Romain Metge, France
Second year ISE student conducting thesis research in Switzerland
Name: Romain Metge
Age: 27
Hometown: Montpellier, France
Academic Background: M.Sc. in Geology of Natural Resources, University of Toulouse, France
Major & Class: Sustainable Energy, Class of 2018
Location of thesis research: Lausanne, Switzerland
How did you discover your thesis opportunity?
I emailed lot of people all around the world, mainly from local geothermal associations. Eventually, someone in Switzerland replied to my email and forwarded my résumé to their contacts at Services Industriels de Lausanne. A while after, they contacted me and invited me for a phone call. This was the starting point - after a few more calls we agreed to work with one another and wrote the thesis proposal.
What motivated you to travel and study in Lausanne, Switzerland?
When they replied to my email, I could feel they were really interested in me and what I had to offer. After we discussed it, the project turned out to be exactly what I want to do - it was a perfect match.
Not to mention Switzerland is a really cool and beautiful country. That's another source of motivation as well.
What thesis research are you conducting?
I am here to interpret specific seismic lines in order to discover the geology of the ground, and identify the potential geothermal layers/reservoirs for district heating purposes. I will also have to make 3D model of the ground and the reservoirs.
What do you hope to accomplish?
My tasks are extensive so I simply hope to finish all the aims and tasks that have been planned.
What are you most excited for during your time there?
I'm most excited for the interpretation and modeling aspects of my research, and get my first results. (I'm hoping they will be good!)
What do you expect will be your biggest challenges?
Having just started, I expect the data treatment will be one of the most challenging parts, followed afterwards by interpreting the results.
How will your research abroad compliment the rest of your studies with ISE?
My research abroad is actually a perfect compliment. During the first half of the ISE program, I learnt a lot during my technical (engineering) classes such as heat cycles used in geothermal plants and in the exploration classes (exploration steps, data interpretation). Now, I'm able to take this knowledge and apply it to real-world projects.