Training

A comprehensive 5 day course introducing the attendees to the world of carbonate rocks from the large-scale sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic evaluation to the microscale thin-section observations. A full immersion into facies analysis, diagenetic processes and pore evolution aims towards the understanding and prediction of vertical and lateral variability in reservoir properties.

The first part of this course is designed to develop skills in characterising carbonate rocks and identifying their depositional settings. This includes an insight into the controls on the formation of the carbonate factory and hence the predictability of the geometry of carbonate reservoirs in the subsurface. Sequence stratigraphic methodologies and applications will also provide the tools needed to reconstruct the sedimentological architecture at the field scale. The second session will focus on the diagenetic processes and products that have an impact on carbonate reservoirs, while reviewing the various analytical techniques utilised in identifying the origin of the diagenetic phases and therefore predict their potential vertical and lateral extent. Finally, the pore system evolution is analysed, integrating the intricate link between diagenesis and sedimentology to aid prediction of reservoir properties at the field scale. Each section of the course will be accompanied by example case histories and practical exercises.

Who Should Attend?
The course is targeted at all geoscientists, including petroleum geologists, petrophysicists and petroleum engineers involved in exploration and production of carbonate plays. Although there are no prerequisites for this course, a basic understanding of sedimentology may be advantageous.

Instructors
Badley Ashton's carbonate reservoir geologists have a keen interest in sedimentology and petrography with established experience in the Middle East. Our geologists currently work on single-well and multiwell reservoir quality evaluation studies dealing with carbonate plays in the Arab Gulf. These projects cover a wide range of depositional environments from shallow to deeper water carbonates. The instructors have a combination of industrial, research and teaching experience.