Enrique Gomez-Rivas

Sedimentary Petrology, Structural Geology, Geofluids, Energy Transition

Research projects

Selection of currently active research projects:

Predicting evaporite rock behaviour in the subsurface: a step change for the Energy Transition in Spain (ERBET). Funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain ("Consolidación Investigadora" Project). Principal investigator. University of Barcelona.
New evaporite records from the Eastern and Western Mediterranean: contributions to the evolution of the last saline giant and opportunities for the energy transition (EVAMED). Funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (Knowledge Generation R&D Projects). Principal investigator (with Luis Gibert as co-Principal Investigator). University of Barcelona.

Evolution and tectono-stratigraphic architecture of the Castellón Group (Upper Miocene) at the Valencia Trough and their implications for CO2 storage (WestMedCCS). (Postdoc project of Marc Gil). Funded by Repsol Exploración S.A. Principal Investigator (with Juan Alcade as co-Principal Investigator). University of Barcelona.
Social, biological and climatic impacts of salt ages, EU COST Action . Funded by the COST Association (European Cooperation in Science & Technology). Co-investigator (with Konstantina Agiadi as PI).

Tracing fluid migration at the Eastern Pyrenees. Data from quartz veins. (PhD project of Eloi González-Esvertit). Funded by the AGAUR FI PhD grants (Catalan government). PhD supervisor (with Àngels Canals as co-supervisor). University of Barcelona.

Paleoenvironmental records and sedimentary processes during the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Neogene basins of Almeria. (PhD project of Gustavo Kenji Orita Lacerda). Funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (FPI Phd grants). PhD supervisor (with Luis Gibert as co-supervisor). University of Barcelona.

Paleoenvironmental record and sedimentological processes during the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Almeria basins from outcrops and boreholes. (PhD project of Nuria Sierra). Funded by the AGAUR FI-SDUR PhD grants (Catalan government). PhD supervisor (with Luis Gibert as co-supervisor). University of Barcelona.

The Messinian Salinity Crisis in the Bajo Segura Basin (Spain), characterization and integration of new borehole information with available outcrops and geophysical data. (PhD project of Jingjing Liu). Funded by the AGAUR FI PhD grants (Catalan government). PhD supervisor (with Luis Gibert and Hugo Corbí as co-supervisors). University of Barcelona.

Completed PhD projects as supervisor:

6. Baoqin Hao, University of Barcelona. Dynamic behaviour of salt rocks: exploring the interplay between deformation and recrystallization with full-field numerical simulations. 2020-2024. Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Barcelona. PhD supervisors: Enrique Gomez-Rivas, Albert Griera and Maria-Gema Llorens.
5. Elliot Humphrey, University of Aberdeen. Understanding the effects of structural diagenesis on controlling fluid flow in carbonates. 2017-2022. Funded by the NERC CDT in Oil&Gas and Equinor. PhD supervisors: Enrique Gomez-Rivas, Joyce Neilson, Juan Diego Martín-Martín and Dave Healy. [link]
4. Johanna Heeb, Curtin University and University of Aberdeen. Listening through rock salt: Quantifying petrofabrics and seismic velocity anisotropy of evaporites to improve seismic imaging. 2017-2022. Funded by Curtin-Aberdeen Alliance. PhD supervisors: Nick Timms, Dave Healy, Enrique Gomez-Rivas and Chris Elders. [link]
3. Guillem Piris, Autonomous University of Barcelona. Evaluation of reservoir potential and induced seismicity of deep geothermal systems. 2015-2022. Funded by the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC) and AGAUR (Catalan government) through an industrial doctorate. PhD supervisors: Albert Griera and Enrique Gomez-Rivas. [link]
2. Xiaolong Sun, University of Barcelona. Carbon capture and storage in compressional basins: global to reservoir-scale assessments and integrated case study of the Puig-reig anticline (SE Pyrenees). 2018-2021. Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Barcelona. PhD supervisors: Enrique Gomez-Rivas and Juan Alcalde. [link].
1. Shuqing Yao, University of Aberdeen. Static modelling of a shallow-marine carbonate reservoir analogue: prediction of facies distribution, sequence stratigraphy and fault-associated dolostone geometry. 2015-2019. Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Aberdeen through an Elphinstone PhD scholarship. PhD supervisors: Enrique Gomez-Rivas, John Howell and Juan Diego Martín-Martín. [link]

