College of Science > Departments > Earth Sciences

The Department of Earth Sciences offers a Ph.D. degree in Earth Sciences and MSc degree in Petroleum Geosciences.

The Department of Earth Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University offers a doctorate of philosophy (Ph.D.) in various fields of earth sciences including petroleum geology, sedimentology, diagenesis and reservoir quality, sequence stratigraphy, structure geology, geochemistry and mineralogy, economic geology, hydrology, and remote sensing. The Ph.D. program is intended to broadly teach and train students for careers in academia, research, government, and industry sectors.

The Ph.D. program is designed to provide the students with the required knowledge and skills in research methods and presentation. The students will be trained to develop their skills on how to formulate hypotheses of a research problem, collect data, present results, interpret and discuss the results, and writing up the thesis. The thesis should have a significant contribution to a selected field of earth sciences.

The petroleum industry is growing fast as the demand for fossil fuels continues to increase. Currently, the demand for trained geoscientists is high and outstrips the supply of skilled professionals. The Sultanate of Oman is a key player in the oil and gas business of the Arabian Peninsula. Besides the production of a sizable oil and gas, the Sultanate has a unique geological heritage unparalleled by any other country in the region. Detailed sedimentary basin studies coupled with outcrops analogs provides a unique advantage in training quality geoscientists to cater to the need of the Sultanate and the region. In order to grasp this leading role, the Department of Earth Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University has established a Master’s program in Petroleum Geosciences in 2011.

Note: Click to add your name to the Postgraduate list.

MS.c in Petroleum Geosciences

Ph.D. in Earth Sciences

Available Projects

►Departmental Staff may add research projects for master and doctoral programs by filling the form

►Departmental master and doctoral students may show their interest in those listed research projects by approaching the respected departmental staff through email

Project #	1
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
Staff Email	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Geological characterization of Amin Formation as carbon dioxide storage site
Short Description	This research project is proposed to understand the geological characteristics of the Amin Formation to act as a storage site for CO2 based primarily on outcrop data. However, subsurface data from a selected hydrocarbon field can be included.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	Both MSc and PhD
Status	Already taken

Project #	2
Staff Name	Mohamed Moustafa
Staff Email	m.moustafa@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Fractures and diagenesis effect on the reservoir quality: An example from Albian-Cenomanian carbonate unit of the Natih Formation, Jabal Akhdar area, Oman
Short Description	This proposal aims to test and understand the reservoir quality and the interpreted fractures, diagenesis, and sequence stratigraphy surfaces in the carbonate of the Albian-Cenomanian Natih Formation that crops out in the Jabal Akhdar area, Oman.
Project Fund	Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project
Status	Already taken

