This rigorous workshop is a must for geologists, geophysicists, exploration and production managers and engineers dealing with exploration for and exploitation of carbonate reservoirs. The course starts with a comprehensive overview of the basic characteristics of the carbonate depositional system important to carbonate reservoir development. The application of sequence stratigraphic concepts to carbonates as a predictive tool in exploration for and modeling of carbonate reservoirs will be stressed. The engineering and geologic aspects of carbonate pore systems will be explored. A geologic-based porosity classification useful in exploration will be developed and contrasted with an engineering-based porosity classification useful for detailed reservoir characterization and reservoir simulation. Carbonate porosity modification and evolution will be discussed in a sea level driven sequence stratigraphic framework. Problems of reservoir heterogeneity and carbonate reservoir modeling will be discussed. Case histories from around the world will be utilized throughout to illustrate important concepts. A major component of the workshop is a series of practical exercises utilizing actual subsurface data sets that include geophysical logs, core data, biostratigraphic data and seismic. These exercises will give the participant hands on experience in developing viable exploration and exploitation strategies for carbonate terrains. A new book entitled Carbonate Reservoirs was prepared by Dr. Moore specifically for this course and was published by Elsevier International, Amsterdam in 2001. A CD in which all book illustrations are available in color on the CD accompanies the book. This book and the companion CD will be furnished to all course participants and will be the main reference resource for the course. Current journal articles will be referenced where appropriate. The course syllabus will key the discussions to the appropriate sections of the book and contain miniatures of the illustrations used in the presentation with adequate space for notes. These miniatures will be keyed to the appropriate color illustrations in the CD. All presentations will be electronic.
Exploration and development geologists, exploration and development managers and geophysicists as well as engineers with some geologic background will benefit.
You will Learn:
Participants will learn how to:
- Recognize basic characteristics of the carbonate depositional system important to carbonate reservoir development
- Understand how sequence stratigraphy can be applied to carbonates and mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems
- Understand the geologic and engineering characteristics of carbonate pore systems
- Recognize the nature of carbonate porosity modification by diagenesis and the role of sea level and climate in porosity modification and gross reservoir heterogeneity
- Develop viable exploration and exploitation strategies In a carbonate terrain by working with actual subsurface data sets
Course Content:
- The basic nature of carbonate sediments and sedimentation
- The efficiency of the carbonate factory and its influence on cyclicity and platform development
- Carbonate platform types
- Carbonate facies models
- Basic concepts of sequence stratigraphy including eustasy, relative sea level, accommodation model, and sequence stratigraphy as a predictive tool
- Relationship of stratigraphic patterns to changes in subsidence rates as driven by regional and earth scale tectonic processes
- Sequence stratigraphic models including the ramp, the rimmed shelf, the escarpment margin, the isolated platform and the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic shelf
- The characteristics of carbonate pore systems and their geologic and engineering classifications including petrophysics and rock fabric
- Sea level, diagenesis, porosity evolution and its distribution at the time of burial
- The fate of early formed porosity during burial in a hydrotectonic framework
- Carbonate reservoir modeling
- Case histories from the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia
- Exercises from the US and Europe based on actual data sets
- Exploration and exploitation strategies in carbonate terrains