Recently completed projects (2017-2023):

Ramón y Cajal Fellowship – Understanding the interplay between deformation, dynamic fluid flow and rock alteration in the Earth’s crust. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain. Principal Investigator. University of Barcelona.
Dynamic behaviour of salt rocks: exploring the interplay between deformation, recrystallisation and trace element transport with full-field numerical simulations. (PhD project of Baoqin Hao). Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Barcelona. PhD supervisor (with Albert Griera and Maria-Gema Llorens as co-supervisors). University of Barcelona.
Thermo-hydro-mechanical numerical simulations of coupled fluid flow and rock deformation in sedimentary basins at multiple scales: from orogen-controlled regional fluid flow to CO2 and hydrogen reservoir injection. (Postdoc project of Saipeng Huang). Funded by the China Scholarship Council. Postdoc advisor (with Albert Griera as co-advisor). University of Barcelona.
Controls on the distribution and genesis of dolomitized carbonate reservoirs – case studies from the Middle Permian Sichuan Basin (China) and the Jurassic-Cretaceous Maestrat Basin (Spain). (Postdoc project of Haofu Zheng). Funded by the China Scholarship Council. Postdoc advisor (with Juan Diego Martín and Anna Travé as co-advisors). University of Barcelona.
Development of methodologies applied to risk management on induced seismicity during fluid injection in geothermal reservoirs (PhD project of Guillem Piris). Funded by the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (Catalan Geological Survey) and AGAUR (Catalan government, industrial doctorate). PhD co-supervisor (with Albert Griera as co-supervisor). Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Determining the main controls on fault-associated dolomitisation and their influence on reservoir quality distribution (PhD project of Elliot Humphrey). Funded by the NERC Centre for Doctoral Training in oil & gas. PhD supervisor (with Joyce Neilson and Juan Diego Martín-Martín as co-supervisors). University of Aberdeen.

Listening through rock salt: Quantifying petrofabrics and seismic velocity anisotropy of evaporites to improve seismic imaging (PhD project of Johanna Heeb). Funded by the Curtin-Aberdeen universities alliance. PhD co-supervisor (with Nick Timms and Dave Healy as co-supervisors). Curtin University (Australia) and University of Aberdeen.

Unravelling fluid flow during the evolution of inverted basins and orogenic belts: application to CO2 storage. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain. Co-investigator (with Anna Travé and Juan Diego Martín-Martín as co-PIs). University of Barcelona.

Prediction of structural damage, fracture cementation and fluid flow in folds associated with thrusts: application to CO2 storage and hydrocarbon reservoirs (PhD project of Xiaolong Sun). Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Barcelona. 2018-2021. PhD supervisor (with Juan Alcalde and Anna Travé as co-supervisors). University of Barcelona.

Understanding the interplay between dynamic fluid flow and structural diagenesis during the evolution of fold and thrust belts, using the Southern Pyrenees as a natural laboratory. Funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (European Commission) and AGAUR (Catalan government). 2018-2019. Principal Investigator. University of Barcelona.

Study of the petrophysical properties of Empordà carbonate formations for the evaluation of their geothermal energy potential (Postdoc project of Irene Cantarero). Funded by the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya – ICGC. 2019. Principal investigator (with Anna Travé as co-PI, and Juan Diego Martín-Martín and Telm Bover-Arnal as co-investigators). University of Barcelona. (This is part of the Horizon 2020 ERA-NET project HotLime: Mapping and Assessment of Geothermal Plays in Deep Carbonate Rocks – Cross-domain Implications and Impacts).

Fluid flow during the evolution of an orogen: diagenetic, hydrothermal and metamorphic characterisation with application to CO2 storage and resource exploration. Funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain. 2016-2018. Co-investigator (with Anna Travé as PI). University of Barcelona.

Improved understanding of fluid flow in partially dolomitised hydrocarbon reservoirs (PhD project of Shuqing Yao). Funded by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Aberdeen. 2015-2018. Main PhD supervisor (with John Howell and Juan Diego Martín-Martín as co-supervisors). University of Barcelona.