Course Content

Recognition and Correlation of the Eagle Ford, Austin Formations in South Texas can be enhanced with High Resolution Biostratigraphy, fossil abundance peaks and Maximum Flooding Surfaces correlated to Upper Cretaceous sequence stratigraphic cycle chart after Gradstein, 2010. These formations can be divided into a series of nine (9) chronostratigraphic genetic Sequences. These sequences are defined by Stage/Age and numerical age datable Maximum Flooding Surfaces from the base of the Eagle Ford, the Cenomanian (Ce3) sequence boundary to the top of the Austin, the Santonian (Sa3) Maximum Flooding Surface. The flooding surfaces and there depositional expression, the condensed section, are associated with the Transgressive systems tract and high TOC, increased organic richness, provide a major seal and are time lines that can be used as mapping horizons. Paleobathymetry for these formations is based on benthic foraminifers.

When drilling in the Eagle Ford it is important to accurately and consistently identify and correlate the same richness zone in two or more wells. In addition to logs and seismic using the maximum flooding surfaces identified in each well, the continuous reflectors on seismic, provides a third data set for identification of the same richness zone in each well. This zone is located in-between the same age datable time lines, the maximum flooding surfaces. This methodology reduces risk in these expensive Eagle Ford wells by verifying that the lateral that is going to be drilled or has been drilled is in the correct richness zone.

These flooding surfaces also provide: the time based mapping surfaces necessary to make various types of maps, TOC, carbonate, HI, isopach, structural, biofacies, brittleness, and fracture zones; unconformities with time missing: timing of faults; time based data for more accurate burial and thermal history.

Key Topics

• Eagle Ford high resolution biostratigraphy
• Chronostratigraphic genetic sequences
• Ceonmaneian (Ce3) sequence boundary
• Flooding surfaces
• TOC
• Sequence Stratigraphy

Structure of the E-Symposium

Each e-symposium consists of one-hour live e-symposium, along with material for one full day of independent study. The live portion will be followed by a full day of independent study (not a live event). The one-hour live e-symposium can be accessed from any computer anywhere in the world using a high-speed internet connection. After the event is over, you will receive via email information about accessing the asynchronous segment (not live) which consists of your independent study materials, to be accessed and studied at any time. You will be able to email responses to the readings, along with your study question answers for CEU credit (if you sign up for the extended package).