World-class training for the modern energy industry

Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy (G131)

Tutor(s)

Jo Garland: Director, Cambridge Carbonates.


Overview

This course explores the interpretation of carbonates successions within a sequence stratigraphic framework. The course provides an overview of carbonate sedimentology and diagenesis, and then dives deeper into the advantages of sequence stratigraphic approaches, the principles of sequence stratigraphy and how carbonates respond to both high order and third order relative sea level changes. The course integrates many case studies and exercises.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 3-day classroom course comprising a mix of lectures and case studies.  The manual will be provided in digital format.

Virtual version: Six, 3.5 hr interactive online sessions presented over 3 days. A digital manual will be distributed to participants before the course


Level and Audience

Fundamental. This course is intended for exploration geoscientists who want to rapidly improve their knowledge of carbonate systems. An overview of carbonate sedimentary systems will be provided, as will an overview of diagenesis.


Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the controls on carbonate and evaporite sedimentation/production.
  2. Describe the distribution of carbonate depositional systems.
  3. Establish the sequence stratigraphic principles in relation to carbonate and evaporite systems.
  4. Assess carbonate diagenesis in a sequence stratigraphic framework.
  5. Examine seismic sequence stratigraphy of carbonates.

Stratigraphy of the Arabian Plate (G129)

Tutor(s)

Andrew Horbury: Director, Cambridge Carbonates.


Overview

This course explores the palaeogeographic, tectonic and sedimentological development of the Arabian Plate and is divided into seven modules: Cenozoic, Upper Cretaceous, Middle Cretaceous, Lower Cretaceous, Jurassic, Permo-Triassic, Palaeozoic. The individual course modules aim to provide participants with a more regional understanding of their own acreage, which is often critical in development and production settings.


Duration and Logistics

The course can be presented in the classroom or online as a single event, covering all seven stratigraphic modules, or clients can choose the length of course depending on how many modules they require (half-day teaching time per module).  

Classroom version: A 3.5-day classroom course comprising a mix of lectures and case studies covering all 7 modules.  The manual will be provided in digital format.

Virtual version: Seven, 3.5-hour interactive online sessions presented over 3.5 days. A digital manual will be distributed to participants before the course.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. This course is intended for exploration geoscientists who want to rapidly improve their knowledge of these complex systems.


Objectives

You will learn to: 

  1. Understand plate evolution at a regional scale.
  2. Appreciate the tectonic controls on sedimentation and stratigraphy.
  3. Analyse the wide range of proven carbonate reservoirs on a single structural template.
  4. Define factors associated with good structural and stratigraphic traps.
  5. Build an understanding of how carbonate source rock systems form.
  6. Compare and contrast climate controls on different carbonate systems tracts.
  7. Illustrate the interaction/interplay of clastic and carbonate depositional systems.

Integration of Special Core Analysis and Well Log Data for Reservoir Characterization (G119)

Tutor(s)

Jonathan Lean: Consultant Petrophysical Advisor at Lean Petrophysics and Islay Subsurface LLC


Overview

This course describes routine and advanced well core analysis techniques and how they are acquired, corrected, quality controlled and interpreted to provide inputs to petrophysical log calculations and/or calibrate log analysis results and describe and infer reservoir quality. Other core-based building blocks of static and dynamic reservoir models and shared earth models will be introduced and discussed.  


Duration and Logisitics

Classroom version: A 3-day course comprising a mix of classroom lectures and discussion (80%), and exercises (20%). The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises, which will be performed in MS Excel.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is designed for early career geoscientists and petroleum engineers, including petrophysicists who have a basic grasp of well logging i.e. logging tools, basic petrophysical interpretation for clay volume, porosity and fluid saturations. Some knowledge of concepts like permeability, and core versus log versus reservoir scales is useful.


Objectives

You will learn to: 

  1. Understand the planning and operations behind the well coring process and how the rock is affected by it, both downhole and at surface prior to transportation to the lab
  2. Appreciate how core is prepared for analysis i.e. scanning, slabbing, plugging, cleaning, drying at the laboratory and its effect on the subsequent analysis.
  3. Implement routine and advanced core analysis workflows, including petrophysical properties, fluid interactions, rock mechanics, drilling and completion tests.
  4. Illustrate how porosity and permeability can be measured and predicted at the core scale, then upscaled to log and reservoir scales.
  5. Demonstrate how electrical properties are measured as input to log saturation equations.
  6. Establish how capillary pressure data is measured and used to build models to distribute fluids in reservoir models for in place and reserve calculations.
  7. Integrate workflows with other data sources i.e. petrophysical well logs, cuttings, gas logs, pressure tests and flow tests.

