Short Courses

People who are interested in a better understanding of the applications of geomechanics in the exploitation of unconventional resources – drilling and completion, stimulation, and well production over time – will benefit from this course. Special emphasis will be given to International Shale Resource Plays.

Attendees will learn how a geomechanical model is developed and applied to reduce drilling lost time, improve production through better stimulation effectiveness, increase the value of microseismic data, and predict and mitigate the effects of depletion on reservoir performance.

Key topics will include:

• Introduction: What is geomechanics? What are the elements of a geomechanical earth model? How are shale reservoirs (both gas and liquid) unique and how are they the same as conventional reservoirs?
• Constraining a geomechanical earth model, utilizing all available data, including how to make best use of acoustic logs, seismic, and image data
• The importance of matrix properties and of natural fractures; rheological models and their application to unconventional reservoirs

Applications will include:

1. Selecting the best mud weight for safe drilling
2. Exploiting natural fractures
3. Stimulation design
4. Predicting the effects of injection and depletion

Geoscientists, petrophysicists, engineers, and managers working on, or expected to deal with fractured reservoirs, who need either an introduction to, or an update on the principles and the techniques, will benefit from this course. No prior experience is required.

The impact of fractures and in situ stresses on upstream operations has become more apparent with the advancement of technology and the shifting of frontiers to deeper and tighter reservoirs, in increasingly high temperature-high pressure environments. In addition the diminishing oil columns in maturing fields have highlighted “unexpected” fracture-related challenges to reservoirs previously considered conventional (non-fractured). This has led to the emergence and recognition of the “fracture and geomechanical characterization” as a young science that adds a new concept to reservoir characterization.

The fracture and geomechanical characterization relies on the capability to detect, measure and predict rock fabric and their petrophysics (fractures and the matrix) and the stress regime in situ on rock mass bases (reservoir/field scale), and delineate the influence of these elements on reservoir performance. The course introduces the attendees to the basic principles of fracture and geomechanical characterization relevant to the hydrocarbon industry with examples applicable to exploration, production, reservoir management.

The course will consist of a combination of lectures and workshop exercises. Case studies are analyzed to explain, discuss, and compare diverse operational challenges faced in identifying, assessing and diagnosing/predicting key geomechanical and fracturerelated factors. The course elements keep the mathematical aspects to a minimum, and will incorporate field examples to demonstrate the principles, applications and pitfalls in dealing with fractured reservoirs, contrasting worldwide experience with that in the Middle East.

Key topics will include:

• Fractures and geomechanics (definitions)
• Fractured reservoirs
• Fracture types and origin
• Fracture characterization (tools & methods/fracture aspects/ properties)
• Fracture impact on fluid flow and accumulation
• In situ stress characterization
• Geomechanical response of fractures to operational pressure changes
• Applications of fracture characterization: Exploration & prospect evaluation; reservoir development; geosteering; drilling and workover; well planning & completion/stimulation; well testing design and interpretation
• Uncertainties in fracture characterization: assessment of exploration and development risks related to subjective and nonsubjective factors

Every graduate student in geoscience who needs to better understand theory and application of sequence stratigraphy will benefit from this course. This course is designed to teach graduate students the principles, concepts and methods of sequence stratigraphy.

Sequence stratigraphy is an informal chronostratigraphic methodology that uses stratal surfaces to subdivide the stratigraphic record. This methodology allows the identification of coeval facies, documents the time-transgressive nature of classic lithostratigraphic units, and provides geoscientists with an additional way to analyze and subdivide the stratigraphic record.

Using exercises that utilize outcrop, core, well log, and seismic data, the course provides a hands-on experience to learning sequence stratigraphy. The exercises include classic case studies from which many sequence stratigraphic concepts were originally developed.

The main objectives of the course are to review:

• Basic concepts and terminology of sequence stratigraphy.
• The stratigraphic building blocks of depositional sequences.
• Recognition criteria for the identification of depositional sequences and their components in outcrops, cores, well logs and seismic.
• The application of sequence stratigraphy in non-marine, shallow marine, and submarine depositional settings.

Geoscientists responsible for interpreting carbonate depositional processes and architectures and generating models for predicting subsurface reservoir properties. Graduate and post-graduate students interested in learning about fundamental processes controlling carbonate architecture and case studies of carbonate systems spanning from exploration- to reservoir-scale.

Carbonate Systems are fundamental depositional settings and often contain important hydrocarbon accumulations. This short course will use examples from modern settings, integrated with outcrop and data, to describe the major variables governing the stratigraphic architecture of carbonate systems and their evolution through time. Controlling factors discussed will include latitude and climate (photozoan vs. heterozoan), precipitation modes and lithology (skeletal vs. microbial), diagenetic potential (aragonite-rich vs. aragonite-poor), sequence stratigraphy and architecture (lowstand vs. highstand; high-relief vs. ramp). The influence of these processes on the geological models, including variations in reservoir geometry, continuity, and heterogeneity, will be highlighted.

This short course includes lectures, discussion of large panorama photographs of outcrops, cores and thin-sections, and a suite of exercises that integrate data at different spatial scales to develop identification and subsurface mapping skills within carbonate settings. Exercises will be focused on discussion of case studies illustrating important depositional processes and their evolution throughout the Phanerozoic, with selected outcrop and subsurface examples from Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Neogene settings.

Participants will gain a full appreciation for the depositional processes associated with carbonate systems, how these change throughout geological time and the implications that these can have on reservoir properties. Furthermore they will gain important insight into typical lithofacies distributions and key stratigraphic surfaces that can partition carbonate systems into reservoirs and flow units.

