Peter Flemings

Research Scientist, UTIG
Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Leonidas T. Barrow Centennial Chair in Mineral Resources

PhD, Geology, Cornell University, 1990
MS, Geology, Cornell University, 1987
BA, Geology, Dartmouth College, 1984

Telephone: 512-475-8738
Email: pflemings@jsg.utexas.edu

Peter Flemings’ Research Interests
Stratigraphy, basin analysis, basin-scale fluid flow

Dr. Flemings couples observation with theoretical analysis to study crustal fluid flow at human and geologic timescales. He asks classical questions such as: 1) what is the relationship between faulting, pressure, and stress? 2) What is the shallow crust’s permeability and how does it vary with stress and pore pressure? 3) How is continental margin morphology controlled by fluid flow? 4) How do hydrocarbons move at both geological and production time scales? 5) What is the mechanism by which gas and oil vents form? 6) How are methane hydrate deposits generated? He also explore practical questions such as: 1) How do we predict pore pressure in basins? 2) Under what conditions will blowouts form? 3) How can we design and drill safe and economic wells?

Dr. Flemings works closely with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), studies fluid pressure in the Nankai Accretionary Prism and helped develop a pore pressure penetrometer for ocean drilling. He leads an industry-supported research consortium (UT GeoFluids) that combines geomechanical modeling, experimental analysis, and field study to study pore pressure and fluid flow in basins. He is fascinated by methane hydrates and his research group simulates them in the lab and models their formation. Most recently, Dr. Flemings is leading a new initiative to drill methane hydrates in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, his team studies the permeability and deformation of mudstones in the GeoMechanics laboratory.