Cameron Morelli

PhD student - Eng

Biography

• 2005 - Present: Ph.D in Engineering (Petroleum Geomechanics) - Australian School of Petroleum, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
• 2000 - 2004: B.E.(Mechanical)/B.Sc.(Chemistry Double Major) - University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Professional Societies/Memberships

• Engineers Australia (GradIEAust)
• Australian Geomechanics Society
• Australian Earthquake Engineering Society
• American Rock Mechanics Association
• International Society for Rock Mechanics

PhD research project

A New Geomechanical Tool for the Evaluation of Hydrocarbon Trap Integrity

Supervisors: Mark B. Jaksa (School of Civil & Environmental Engineering), Suzanne P. Hunt (ASP/Santos), Peter J. Boult (PIRSA)

Scholarship support: Australian Research Council; Petroleum & Geothermal Group, PIRSA

Project Description

Hydrocarbon exploration drilling is an intrinsically high risk, high cost activity. Even once a potential reservoir is located there remains the possibility that under recent geological activity the trap has become breached and leaked due to failure of overlying or adjacent rock. This project will develop a technique that builds on current predictive techniques, and numerical modelling methods, to produce a series of subsurface geomechanical models for four important petroleum basins. This new and integrated geomechanical approach will improve current predictive capabilities for detecting breached traps, thus enhancing prospectivity in the major petroleum provinces of Australia.

Publications

• Hunt, SP, Morelli, CP, Boult, PJ, Hill, T, & Sinadinovski, C 2006, 'Seismic hazard assessment through predictive modelling of local stress changes due to hot fractured rock geothermal energy operations in the Cooper Basin of South Australia', AEES2006 - Proceedings of the 2006 Australian Earthquake Engineering Society Conference, AEES, Canberra, ACT, Australia, pp. 203-205.
• Morelli, CP & Hunt, SP 2006, 'Prediction of stress states in the Cooper Basin, Australia', 7YGPC - Proceedings of the 7th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference, Australian Geomechanics Society/New Zealand Geotechnical Society, Adelaide, SA, Australia, pp. 133-138.
• Hunt, SP, Morelli, CP, Boult, PJ, Malavazos, M, Hill, T & Sinadinovski, C 2006, 'Seismic hazard assessment through predictive modelling of local stress changes due to hot fractured rock (HFR) geothermal energy operations in South Australia', Geothermal Resources: Securing Our Energy Future - Proceedings of the 2006 Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting, GRC, San Diego, CA, USA.
• Morelli, CP, Hunt, SP & Boult, PJ 2006, 'Calibration of distinct element models for the Cooper Basin, Australia - towards improved hydrocarbon production', GoldenRocks 2006, 50 Years of Rock Mechanics: Landmarks & Future Challenges - Proceedings of the 41st US Rock Mechanics Symposium, American Rock Mechanics Association, Golden, CO, USA, paper 06-939.