Project #	3
Staff Name	Andreas Scharf
Staff Email	scharfa@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Structural, geochemical and mineralogical quartz vein studies in the Jabal Akhdar Dome
Short Description	The pre-Permian rocks of the Jabal Akhdar Dome contain numerous quartz veins with sizes ranging from some to tens of meters in length. This study will describe the orientation and structural style of these veins, their geochemistry, and their mineralogy. The structural data will provide insights into the condition(s) and overall stress field(s) during vein formation(s), which ultimately help to decipher the tectonic evolution of the Jabal Akhdar Dome. This project relies on fieldwork and laboratory work.
Project Fund	Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	4
Staff Name	Andreas Scharf
Staff Email	scharfa@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Mapping of the Fanja area
Short Description	The Fanja area is located between two major culminations – the Jabal Akhdar and Saih Hatat Dome. Within this area are carbonated ultramafic rocks exposed (listwaenite). The origin of these rocks is debated; they form either during the late Cretaceous obduction (convergence) or after the emplacement of the ophiolite (extension). The MSc student will structurally map the area in detail. Furthermore, carbonated ultramafic rocks will be geochemically and microscopically analyzed to obtain information on the origin of these rocks.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	6
Staff Name	Iftikhar Ahmed
Staff Email	iftikhar@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Sedimentology of the Muti Formation in part of the Jabal Akhadr area, Oman Mountains
Short Description	The Muti Formation is part of the Aruma Group and was deposited during the initiation of the Oman foreland basin that formed due to the obduction of the Samail ophiolite and Hawasina Supergroup during Late Cretaceous. The Muti Formation is exposed in various parts of the Jabal Al Akhdar mountain on top of the Hajar Supergroup rocks. The proposed project will deal with the detail description of the selected outcrops by describing lithofacies and lithofacies associations in part of the Jabal Akhdar mountain. Detailed outcrop section measurements, sample collection and petrographic studies to interpret the depositional environments and source of sediments are part of the study.
Project Fund	Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	7
Staff Name	Iftikhar Ahmed
Staff Email	iftikhar@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Stratigraphy, foraminiferal paleontology and facies architecture of the Late Cretaceous post-emplacement Simsima Formation in Oman
Short Description	The Late Cretaceous carbonate Simsima Formation is one of the first autochthonous deposits on the obducted ophiolite complex in Oman, characterized by the dominant occurrence of benthic foraminifera and rudists along with corals, algae, gastropods and echinoids. The formation is well exposed in the Oman mountains containing shallow marine bioclastic limestone. The unit locally overlaps the Qahlah Formation and rests directly upon the older units (Hawasina or Sumeini Group) with an angular unconformity and elsewhere, sandstones of the Qahlah Formation may interfinger with the lower limestone beds of the Simsima Formation. This project aims to describe and interpret the stratigraphic development, foraminiferal paleontology and facies architecture of the Simsima Formation in various outcrops between Sur and Buraymi areas.
Project Fund	Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	9
Staff Name	Mohamed Moustafa
Staff Email	m.moustafa@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Impact of Stylolitization on Diagenesis and Reservoir Quality within the carbonate formations
Short Description	In this study, we will integrated petrographic, isotopic, permeability and spectral gamma-ray analysis on cement and whole rock samples associated with stylolites from several formations within Oman
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	10
Staff Name	Mohamed Moustafa
Staff Email	m.moustafa@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Integrating sequence stratigraphy and diagenesis within deep carbonate formations in Oman
Short Description	This study will select a few deep carbonate units and build up their sequence stratigraphy. After that, we can study the diagenesis within the sequence stratigraphy surfaces and see how reservoir quality is changing
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	Both MSc and Ph.D.

Project #	11
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Grain-coating clays control of cementation by quartz overgrowths with an example from Amin Formation outcrop in Huqf Region of Oman
Short Description	Grain-coating clays are common constituents in many sandstone reservoirs worldwide and are playing a crucial role in controlling reservoir quality, either positively or negatively. Prediction of the origin, type, texture, and distribution of such clays within oil-gas reservoirs is crucial for exploring and exploiting the deeply-buried sandstone reservoirs; however, such a prediction is still poorly understood. The main problems we seek to test in this project are (i) how the depositional process, notably stream flow energy and grain size and climate condition, controls the clay incorporation into the sand and its type, texture, thickness, and distribution, and (ii) how such incorporated clays evolve during deep burial to inhibit the cementation by quartz overgrowths. Inhibition of such cementation, notably quartz overgrowths, during deep-burial eventually results in preserving high porosity. This study will aims to examine in detail and document, the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of grain-coating clays on the development of quartz overgrowths in the outcropped Paleozoic Amin Formation using various techniques including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, QMEScan, and possibly isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	Both MSc and Ph.D.

Project #	12
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Microfacies and diagenesis control on reservoir quality within sequence stratigraphy of Shuaiba Formation in northern Oman
Short Description	Diagenesis and reservoir quality of carbonates have been a research theme of industrial and academic interest for decades. It dealt extensively with the understanding of parameters controlling the type of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality preservation, destruction, and enhancement. Lately, it is demonstrated that the parameters controlling the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality can be better predicted within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy. Accordingly, integrating diagenesis into depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy is possible and can be considered as a powerful tool for a better understanding of the type and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their control on reservoir quality evolution and distribution. This will ultimately help in developing better plans during exploration, production, and enhanced recovery strategies. This study aims to examine in detail and document the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of diagenetic alterations in the outcropped Shuaiba Formation using various techniques, including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, CL, QMEScan, and isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	MSc Type Project
Status	Already taken

Project #	13
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Diagenetic alterations and their control of reservoir quality along and below sequence boundary with examples from carbonate and clastic sequences in Oman
Short Description	Diagenesis and reservoir quality of siliciclastic and carbonates have been a research theme of industrial and academic interest for decades. It dealt extensively with the understanding of parameters controlling the type of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality preservation, destruction, and enhancement. Lately, it is demonstrated that the parameters controlling the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality can be better predicted within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy. This study will aims to examine in detail and document, the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of diagenetic alterations along and below the sequence boundary on reservoir quality using various techniques including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, CL, QMEScan, and isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	14
Staff Name	Mohamed Farfour
	mfarfour@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Applications of Machine Learning in geophysical reservoir characterization
Short Description	This project aims to apply machine learning techniques in geophysical reservoir characterization. It involves combining different types of data sets using supervised and unsupervised reservoir characterization.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	15
Staff Name	Mohamed Farfour
	mfarfour@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Seismic techniques for diagenetic facies analysis and prediction
Short Description	The project aims to examine the ability of seismic techniques to detect, analyze, and predict facies changes caused by diagenetic processes.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	16
Staff Name	Arshad Ali
Staff Email	arshadali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Oman Ophiolites: integrated carbon mineralization and enhanced critical metals' recovery
Short Description	As the first quarter of the twenty-first century comes to a close, the Earth faces several challenges related to environmental sustainability and the need for new materials to meet the needs of emission reduction efforts for a sustainable planet. The most significant of these are the challenges associated with mitigating climate change, specifically the accumulated historical emissions in the atmosphere and the global demand for critical metals, which is associated with higher emissions during natural resource exploration and is used in various climate change mitigation technologies such as fuel cells, electric cars, and electronics. The targeted critical metals would be nickel, copper, cobalt, PGE, and rare earth elements. Having said that, I intend to continue my current research at ESRC by supervising graduate students focusing on Oman's natural resources and industrial waste.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	Both MSc and PhD.

Project #	17
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
Staff Email	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Depositional facies and diagenesis control on reservoir quality of Al Khlata Formation
Short Description	Diagenesis and reservoir quality of siliciclastic have been a research theme of industrial and academic interest for decades. It dealt extensively with understanding parameters controlling the type of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality preservation, destruction, and enhancement. Lately, it is demonstrated that the parameters controlling the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality can be better predicted within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy. Accordingly, integrating diagenesis into depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy is possible and can be considered as a powerful tool for a better understanding of the type and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their control on reservoir quality evolution and distribution. This will ultimately help in developing better plans during exploration, production, and enhanced recovery strategies. This study aims to examine in detail and document, the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of diagenetic alterations in the outcropped Al Khlata Formation using various techniques including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, CL, QMEScan, and isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	18
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
Staff Email	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Depositional facies and diagenesis control on reservoir quality of Gharif Formation
Short Description	Diagenesis and reservoir quality of siliciclastic have been a research theme of industrial and academic interest for decades. It dealt extensively with the understanding of parameters controlling the type of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality preservation, destruction, and enhancement. Lately, it is demonstrated that the parameters controlling the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality can be better predicted within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy. Accordingly, integrating diagenesis into depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy is possible and can be considered as a powerful tool for a better understanding of the type and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their control on reservoir quality evolution and distribution. This will ultimately help in developing better plans during exploration, production, and enhanced recovery strategies. This study aims to examine in detail and document, the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of diagenetic alterations in the outcropped Gharif Formation using various techniques including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, CL, QMEScan, and isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	19
Staff Name	Mohamed El-Ghali
Staff Email	melghali@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Microfacies and diagenesis control on reservoir quality within sequence stratigraphy of Habshan Formation in northern Oman
Short Description	Diagenesis and reservoir quality of carbonates have been a research theme of industrial and academic interest for decades. It dealt extensively with the understanding of parameters controlling the type of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality preservation, destruction, and enhancement. Lately, it is demonstrated that the parameters controlling the types and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their subsequent control on reservoir quality can be better predicted within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy. Accordingly, integrating diagenesis into depositional facies and sequence stratigraphy is possible and can be considered as a powerful tool for a better understanding of the type and distribution of diagenetic alterations and their control on reservoir quality evolution and distribution. This will ultimately help in developing better plans during exploration, production, and enhanced recovery strategies. This study aims to examine in detail and document, the origin, type, texture, distribution, and control of diagenetic alterations in the outcropped Shuaiba Formation using various techniques including optical microscopic analysis, confocal microscopic analysis, XRD, XRF, SEM, EDS, CL, QMEScan, and isotopes analysis.
Project Fund	Searching For Fund
Project Type	MSc Type Project
Status	Already taken

