The University of Texas at San Antonio has received software worth $2.5 million from Petroleum Experts, a Scottish company, for geological science students.

“This important technology helps ensure our graduates will be well-equipped to compete in the job market,” said Hongjie Xie, chair of the university’s Department of Geological Science, in a statement.

The software, known as MOVE, enables students and researchers to look at rock deposits below the ground surface and identify water, oil and gas underground. It can be applied in many ways in the oil and gas industry.

MOVE has visualizations and modeling techniques to determine the direction of stress associated with faults. It can work through geological time and helps reduce risks in structural models, according to the university.

UTSA was also given the software license last year, according to a news release. Faculty and students have explored structural geology with the program.

It has helped them interpret seismic data in a region of South Texas with many faults, said Alexis Godet, associate professor of geological sciences. One of the next steps is to test the faults’ capacity to conduct fluids, Godet said.

The university will also use the software to develop research projects involving natural resources.

Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN