Practical Basin Analysis

Basin Analysis is key to building a depth of understanding of how sedimentary basins form and evolve, and how this has a fundamental control of working petroleum systems.

This program will present the skills than can enhance basin analysis. This includes coverage of analytic parameters to petroleum accumulation, concepts of subsurface processes, sedimentary basin characteristics, and their link to recognition, and development of petroleum systems and plays.

This program will provide explorationists with practical insights into the key workflow and geological concepts in basin analysis to describe and evaluate working petroleum systems and associated plays. This will be presented through extensive examples of successful plays worldwide, various Southeast Asian basins, and with a special focus on the Malaysian region.

To fully provide a holistic understanding of the exploration business, the program will begin with an industrial history of exploration and development in the region. It will then proceed to the technical skills than can enhance basin analysis --- this includes coverage on analytic parameters to petroleum accumulation, concepts of subsurface processes, sedimentary basin characteristics and their link to recognition, and development of petroleum systems and play. This will be further illustrated with worldwide examples as well as Southeast Asian Tertiary Basins.

Furthermore, the main methods in play and prospect identification, basin analysis, and evaluation will be explained in details with geochemical and basin modeling considerations. Lastly, attendees will also learn about risk and uncertainty management in exploration play and prospect stages in order to estimate the potential success of an exploration project.

The program will be concluded with the linkage of basin analysis exp to the development and production phases. This will be illustrated with field examples of key issues experienced during these stages. Class exercises illustrating the important concepts include actual basin ranking, subsurface mapping, seismic interpretation, and subsurface conditions evaluation will be done across sessions. Attendees of this course will be able to better equip their practical knowledge with the region’s best practices in basin analysis and evaluation to later on advance their skills in prospect appraisals.

LEARN THE PARAMATERS FOR BEST DEVELOPMENT OF PETROLEUM SYSTEMS & HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL

Develop and understanding of basin formation mechanism, basin types, and how they control the development of petroleum systems and their hydrocarbon potential

APPLY PRACTICAL BEST PRACTICE TECHNIQUES IN BASIN ANALYSIS

Gain practical techniques in evaluating how basin formation mechanism affects petroleum systems, how the mechanism of formation controls the structural style and sedimentary fill, how to recognize different basin types from typical seismic and well log data, and various key controls including tectonics, climate and eustacy

GAIN KNOWLEDGE ON THE GLOBAL ANALOGUES FOR VARIOUS BASIN STYLES AND PLAY DEVELOPMENT

Learn from examining global analogue case studies of basin styles and play development, how they have been developed and what can be learned from them

The course is designed for exploration and new ventures geologists, and geophysicists early in their careers. Good geological knowledge is assumed. 2-5 years experience is required, with good knowledge of petroleum geology, and some seismic and well log interpretation experience.

Job Titles Include:

• Exploration Geologists
• Geoscientists
• Basin Analysts & Modellers
• Subsurface Managers
• Exploration Managers

Day 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE REGIONAL O&G SECTOR PETROLEUM ACCUMULATION PARAMETERS

• Review of exploration & development of the petroleum industry in Malaysia in its international context, with emphasis on the activities of local companies, such as IOCs in Borneo (Sarawak and Sabah), and the development of Petronas as an NOC. Parameters Essential to Petroleum Accumulation
• Summary and reminder of information on the essential elements (source rocks, reservoirs, seals and traps)
• Source Rocks and maturity modeling: summary of main source rock types-- their quality, distribution and rock properties in relation to petroleum occurrence, with a simple exercise in1D Basin Modeling
• Generation, expulsion and migration processes -- including source rock maturation, vertical versus horizontal migration paths, impact on oil/gas mix, etc.
• Reservoir Rocks: The main types of clastic and carbonate reservoir rocks, their origin, distribution, porosity & permeability structure and geometry
• Challenging and Unconventional Reservoirs – those with milli-micro Darcy permeability or fractures
• Seals: The main properties of sealing rocks, regional and intra-formational, fault seals and their evaluation
• Traps: The main types and categories, structural, stratigraphic and combination, their recognition and quality, with examples of extensional, inversion, compression and wrench styles

Day 2: SUBSURFACE PROCESSES and SEDIMENTARY BASIN TYPES

• Subsurface Processes (Pressures, Fluid Movements, Temperature)
• Accumulation and retention processes, subsurface pressure / temperature conditions and their impact on trapping and retention, issues related to drilling in pressured environments
• Sedimentary Basin Types (Origin, Classification and Evolution)
• Link to the Definition, Recognition and Development of Petroleum Systems and Plays.
• Evolution of extensional, sag and compressional cycles and stages in basin development and their geological composition, their common characteristics and variety of types. How basins are built up and may be classified
• Petroleum systems – what are they and why do we need the concept? Classification of types and the irrelations to basin cycle type
• Plays – a standard definition; their current use and their significance as strategic focus and targets for exploration)

Day 3: APPLICATION OF BASIN, PETROLEUM, & PLAY CONCEPTS TO EXPLORATION WORLDWIDE (with emphasis on Southeast Asian Tertiary Basins)

• Description of exemplary petroleum systems from around the world and their  characteristic  developments, including typical plays and particular issues related to their exploration, with examples
• Malaysia and South East Asia – a detailed review of rift – post-rift basins (classified into types based on petroleum characters) with examples of petroleum systems and plays
• Selected other important petroleum provinces with summaries of the main issues related to exploration and examples of petroleum systems and plays
• Middle East – the most prolific and stable province
• South Atlantic Margin (Africa and South America); prolific rift-passive margin basins with many plays, including deltas, currently actively a focus for exploration
• Other basin types, such as interior sag basins, thrust belts, wrench basins

Day 4: MAIN METHODS IN PLAY/PROSPECT IDENTIFICATION, BASIN ANALYSIS, AND EVALUATION

• Stratigraphic (Basin Fill) principles; models for different basin types and interaction with  structural development
• Introduction to seismic interpretation (structural and stratigraphic), factors influencing the seismic response; pitfalls in interpretation
• Use of other non-seismic geophysical and remote sensing techniques (gravity, magnetics, EM, etc.) and their integration into overall evaluation and reconnaissance surveying
• Biostratigraphy, categories of microfossils, procedures of evaluation and usage in age and depositional environment definition.
• Integrated work flows in exploration evaluation

Day 5: PLAY AND PROSPECT DEFINITION

• Risk and Uncertainty Analysis in Exploration
• Introduction to Production Geological Concepts