About this Training Course
The Middle East is not only the most prolific petroleum province in the world but it also contains the world’s most longstanding carbonate/evaporite platform with stacked carbonate formations ranging from Upper Palaeozoic to the present day. Carbonate reservoirs are very different from clastics in many aspects of their deposition, diagenetic history and resultant petrophysical character and can be particularly sensitive to subtle bathymetric changes and minor changes in environmental conditions. Due to its complex behaviour, understanding the nature of the depositional and diagenetic characteristics of Middle Eastern reservoirs is key to successful exploration and development.
Using a combination of short lecture modules, group exercises, discussions and longer workshops based on Middle Eastern examples, this 5-day course will build on the existing knowledge of participants to create a detailed understanding of carbonate exploration and reservoir development. Participants will be encouraged to discuss non-confidential issues that they may have encountered in their work.
The course will start with a refresher on key aspects of carbonate sedimentation, diagenesis and porosity evolution. With particular reference to the movement of the Arabian Plate, we will then explore factors that have influenced carbonate sedimentation through time, including global sea-level fluctuations and their effects on accommodation space and depositional energy, tectonic cycles, palaeolatitude, palaeoclimate, oceanic chemistry and the evolution of biota. Although of global significance, these changes will be examined with respect to the deposition and diagenesis of reservoir facies within the Arabian Gulf and the prediction of exploration targets including the identification of stratigraphic and diagenetic traps.
The second part of the course will focus more on the factors that influence reservoir behaviour and fluid production in Middle Eastern carbonate reservoirs. This will include extensive examples and comparisons from key reservoirs horizons (Khuff, Arab, Thamama, Shuaiba Mishrif etc). Discussion will encompass saturations, including capillary pressures and the relationship to depositional and diagenetic pore systems; wettability in carbonate reservoirs; rock typing for input to reservoir modelling and mapping using the sedimentological model and knowledge of the pore systems. Seals, permeability barriers and high permeability streaks will be mapped using a sequence stratigraphic approach and illustrated with local examples.
Finally, the course will examine the importance of natural fracture systems in enhancing permeability or providing the main reservoir volume and factors that may be locally important in influencing reservoir quality and production, specifically tar mats and bitumens which are a particular issue in the Arab D reservoirs but which may also occur locally at other stratigraphic horizons.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Develop a full understanding of the global influences on carbonate deposition and diagenesis and learn how to apply a workflow for studying carbonate systems in the Middle East while understanding the implications of different data sets.
- Understand the concepts of carbonate sequence stratigraphy at different scales on a long-standing carbonate platform and the importance for mapping the distribution and continuity of depositional and diagenetic facies, seals and high permeability streaks.
- Identify pore fabrics and relate them to petrophysical characteristics in various Middle Eastern reservoirs.
- Examine methodology for defining rock types and learn how to use sedimentological data as an input to reservoir modelling.
- Understand the importance of sedimentological and diagenetic character in the calculation of STOIIP and GIIP.
The course will benefit petroleum geologists, explorationists, petrophysicists, geophysicists and engineers who are involved with exploration in carbonate provinces or the development of carbonate reservoirs throughout the Middle East. Participants should have a good basic knowledge of carbonate reservoir geology although the course will include a brief refresher on key aspects on the first day.
The 5-day course will involve frequent exercises and workshops that will include examples from various Middle Eastern carbonate provinces and possibly from other locations. Although the course will not involve instruction in the use of reservoir modelling packages, a key objective of the course is to ensure participants understand the workflow required to achieve the most accurate exploration or reservoir models in carbonate provinces. Practical exercises will focus on data requirements, integration and workflows as well as interpretation.
Trainer 1:
Your expert course leader is a Director and Senior Consultant Geologist who has worked on various carbonate consultancy projects conducted detailed sedimentological, sequence stratigraphic and diagenetic technical studies and delivered training programs. He was formerly Managing Director of Robertson UK Limited and was responsible for the integration between different discipline recognition and encouragement of technical innovation and research and development programs across all oil and gas divisions in the company. He was also responsible for all aspects of the performance of the main Geological, Geophysical and Reservoir Engineering Services in the company.
Trainer 2:
After graduating from Liverpool University in 1980, your other expert course leader joined Robertson Research International (now CGG Services) in the reservoir geology division. His role included Sedimentologist and project manager of a wide range of carbonate reservoir and basin exploration studies within the principal petroleum provinces worldwide. He has studied all of the major reservoir strata within the Middle East and North Africa and has worked, in a senior position, closely with other disciplines on both regional evaluation and field wide reservoir simulation projects. He has been seconded to a major national oil company in Qatar, Middle East as part of a team of geoscientists and engineers formulating production strategies on the basis of geological reservoir modelling. The secondment also included training of nationals involved in the project. In addition, he was seconded to Robertson Research Utama Indonesia P.T. as Unit Head of Sedimentology and Reservoir Geology. On behalf of Robertson, he regularly delivered reservoir geology training courses. His final role at CGG Robertson was Manager of Carbonate Sedimentology. He recently retired from CGG Robertson and has set up his own consultancy company.
To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized “One to One” coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster.
Request for further information about post training coaching support and fees applicable for this.
Learn what past participants have said about EnergyEdge training courses
The course was very beneficial.
Chief Geologist, OGDCL
Nice extensive training, good and organised training materials and exercises.
Reservoir Engineer, Wintershall Holding GMBH
Excellent course and very well organised presentation.
General Manager, Korea National Oil Corporation
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