This course is designed for geoscientists, engineers, and economists who are involved in the pre-drill assessment of resource volumes and risks in conventional exploration prospects. The course provides participants with an overview of the methods used to quantify the risks and uncertainties defined by a geologic evaluation. Emphasis is on the intelligent application of the methods, rather than on prescriptive “cookbook recipes.” Instruction is based on the philosophy that the geologic evaluation, including the risks and uncertainties associated with the evaluation, should define the assessment methods. The methods should not define the geology.

The course combines lectures, open discussion, and numerous exercises. The exercises use simple problems to illustrate the calculations embedded in the typical Monte Carlo computing application. The participants will learn to understand the inputs and results of their assessment application, rather than viewing the program as a “black box.”

Key topics will include:

• Definition of typical volumetric parameters
• Basic volumetric calculations
• Uncertainty concepts
• Monte Carlo simulations
• Parameter correlations
• Risk concepts, including play and local risks
• Bayesian risk modification
• Alternative interpretations (scenarios)
• Multiple-zone assessments
• Risk dependency between zones
• Volume relationships between zones

This one-day course will review hydrocarbon migration mechanisms and models, examine the varied near-surface expressions of hydrocarbon microseepage, review geochemical, remote sensing, and non-seismic exploration technologies developed to map these hydrocarbon-induced changes, and discuss the applications of these methods to finding and producing oil and gas. Numerous case histories will be presented which document the many applications of surface geochemical data, ranging from reconnaissance surveys to developing and high-grading exploration leads and prospects, and for field development and production applications such as finding bypassed pay in old fields. The case histories will include onshore and offshore examples from throughout the world. The course is designed for exploration and development geoscientists, production engineers, E&P managers, and anyone wanting a comprehensive review of this sometimes controversial topic.

Introduction and Brief Historical Review

• Near-Surface Expression of Hydrocarbon Migration Offshore Observations; Onshore Observations
• Models, Mechanisms and Rates for Hydrocarbon Migration and Seepage
• Direct Detection Methods Soil Gas (Interstitial and Adsorbed), Fluorescence, Heavy Hydrocarbons; Sniffers, Airborne and Satellite Sensors
• Indirect Detection Methods: Microbiological and Geochemical Microbial, Helium, Iodine, Soil Alteration, Vegetation Effects, Biogeochemical, Remote Sensing of Seepage Anomalies
• Indirect Detection Methods: Geophysical Radiometric, Electrical, Electromagnetic, Magnetic (Micromagnetics), Passive EM, Passive “Telluric”
• Geochemical Survey Objectives, Survey Design, Method Selection
• Exploration and Development Case Histories Reconnaissance Surveys Prospect Generation and Evaluation Applications for Field Development and Production
• Interpretation Guidelines; Integration with Geologic and Seismic Data
• Summary and Conclusions

This course is designed to give geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers a thorough overview of new structural techniques for quantitative prediction of fault seal. The emphasis is placed on the application of an objective methodology to the analysis of subsurface data (seismic interpretation and wells).

Following an introduction to the physical mechanisms of seal, the course describes a workflow which can be applied to all cases of subsurface fault-seal analysis. Methods are described to construct fault-juxtaposition (Allan) diagrams from both seismic interpretations and maps. ‘Triangle’ plots are explained, for quick 1-D fault-seal analysis.

The different types of fault-rock are illustrated, with an account of their different capillary and permeability properties. The various published algorithms for predicting fault-rock distribution are described (Shale Gouge Ratio, Shale Smear Factor, Clay Smear Potential). Calibration of fault-seal algorithms in an exploration/appraisal context is explained, in order to predict potential hydrocarbon column heights trapped at faults.

The SGR methodology is then extended to the development/ production context. The handling of faults in reservoir simulation models is described, with full explanation of the concept of a geologically based fault-transmissibility multiplier.

The final section of the course examines the influence of in situ stress conditions on fluid flow in fault zones, and fluid leakage out of faultbound traps. Attributes such as Slip Tendency and Fracture Stability are explained, for ranking potentially breached traps and constraining their maximum column heights.

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) releases to the atmosphere are recognized as a major factor in global climate change. Management of future CO2 releases will likely be performed with conservation, alternate energy sources, and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. CCS is recognized as critical to achieving necessary global reductions.

A wide range of technologies will be needed to implement CCS. Most information presented to the geological community is directed only toward storage. The actual implementation of CCS will involve capture, compression, transport, and injection into the geologic formation. The economics and future outlook are typically not addressed.

The short course will provide an introduction to carbon sources, capture technologies, transportation, storage scenarios, the economics of CCS, and major current limitations. Capture systems (solvents, sorbents, membranes, etc.) will be discussed to provide a basic knowledge of technical and economic issues. The economics of compression and transport, and the general transport concentration standards for CO2 will be discussed in the course. Attendees will become familiar with sequestration fundamentals; enhanced oil recovery, and supercritical and aqueous phase storage. Siting and characterization criteria for suitable subsurface geologic sequestration will be addressed; discussions will include the importance of geologic traps and seals.

The economics of CCS through the total life cycle will be discussed in detail for EOR, coal bed methane, and saline aquifers. Practical application examples and future outlook for CCS will be considered as part of the economics discussion.

The eni E&P Laboratory workshop is designed to give students and young professionals an introduction to eni’s petroleum E&P assessment workflow using examples from Italian sedimentary basins. A grounding presentation about Italian geology and basic terminology will be followed by visits to each of the specialist laboratories where the key features of carbonate and siliciclastic reservoirs, source rocks and the hydrocarbons characteristic of different Italian petroleum systems will be illustrated. The tour will include examples of petrography, SEM, geochemistry of the source rocks and oils, tomography, fluid thermodynamics and flow assurance. Reading material on Italian petroleum system and overviews of the laboratories will be provided.