strong potential to secure nationally competitive grants for research initiatives.

Desired Characteristics

1. Experience in the interpretation and modelling of subsurface geomechanical and geophysical datasets.
2. Experience in the numerical modelling of shallow crustal deformation processes.
3. Experience of or familiarity with experimental rock mechanics and/or gas-water-rock interactions
4. Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of fault and fracture systems in relation to subsurface CO₂ storage.
5. Ability to assist with the supervision of research students in the research area where required.
6. Ability to contribute to the preparation of research proposal submissions to funding bodies.
7. Ability to collaborate actively with industry, government and academic research partners.

Enjoy an outstanding career environment

The University of Adelaide is a uniquely rewarding workplace. The size, breadth and quality of our education and research programs - including significant industry, government and community collaborations - offers you vast scope and opportunity for a long, fulfilling career.

It also enables us to attract high-calibre people in all facets of our operations, ensuring you will be surrounded by talented colleagues, many world-leading. Our work's cutting-edge nature - not just in your own area, but across virtually the full spectrum of human endeavour - provides a constant source of inspiration.

Our culture is one that welcomes all and embraces diversity consistent with our Staff Values and Behaviour Framework and our Values of integrity, respect, collegiality, excellence and discovery. We firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, so we work to grow and diversify the skills, knowledge and capability of all our staff.

We embrace flexibility as a key principle to allow our people to manage the changing demands of work, personal and family life.

In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive staff benefits. These include: salary packaging; high-quality professional development programs and activities; and an on-campus health clinic, gym and other fitness facilities.

Learn more at: adelaide.edu.au/jobs

Your faculty's broader role

The Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology is a multidisciplinary hub of cutting-edge teaching and research. Many of its academic staff are world leaders in their fields and graduates are highly regarded by employers. The Faculty actively partners with innovative industries to solve problems of global significance. 

Learn more at: set.adelaide.edu.au

How to Apply

Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button to be taken through to the online application form. Please ensure you submit a cover letter, a resume, and a document of your responses to all the selection criteria for the position as listed above and contained in the selection criteria document.

***Applications close 11:55pm (ACST), Sunday 22nd September 2024***

For further information

For a confidential discussion regarding this position, contact:

Professor Simon Holford

South Australian State Chair of Petroleum Geoscience

Discipline of Earth Sciences

School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
E: simon.holford@adelaide.edu.au

The University of Adelaide is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply.

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