Numerical Modeling of Water-Rock-Gas Interactions and Natural Hydrogen Generation (G584)

Tutor

Dr. Eric C. Gaucher: Lavoisier H2 Geoconsult


Overview

In the rapidly evolving field of natural hydrogen, mastering geochemical modeling is a critical asset for any technical team.  This course will give participants the skills to undertake the numerical modeling of water-rock-gas systems and become familiar with the widely-used PHREEQC software package. You will receive debugged and optimized PHREEQC scripts and the specific LH2G methodology for water chemistry quality control. This allows your team to save weeks of in-house development and avoid costly modeling errors.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 4-day course including case studies, exercises, and practical work on a variety of waters and H2 generation systems. The exercises become more complex to allow for a step-by-step approach. The course can be given at your office, or for those wanting an out-of-office experience in Europe, the course can be delivered in Chamonix, France.


Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is largely aimed at geoscientists, hydro-geochemists, hydrogeologists or process engineers wishing to acquire skills in geochemical numerical modeling. You will be required to have a basic knowledge of chemistry, geochemistry and fundamental notions of thermodynamics.


Objectives

You will learn to: 

  1. Evaluate water chemistry and correction of the chemical composition.
  2. Calculate the speciation of an aqueous solution and simulate water/rock/gas interactions in open or closed batch systems.
  3. Model the evolution of fluid composition as a function of temperature, pressure and salinity.
  4. Assess the chemical composition of a fluid during dissolution/precipitation of solid phases.
  5. Characterize how hydrogen is generated from various rock types.

Trap and Seal Workshop (G122)

Tutor(s)

Rene Jonk: Director, ACT-Geo Consulting and Training; Honorary Professor, University of Aberdeen


Overview

This hands-on course enables attendees to enhance their skills and critical evaluation of all aspects related to pressure, trap and seal evaluation workflows. This includes understanding and predicting fluid pressure, retention of hydrocarbon fluids and column heights, and reservoir connectivity and compartmentalization.  Fluid pressure is evaluated from first principles, downhole measurements (mudweights, RFT/MDT data) and estimated from porosity-effective stress relationships. We make estimations of mechanical seal capacity ranges using Leak off Test data and fundamental elastic rock properties. Capillary seal attributes are estimated from core measurements and calibrated against buoyancy pressure estimates from the crests of oil and gas fields. The fundamental techniques developed in the first two days of the course are applied across a variety of case studies in various modules, including aspects of oil versus gas prediction techniques in exploration, reservoir connectivity evaluation in a faulted reservoir and seal risking workflows for stratigraphic traps.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: This course can be customized for a 3 or 4-day delivery, depending on which of modules 5, 6, 7 and 8 are of most interest. It is also possible to include client data or problems to substitute classroom exercise time with discussion time on actual client datasets and problems. The mix of classroom lectures and discussion (50%), and hands-on exercises with subsurface datasets (50%) allow for an interactive and deeply applied learning experience. The lecture materials will be provided in digital format. Participants can bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises using digital provided formats. Exercise manuals will be printed in 11×17 format for each student to enhance learning by interpreting using pencil on paper.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. This course is intended for early to intermediate-experience career geoscientists (0-10 years experience), reservoir engineers and petrophysicists who want to understand the fundamental controls on prospect and field pressure, trap-seal, connectivity and compartmentalization, including seal risking worflows and pre-drill predictions of fluid type, column height and pressure.


Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Describe trap-seal attributes of prospects in a consistent manner (crest, spill points, seal and fault-seal controls).
  2. Understand the controls on subsurface fluid pressure and the methods used to describe and predict subsurface fluid pressure.
  3. Describe and quantify mechanical seal capacity of various seal types relative to hydrocarbon liquids and gases using field data, wireline logs and core attributes.
  4. Describe and quantify capillary seal capacity of various seal types relative to hydrocarbon liquids and gases using field data, wireline logs and core attributes.
  5. Understand various controls on hydrocarbon-water contact distributions, including fault-seal, hydrodynamic tilting, reservoir quality controls on saturation.
  6. Make predictions of oil versus gas column heights for multiphase petroleum systems in exploration settings.
  7. Make predictions of reservoir connectivity and compartmentalization in faulted reservoirs in appraisal and field development settings.
  8. Use seal risking workflows to high-grade portfolios of stratigraphic trap prospects, including both deep-water and shallow-water clastic settings.

Fundamentals of Petroleum Systems: Source, Maturation and Migration (G120)

Tutor(s)

Rene Jonk: Director, ACT-Geo Consulting and Training; Honorary Professor, University of Aberdeen 


Overview

This hands-on course enables attendees to enhance their skills and critically evaluate all aspects of hydrocarbon charge, including source presence, maturation, migration, commodity type and timing. Lectures and exercises focus on characterization and prediction of hydrocarbon charge adequacy using core, well log and seismic data. Global examples, covering a range of basin and depositional settings, will be discussed and used in the exercises.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 3-day course comprising a mix of classroom lectures and discussion (50%), and hands-on exercises with subsurface datasets (50%). The lecture materials will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises. Exercises manuals will be printed for each student to enhance learning by interpreting using pencil on paper.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. This course is intended for geoscientists, reservoir engineers and petrophysicists who want to understand the basic concepts of petroleum systems.


Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Characterize source rock presence from cores, well logs and seismic and learn to predict source adequacy and risk from first principles.
  2. Understand the controls on source rock maturation and describe fundamental controls on maturation and maturation timing using burial history charts.
  3. Assess the fundamental controls on hydrocarbon migration and apply the principles of primary and secondary migration to predict hydrocarbon charge pathways and risk migration adequacy for plays and prospects.
  4. Assess commodity implications from source rock type and maturity.

Energy Transition and Sustainability: Economic and Policy Perspectives (G910)

Tutor(s)

Brian Matthews: Independent Consultant, Founder and Managing Director of TerraUrsa


Overview

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the economic and market opportunities of renewables in the context of European decarbonisation policies and targets.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: Two-day classroom workshop.

Virtual version: Option 1: One 3-hour interactive online session that would cover contents sections 1-4. Option 2: Two 3-hour interactive online sessions would include content sections 1-6.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. The one-session course is aimed at non-technical staff and those who do not have a business background but want a basic introduction to the topic. The subject matter will be covered from very basic principles and will be of interest to staff from a range of departments.  The two-session course is aimed at middle and senior managers who can influence strategy within the company.


Objectives

You will learn to: 

  1. Understand global and European energy demand trends to 2050.
  2. Explore the economic and market opportunities of renewables.
  3. Analyse primary energy supply projections and the role of different energy sources.
  4. Examine European decarbonisation policies and targets.
  5. Evaluate case studies to assess market context, policy drivers, and commercial strategies.
  6. Develop and assess a sustainability timeline.

Structural Styles and Tectonics: Advanced Interpretation and Evaluation Workshop (G118)

Tutor(s)

Douglas Paton: Director, TectoKnow.


Overview

The workshop is a follow on from the introductory course G111 and will focus on developing the concepts and skills presented therein. It will go into more detail on the structural styles for each tectonic setting and outline the uncertainty in sub-surface data that has to be considered.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A 4-day course comprising a mix of lectures and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital form and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures.


Level and Audience

Intermediate. The course is aimed at more experienced subsurface geoscientists who want to focus on the structural uncertainties in data, at all scales.


Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Appraise the impact of normal fault identification and fault mapping on reservoir understanding.
  2. Gauge the limitations of seismic imaging for reverse faults, their temporal variation and impact on reservoir presence and distribution.
  3. Validate strike-slip deformation on seismic sections and reconstruct the 3D and 4D evolution of strike-slip systems.
  4. Evaluate negative and positive structural inversion and its impact on hydrocarbon systems and basin fill.
  5. Manage the impact of deformation close to or beyond seismic resolution with respect to subsurface prediction and modeling.

Structural Geology: Key Concepts for Exploration and Production (G111)

Tutor(s)

Douglas Paton: Director, TectoKnow.


Overview

The workshop will be practically based, supplemented by a number of group thought experiments. It will cover an introduction to the fundamentals of structural geology and its impact on hydrocarbon distribution and prediction. It will then outline, with examples, the essential geometric components expected in normal faults / rift basins, reverse faults / contractional environments, inversion / multi-phase settings, and salt and strike-slip influenced systems.


Duration and Logistics

Classroom version. A 4-day course comprising a mix of lectures, case studies and exercises. The manual will be provided in digital format and participants will be required to bring a laptop or tablet computer to follow the lectures and exercises.


Level and Audience

Fundamental. The course is aimed at new hires who need a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of structural geology.


Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Understand the fundamental importance of structural geology in modelling the subsurface.
  2. Appreciate the concept of structural styles and why it is essential to aid the interpretation of subsurface and outcrop data.
  3. Assess input data required for resource modelling and appreciate its limitations.
  4. Apply relevant and appropriate models to areas of limited data or zones of complexity and capture the implications of the inherent uncertainty.
  5. Apply relevant techniques and understanding to enhance resource prediction in extensional, compressional and multi-phase settings, including salt.
  6. Appreciate the importance of developing a structural robust understanding for any energy transition resource model.

Introduction to Log Analysis and Petrophysical Characterization (G104)

Tutor(s)

Joe Landry: President, Petrophysical Solutions Inc.

Overview

This course will review basic interpretation techniques from conventional logs with a focus on key reservoir properties.

Duration and Logistics

Classroom version: A three-day classroom course comprising a mixture of lectures and exercises. The course manual will be provided in digital format.

Level and Audience

Fundamental. This course is designed for those without any experience or familiarity with logs.

Objectives

You will learn to:

  1. Introduction and review of key rock properties and terminology used.
  2. Understand the wellbore environment and how this can affect the data acquired.
  3. Review data types and acquisition technologies.
  4. Understand log types and evaluate appropriate display scales.
  5. Evaluate and QC log data.
  6. Review the Archie equation and how it is used to determine water saturation.
  7. Understand the limitations and pitfalls of the described interpretation techniques particularly with respect to deepwater reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico.