Basin Analysis and Modelling Workshop (GEO51)

Description

In this extended basin modelling workshop geoscientists get hands-on experience evaluating data to undertake an integrated basin analysis. The course provides practical experience of analysing data from a typical sedimentary basin, and is aimed at honing the analytical skills to evaluate petroleum systems and their hydrocarbon potential and to learn from examining global analogues. The course integrates lectures and a workshop that run concurrently to reinforce concepts and teach practical application in a working environment.

It reviews the important control that basin formation and mechanisms have on the petroleum system, examining subsidence, heat flow, structural style, evolution and sedimentation. Global examples of typical basin types are examined with emphasis on the impact that basin style and sedimentation have on the hydrocarbon habitat and prospectivity. Within each basin, depositional systems are reviewed, and the control on reservoir, source, seal and trap are discussed.

Course Level: Advanced
Duration: 5 days
Instructor: Jonathan Redfern and James Armstrong

Designed for you, if you are...

An exploration or new ventures geologist
A geophysicist

Intermediate to advanced geological knowledge is assumed. Introductory experience is required, with knowledge of petroleum geology basics as well as seismic and well log interpretation experience.

How we build your confidence

Extensive case studies are discussed from around the globe, highlighting the development of new play types that have opened up basins, in areas such as the North Sea, East Africa, South America and North Africa. How were these plays developed? How can we learn from this? We also look at the errors made in chasing the wrong play because the petroleum system was not fully evaluated.
The course then builds by developing techniques to evaluate the petroleum systems and develop plays, leads and prospects, including an introduction to seismic facies analysis, correlation techniques and sequence stratigraphy, source rock studies and basin modelling, and evaluating the potential plays by mapping using gross depositional evaluation (GDE) maps and developing common risk segment (CRS) maps.
Emphasis is placed on practical interpretation of data for play analysis, with coursework designed to reinforce the theory lectures and provide access to a variety of data types. Exercises involve interpretation of seismic and wireline log data, with examples drawn from basins around the globe: North Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Sea, Australia, Italy, Arabia, South America.

During the course, lectures and practical exercises are used to teach techniques to evaluate the basin type and interpretation of seismic and well log data. These cover the fundamentals of stratigraphy, seismic facies analysis and an introduction to basin modelling.

The benefits from attending

By the end of the course you will feel confident in your understanding of:

Focusing on the influence basin formation mechanism has on subsequent petroleum systems, how the mechanism of formation controls the structural style and sedimentary fill
How to recognise different basin types from seismic and well log data
Key controls including tectonics, climate and eustacy
Petroleum systems active on a number of global basins
Case studies of basin plays, how new play types have been developed that have rejuvenated basins, and the flaws of chasing the wrong play, or a step too far
Key techniques to analyse sedimentary basins including:
- Source rocks formation, organic matter types, global distribution
- How to analyse different data types to generate key input data for maturity and migration modelling
- Hydrocarbon types and distribution
- Controls on migration
- Becoming familiar with basin models and the input data required
- How to calibrate basin models
- Understanding uncertainty and sensitivity of the models
- Introduction to techniques to analyse the petroleum system
- Seals, reservoirs, trap styles
- How to produce Gross Depositional Element Maps
- Common Risk Segment Mapping

Topics

Plate tectonics and mechanisms of subsidence
Basin formation and basin classification
Basin analysis techniques (interpretation of seismic and well data)
Review of basin by type:
- Extensional / rift basins
- Compressional / foreland basins
- Passive margin basins
- Arc type basins
- Strike slip basins
For each basin type the following is reviewed:
- Structure / tectonic evolution and controls on depositional style
- Role of tectonics, climate and eustacy
- Typical facies suites and sedimentary environments
- Typical seismic expression
- Analogue petroleum systems and plays

Techniques of Analysis

Stratigraphy and correlations
Subsidence history
Source rocks and basin modelling
Building plays and learning from global analogues
Critical Elements Charts and Chronostratigraphic Charts
Gross Depositional Element Mapping
Common Risk Segment Mapping

Workshop
Running in parallel with the lectures and practical, the participants will work in groups to evaluate a dataset for a petroleum basin. This will include:

Evaluation of a grid of paper seismic data to identify megasequences and key elements of the petroleum play from the basin
Defining the structural style
Defining potential plays, prospect and leads
Contouring data provided to determine leads and prospects
Evaluating geochemical data to assess source rock type, maturity and richness
Using typical basin modelling software (Nova Software from Sirius Exploration by Waples) to produce 1D maturation profiles for wells and pseudo wells. The fundamental methodology and input is common to all modelling software currently in use (BasinMod, PetroMod, Trinity etc.)
Constructing burial history plots and assessing unconformities
Defining thermal history
Calibration data and input data to models
Developing GDE and CRS Maps
Risking the prospects
Presentation of results

Customer Feedback

"High experience of instructors and good delivery of difficult information to understand easily when presented." - Geologist at PTTEP

"Good modelling software that integrates all data / information." - Sr. Geophysicist at PTTEP