Program

6th Edition — 2026

31 August – 4 September 2026

The 6th School of Sandstone Reservoirs will take place at the GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.

The 2026 edition will maintain our commitment to excellence, bringing together world-class faculty and an intensive curriculum that spans sediment generation through diagenesis to energy transition applications.

Program Details

Dates: 31 August – 4 September 2026

Location: GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Format: In-person with field/lab components

Capacity: Limited to 25 participants

Target Audience:

• PhD students in sedimentology, stratigraphy, and reservoir geosciences
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Industry professionals in oil & gas, geothermal, and energy transition sectors

Core Topics

(subject to refinement)

Pre-Depositional Controls on Diagenesis

• External forcing controls: sediment production, transfer, and diagenesis
• Chemical weathering and lithological controls
• Sediment generation models
• Sediment genetics and why industry cares about diagenesis
• Pre-depositional controls on diagenetic pathways

Diagenetic Concepts, Processes, and Models

• Controls on the diagenetic pathway from deposition through burial
• Porosity types in sandstones and use of IGV (intergranular volume) as an index of compaction
• Mechanical compaction and contact-induced compaction ("pressure solution")
• Authigenic clay minerals in sandstones: occurrence, origins, and significance
• Authigenic carbonate minerals in sandstones: occurrence, origins, and significance
• Quartz cementation: precipitation kinetics and controls on nucleation surface area
• Grain coatings and porosity preservation mechanisms
• Secondary porosity development
• Diagenetic pathways across sediment routing systems

Burial History and Thermal Modeling

• Burial and stress modeling
• Thermal history reconstruction
• Future diagenesis prediction

Energy Transition Applications

• Geothermal reservoir quality prediction
• CO₂ storage and Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) case studies
• Mineral reactions in CCS and hydrogen generation
• Choosing analogs for reservoir prediction

Hands-On Practice

The School emphasizes practical application through intensive workshops and exercises:

Sediment Character and Composition

• Exercise: Predicting sediment composition from drainage basin characteristics
• Introduction to sedimentological modeling

Burial History Modeling

• Burial and stress modeling workshop
• Thermal modeling live demonstration

Diagenetic Modeling

• Diagenesis simulation workshop (multi-session)
• Forward modeling of diagenesis and reservoir properties
• Predicting reservoir quality

Core and Well Analysis

• Core analysis: braided river systems
• Core analysis: meandering river systems
• Well interpretation workshop
• Petrography and petrophysics integration

Registration Information

Registration will open: To be announced

Application Requirements:

• Current CV
• Cover letter (max 500 words) describing your research/career goals and motivation for attending

Participation Fees:

• PhD students: €800
• Postdoctoral researchers: €1,200
• Industry professionals: €2,000

Fees cover instruction, materials, field trips, and social events. Accommodation and travel are not included.

Selection Criteria:

• Quality of application
• Relevance to career/research development
• Global representation

Interested in the 2026 edition? Contact us to receive updates on dates, registration, and program details.

Past Editions