Getting Started in Fluvial Stratigraphy

INSTRUCTOR :

John Holbrook, University of Texas at Arlington, TX

DATES:

June 13, 2013

LOCATION:

Norris Conference Center, Fort Worth, TX

TUITION:

Member: $500.00
(if purchased individually)
Registration for the entire week is $1,795 for members, $2,095 nonmembers. Goes up to $1995/$2295, and/or individual course prices increase by $50/course day after 5/13/2013. Includes refreshments and buffet lunch each day in addition to course notes.
No refunds for cancellations after 5/13/2013.

CONTENT:

.75 CEU What is a CEU?

Who Should Attend

Geologists, geophysicists, and engineers seeking techniques for improved subsurface mapping and more accurate prediction of lithology/porosity distribution within fluvial reservoir intervals that are depicted in seismic, borehole, and outcrop data sets. Concepts are taught from base principles so no prerequisites are required. An entry-level understanding of Geology is helpful.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will gain an overview of the river processes that generate strata as well as acquire a range of techniques for mapping and interpretation of fluvial rock. Participants will attain the following skills.

• Relate surficial fluvial processes to specific rock units.
• Evaluate fluvial preservation in a “river-to-rock” context.
• Quickly recognize fluvial lithofacies in core and outcrop.
• Identify and constrain dimensions of reservoir (e.g., bars, channel belts, etc) and non-reservoir (e.g. lake, floodbasin, etc.) architectural elements in well-logs, core, seismic, and outcrop.
• Place reservoir elements into their correct position within the fluvial architectural hierarchy (e.g. channel-fill vs. channel belt vs. valley fill).
• Improve reservoir evaluations through a gained understanding of the relationships between locally preserved net to gross and broader basin processes.
• Estimate heterogeneity and connectivity between and within reservoirs.
• Correlate fluvial strata at the basin scale.

Content

The course will cover the full range of topics needed to identify, correlate, and interpret fluvial reservoirs and encasing non-reservoir units. Participants will gain the foundations for understanding and predicting the geometry, connectivity, and permeability trends of fluvial reservoir systems at the scale of boreholes, fields, and basins. To accomplish this, the course is subdivided into six components that each convey a specific aspect of fluvial stratigraphy and each build sequentially upon knowledge gained from the preceding components. These components are, in order, fluvial geomorphology, fluvial facies, fluvial architecture, seismic geomorphology, heterogeneity and connectivity, and correlation. Fluvial geomorphology provides a background for understanding the flow dynamics, basin processes, and accommodation conditions that dictate formation and preservation of reservoir units. In fluvial facies participants will learn the skills needed to recognize and distinguish the sediments unique to each of the common fluvial depositional environments. Fluvial architecture will provide insights into the origin, geometry, and lithofacies typical for each of the common reservoir (e.g. bars, etc.) and non-reservoir (e.g. abandoned channel fill, etc.) elements within fluvial sections at all levels of the fluvial hierarchy (i.e. channel-scale, vs. belt scale, vs. valley scale). In this section we will also explore controls on spatial arrangement of these elements as well as techniques for their correlation in borehole logs. Seismic geomorphology will address common techniques for identification and mapping of reservoir elements in 3-D seismic data. In the heterogeneity and connectivity section, we will explore the depositional processes that generate heterogeneity within fluvial reservoirs as well as the processes that connect discrete reservoir elements to each other. We will also identify some useful techniques and statistics for predicting heterogeneity and connectivity within fluvial reservoir systems. Lastly, we will review the various techniques that may be used to correlate fluvial strata at the basin scale.