A petroleum system comprises the crucial elements that have to work together to create a hydrocarbon bearing basin: source rock, reservoir, seal trap, migration, and the correct timing of hydrocarbon generation. Basins can have one or more successful petroleum systems. One of the main ingredients in the Petroleum System Analysis is the study of hydrocarbon charge: source, burial, generation, migration, and the products oil and gas.
This course discusses the various basin types in their plate tectonic context and the hydrocarbon charging system. Emphasis lies on: heat flow, burial, recognition and evaluation of source rocks, thermal maturity aspects, basic petroleum geochemistry needed to establish the Petroleum System in a basin. Integration of geology with geochemical information is the core of the design of this course. About 50% of the course is dedicated to lectures, the other 50% to exercises.
1D Petroleum Systems Modelling software will be used to demonstrate concepts in stimulating and challenging exercises.
Who should attend
Geologists and Geophysicists involved in Exploration and Appraisal
Course content
Basins and Petroleum Systems
Source rock formation processes
Recognition & evaluation of source rocks (Rock Eval/TOC, microscopy, etc)
Maturity
Basic organic chemistry of oil and gas.
Geological information from oil and gas analysis.
Oil-oil and oil-source rock correlation
"Oil families": recognizing different charge systems within a single basin.
Gas geochemistry
Burial history reconstruction
Heat flow and temperature
Generation & Migration of hydrocarbons.
Simple charge prediction
Surface geochemistry as exploration tool
Learning, methods and tools
At the end of the 5-day course participants will have gained basic insight into essential geochemical concepts, and have gained basic skills in applying geochemical tools. Exercises are aimed at reinforcing the acquired knowledge in a practical context. The major interpretation exercises are aimed at providing real hands-on experience. Geologists and geochemists will have learned each other's language.
Additionally we can offer a Petroleum Systems Field Seminar of 3-5 days duration.This field-trip can be organized on request, which demonstrates the petroleum systems and organic geochemical concepts based on outcrops.
Day by day programme
Day 1: Focus on basins and burial history
Introduction: Objectives of Petroleum Systems Analysis & Modeling, it's role in E&P ventures. Parameters and processes impacting petroleum systems.
Exercise: estimate hydrocarbons formed
Plate tectonic setting of basins and relationship to petroleum systems
Exercise: Define petroleum systems of specific area
Burial history reconstruction
Exercise: (on paper) burial reconstruction
Compaction-decompaction
Exercise, Modelling 1D: create simple burial history from geological well data
Day 2: Focus on heat flow and source rocks
Heat flow & Temperature
Exercise: calculate formation temperature from bottom-hole temperature
Missing overburden reconstruction
Exercise: Reconstruct missing overburden
Source rocks: environment of deposition
Exercise, Modelling: Calibration of models by BHT data.
Exercise, Modelling: build advanced 1D model which includes inversion.
Source rock quality assessment (Rock Eval)
Exercise: geochemical Log
Exercise, Excel based: Assess average source rock quality from Rock Eval data
Day 3: Focus generation & migration
Maturity
Exercise, Modelling: Calibrate heat flow history for geo-history models created
Generation of hydrocarbons
Exercise, Modelling: input of source rock data, and modelling of hydrocarbon generation.
Migration of hydrocarbons
Exercise: design effective drainage area into trap
Exercise: Uncertainty analysis of modelling results
Day 4: Focus on basic geochemistry
Introduction to oil typing
Exercise, Using bulk geochemical data
Basic Finger-printing
Exercise: Oil - source rock correlation, basic.
The Gasoline fraction.
Exercise: Integrated oil family mapping exercise, Phase I
Biomarker applications in Petroleum System Analysis
Exercise: Integrated oil family mapping exercise, Phase II
Day 5: Focus on biodegradation, gas, and pressures
Exercise: Integrated oil family mapping exercise, Phase III
Biodegradation effect on crude composition
Exercise: biodegradation and oil - oil correlation
Gas typing
Exercise: Gas typing exercises
Pressures in basin analysis
Exercise: Calculate overpressure in trap
Optional: Exercise, Modelling overpressure in 1D
Question about: Petroleum Systems Analysis and Modelling