PhD student (f_m_x) Rock physics - GEOZEIT/HyPrepare project [english] in Potsdam bei Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ

Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum - GFZ

The Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences is the national centre for geosphere research. As a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres we are part of the largest scientific organization in Germany. With approximately 1,400 employees our key mission is to secure a profound understanding of the systems and processes of solid Earth, to develop strategies and options for action in addressing global change and its impacts on a regional level, to understand natural hazards and to minimize associated risks, to ensure the sustainable provision of energy and raw materials for a high-tech society and to evaluate the influence of human activity on system Earth.

As a partner in Geo.X, the GFZ has access to an excellent network of other geoscience institutions in Potsdam and Berlin. This largest regional concentration of geoscientific competence in Europe offers first-class cooperation and development opportunities.

The expansion of renewable energies as a contribution to the energy transition will increase the independence from fossil energy sources and at the same time reduce geopolitical risks for energy supply in the long term. To ensure the security of supply in the course of the transformation of our energy system, key technical and scientific challenges must be solved. The deep underground offers enormous potential for both the decarbonisation of the energy system and the increasing need for energy storage.

To exploit these potentials, we are developing solutions for the expansion of geological pore storage for energy-relevant gases in the TWh range as well as their upscaling on a technical scale. As part of the Helmholtz research project GEOZeit: Geotechnologies for a turnaround in energy supply in Germany - Energy and material storage in the deep underground the feasibility and assessment of stable reservoir properties will be investigated for a suitable pore storage pilot site, in preparation for and development of a hydrogen demonstrator in a saline aquifer.

In this research project, we are offering two PhD positions and one PostDoc position for ambitious and motivated researchers to undertake experimental investigations and numerical modelling regarding the fundamental processes associated with the geological storage of hydrogen. The candidates will be part of the Helmholtz-funded GEOZeit/HyPrepare project, in which preparatory studies for a future hydrogen saline aquifer demonstrator are being conducted.

For section 4.8 Geoenergy (department “Geosystems”), we are looking for a:

PhD student (f_m_x) Rock physics - GEOZEIT/HyPrepare project

Reference Number 6861

Planning, performance and analysis of hydraulic-mechanical laboratory experiments under in-situ reservoir conditions with the aim to assess the influence of cyclic mechanical load changes and geochemical processes on the permeability and mechanical stability of pore storage rocks in order to simulate seasonal hydrogen injection and withdrawal cycles at laboratory scale.

Your responsibilities:

Measurement and analysis of petrophysical rock properties at ambient and simulated reservoir conditions
Performance of hydro-mechanical test cycles
Geochemical and mineralogical characterisation (XRD, XRF, SEM) and microstructural analysis (micro-CT) of rock cores
Independent planning, organisation and performance of laboratory work/experiments
Publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at scientific conferences

Your qualifications:

Master's degree or equivalent in geosciences (geology or geophysics), engineering, physics or related fields
Pronounced interest in laboratory work (craftsmanship is an advantage)
Strong analytical skills
Practical experience in the field of electrical impedance spectroscopy, ultrasonic methods and permeability measurements is an advantage
Ability to work independently, in a structured and target-oriented manner
Excellent teamwork and communication skills for working in an interdisciplinary environment
Very good knowledge of English (both oral and written)