Geological Prospecting Tools for Global Exploration

This hands-on 5-day course utilizes lectures and practical exercises to introduce key concepts of an effective petroleum system with emphasis on  global tectonics and how basins are formed, filled and deformed, and on learning key geologic prospecting tools for exploration. The Atlantic Margin basin is used as an example to discuss the elements of the petroleum system. Clastic rocks are emphasized (especially turbidites) but carbonate rocks and evaporite formation is also reviewed.

Discussions include introduction of key aspects of source rock, migration, overburden rock, reservoir characteristics including porosity, permeability and architecture,  seal rock characteristics, structural and stratigraphic traps, timing and preservation elements.

Prospecting Tools covered in this course include petrophysics for exploration geoscientists , bio- and sequence stratigraphic applications, essential log correlation workflow and log annotation methods, data contouring and mapping, applications of multiple working hypotheses, and utilization of direct hydrocarbon indicators to exploration. Students correlate various logs that illustrate faulted sections and straitigraphic variation, and create contour maps and learn to properly present faults in map view.

• Agenda
• Topics
• Audience
• Prerequisites

• Agenda

  Day 1

  Objectives and Overview of Module and Course

  Five Laws of Geology: Uniformitarianism, Superposition, Original Horizontality, Cross Cutting Relationships, and Walther's Law

  Petroleum Systems – components, definitions, and assessment

  Basin Formation

  Plate Tectonics and the Wilson Cycle

  Source Rocks in Conventional and Unconventional Petroleum Systems

  Basin Filling – clastics

  Carbonates and Dolomitization

  Clastic Depositional Models - Fluvial

  Day 2

  Clastic Depositional Models – Delta and Deepwater Turbidite

  Walthers Law

  Faulting as migration pathways and/or seals

  Review of Fault Types

  Hydrocarbon Traps - Good and Bad

  Salt Deformation

  Review of exploration in Salt Basins

  Sutures and Inclusions

  Rubble Zones and Imaging below Salt

  Day 3

  Petrophysics for Exploration

  Rock and Fluid Properties

  Porosity and Permeability

  Pressure and Compaction

  Compartmentalization

  Tool Applications

  Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy

  Accomodation Space

  Stratigraphic Sequences HST, FSST, LST, TST

  Carbonate vs Clastic Sequence Stratigraphy

  Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy

  Day 4

  Log Correlation Purpose and Methods

  Correlations for Structure

  Geological Scenarios for correlation

  What to Correlate? Log Headers

  Facies Correlation and accounting for Faults

  Using Seismic to aid correlation

  Day 5

  Mapping and Contouring – Definitions and Principles

  Creation of various types of contour map

  Multiple working hypotheses

  Contouring with Faults

  Isopach Maps

  DHI Concepts for Exploration

  Seismic interpretation and Anomolies

  Gas Effects and Bright Spots

  Prospecting with DHI's

  4D Seismic and Electromagnetic Data

• Topics

  Petroleum systems

  Plate tectonics and basin formation

  Depositional models

  Sedimentology and stratigraphy

  Faulting and fault traps

  Salt tectonics and exploration in salt basins

  Petrophysics for exploration

  Correlation - logs and log-seismic

  Mapping and contouring

  DHI concepts

• Audience

  This course is designed for exploration geoscientists and managers who need a foundational understanding the petroleum systems and key geologic prospecting techniques.

• Prerequisites

  Knowledge of Basic Petroleum Geology and Petroleum Systems

• Prerequisites