Project #	20
Staff Name	Osman Abdalla
Staff Email	osman@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Artificial Intelligence for understanding seawater intrusion
Short Description	The candidate will apply different AI algorithms to understand the dynamics and behaviour of seawater intrusion on the Batinah coast
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	Both MSc and Ph.D.

Project #	21
Staff Name	Rifaat Abdalla
Staff Email	rabdalla@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Application of Remote Sensing in monitoring and mapping potential areas for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in petroleum reservoirs
Short Description	Carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during fossil fuel extraction and injecting it into geological formations for long-term storage. Petroleum reservoirs have been identified as a potential site for CCS due to their large storage capacity and proximity to existing oil and gas infrastructure. Remote sensing technologies can be used to monitor and map potential areas for CCS by identifying geological features such as faults, fractures, or permeable layers that can be used for CO2 storage. This research investigates the applicability of remote sensing techniques for monitoring and mapping potential CCS sites in petroleum reservoirs.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Project #	22
Staff Name	Rifaat Abdalla
Staff Email	rabdalla@squ.edu.om
Project Title	Applications of GIS in optimization of site selection for alternative energy sources using multi-criteria decision making.
Short Description	With the shift towards alternative energy sources, oil and gas companies are starting to explore opportunities beyond petroleum. Petroleum basins, which are known for their geologic complexity and data richness, offer potential sites for alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, or hydropower. Geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to analyze and evaluate various factors such as land use, topography, soil type, and availability of infrastructure, to optimize site selection for alternative energy sources. In this research, we aim to investigate how GIS can be used to optimize site selection for alternative energy sources in petroleum basins.
Project Fund	Non-Funded Project
Project Type	MSc Type Project

Dates of Application

Submission of applications will be usually from January to February every year.

How to Apply

Use the online postgraduate system to submit your application https://pas.squ.edu.om/ and pay

the application fees https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/ProspectiveStudents

Then, Application Fees

For more information please visit https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/ProspectiveStudents

Scholarships for Program

Various full- and/or partial scholarships are available to support postgraduate students from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) for Omani and international students and PDO, CGG, and Tethys Oil Company for Omani students. For more information please visit https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/ProspectiveStudents.

Then, Scholarships

International Students

For information related to visa processing, transportation, accommodation, health care, and catering service, please visit https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/ProspectiveStudents

Then, Postgraduate International Student

Registration and Graduation

For course registration, withdrawal, postponement, extension, probation, thesis defense, and graduation procedure please visit the following link:

https://www.squ.edu.om/ps/en-us/CurrentStudents

Then, Course Registration and Graduation Procedures

Seminar Template

Use the following Templates for the Postgraduate Seminar, Preliminary Oral Exam, and the final defense

Ph.D. Preliminary Oral Exam	PPT	PDF
Ph.D. First Seminar	PPT	PDF
Ph.D. Second Seminar	PPT	PDF
Ph.D. Thesis Defense	PPT	PDF
MSc First Seminar	PPT	PDF
MSc Second Seminar	PPT	PDF
MSc Thesis defense	PPT	PDF