Introduction to Geology

Introduction

Course Objectives - History and Economics of Petroleum - Prudhoe Bay Example

Geology in General

Geological Principles - Earth Structure and Plate Tectonics - Geological Time and Age Dating - Major Rock Types

Structural Features

Structural Style and Stress Fields - Folds, Faults, Unconformities, and Fractures - Structural and Hydrocarbon Traps

Clastic Depositional Systems

Continental Systems – Fluvial Systems - Deltaic Systems and Types - Marine Systems – barriers and deepwater fans

Carbonate Depositional Systems

Carbonate and Clastic systems contrasts - Carbonate Facies Models - Carbonate Platforms and Ramp Systems - Carbonate Reservoir Properties - Classification of Carbonate Rocks

Geologic Mapping and Cross-Sections

Mapping and Contouring Concepts - Contouring Types and Guidelines - Isopach / Net Pay Mapping Exercises - Structural and Stratigraphic Cross-Sections - Constructing a Cross-Section - Property Mapping Exercises - North Frisco City Field Example

The Petroleum System

What is a Petroleum System? - Processes of Hydrocarbon Generation - Source Rocks – Organic Matter Types - Traps and Seals – definition and types - The Play Concept - Petroleum System Processes and Events

Correlation and Stratigraphy

Principles of correlation - Use of Wireline Logs for Correlation - Correlation Approaches – Lithostratigraphy and Chronostratigraphy - Sequence Stratigraphy, Seismic Stratigraphy & Biostratigraphy

Pore Systems and Diagenesis

Characterizing the Pore System - Porosity and Permeability - Classification of Clastic Rocks - Creation, destruction and preservation of porosity - Diagenesis - Clay Types and Distributions - Porosity types in clastic and carbonate rocks

Geological Modeling

Building a Static Reservoir Model - Input Datatypes - Reservoir Heterogeneity and Scales of Investigation - Deterministic and Stochastic Modeling - Using Seismic Data in Modeling - Derivation of Geological Models using Flow Units

Unconventional Resources

Shale as a hydrocarbon source and reservoir - Unconventional Gas and Oil - History, definitions, economics.

Seismic Methods and Petroleum Geology

Use of Seismic Tools in Petroleum Geology - Basic Principles of the Reflection Seismic Method - Data Acquisition – Land, Marine, and Borehole - Data Processing - Seismic Interpretation – 2D, 3D, and 4D

Wellbore Data - Wireline and Core

What Logging Means - Different Measurements We Make - Basic Wireline Tools, and what they measure - Processing and Interpretation - Analysis of Porosity, Saturation, and Lithology - Coring a well, Conventional and Sidewall - Core Analysis - Log-Core Correlation and Calibration.