Deepwater Sedimentary Systems

Unit 1 Global Overview and Deepwater Building Blocks

• Historical perspective, technologies and current trends
• Deepwater systems with hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon potential
• Deepwater processes and facies overview
• Ancient, modern and subsurface analogues of deepwater systems

Unit 2 Downslope System

• Downslope processes: mass transport processes (slides, slumps, debris flows), turbidity currents, hybrid processes, hyperpycnal flow
• Downslope facies and facies models: mass transport deposits, coarse, medium and fine-grained turbidites, hybrid event beds, hyperpycnites
• Case studies: downslope

Unit 3 Alongslope System

• Alongslope processes: wind-driven currents, thermohaline circulation, cascades, bottom currents, internal tides and waves, benthic storms, water mass fronts, seafloor polishing
• Alongslope facies and models: muddy contourites, sandy contourites, calci-contourites
• Case studies: alongslope

Unit 4 Pelagic (Open Ocean) System

• Pelagic and hemipelagic processes, facies and facies models.: pelagic-hemipelagic system, deepwater black shales
• Case studies: pelagic/hemipelagic
• Unconventional reservoir characteristics, seals and source rocks

Unit 5 Petroleum perspective

• Deepwater source rocks and black shale occurrence
• Deepwater reservoir rocks and properties
• Deepwater seals: nature and properties
• Case studies

Unit 6 Architectural Elements – Downslope systems

• Element characterisation: geometry, seismics, vertical sequences, wireline logs, facies associations, attribute summary
• Channels and channel-fill
• Levees and interchannel areas
• Mass transport complexes
• Turbidite lobes and sheets

Unit 7 Architectural Elements – Alongslope systems

• Contourite drifts, sheets and depositional elements
• Contourite erosional elements
• Contourite terraces
• Hybrid contourite-turbidite systems
• Seismic characterisation of contourite systems
• Wireline log characterisation of contourite systems

Unit 8 Deepwater depositional systems and controls

• Overview of deepwater depositional system models
• Slope aprons and mass transport complexes
• Submarine fans and channels
• Basin systems
• Contourite depositional systems
• Controls on deepwater depositional systems – sequence stratigraphy vs tectonic pulsing

Units 9 Deepwater Petroleum Systems – Examples and Lessons

• Case studies and lessons from established turbidite plays: North Sea, California, Bohai
• Case studies and lessons from current deepwater provinces: Gulf Of Mexico, West Africa, NWUK, Brazil, North Slope Alaska, Nile Delta
• The new frontiers…current targets and expectations

Unit 10 The Deepwater Challenge

• Special issues for drilling in deepwater
• Slope instability and hazard mapping
• Gas hydrates in deepwater
• Turbidity currents and bottom current hazards
• Hazard management

Unit 11 Course summary and general discussion

• Opportunity for delegate contributions
• Implications for exploration, appraisal, development and reservoir management
• Take-home lessons and data

Case studies and exercises throughout course

OPTIONAL SPECIAL TOPICS

1. Thin-bedded turbidites

2. Deepwater Massive Sands

3. Sandy contourites

4. Deepwater carbonates

5. Sediment waves