The Second EAGE/AAPG Hydrocarbon Seals of the Middle East Workshop, chaired by Fahad Al Najrani (Saudi Aramco) was held at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa from the 17-19 April 2018.

After the success of the first workshop, the second EAGE/AAPG joint event for “Hydrocarbon Seals of the Middle East” in Abu Dhabi attracted over fourty professionals from both the academic and industrial sectors. This three-day affair emphasized the importance of understanding seals, an integral yet least studied element of the petroleum system, with the help of various techniques and workflows.

Unlike reservoirs, seals are probably the least understood part of the petroleum system. They are more than just hydrocarbon traps; they are involved in controlling the migration and charge volumes and the lateral and vertical distribution of hydrocarbon within a trap.

The workshop consisted of five sessions, extended over the course of three days. Each session was followed by a Break-out session that saw the attendees split into groups to try and answer questions pertaining to the session theme. These gatherings allowed attendees from different backgrounds and levels of expertise to brainstorm and share their ideas; a learning vessel for everyone involved.

Day 1

An opening address by Mr. Mohammad Faqira from Saudi Aramco started off the workshop, where he highlighted the challenges and opportunities of evaluating seals in the Middle East. He highlighted that about 52% of known seals are ineffective. He went on to stress the significance of data integration for seal risk mitigation. The following keynote address by EAGE president Mr. Jean-Jacques Biteau focused on the importance of identifying pressure regimes that could impact the effectiveness of a seal. Compaction for instance would cause disequilibrium in mechanical stress, potentially causing fluid loss.

Day 2

Day 2 started off with a keynote address by Mr. Christopher Wibberley (TOTAL), where he identified fault permeability as an important seal property and emphasized the need to quantify it. Pressure regime was another essential fault seal property.

Other criteria suggested for evaluation were the use of Allen Methodology (1987) - to help provide points for juxtaposition to assist in fault seal calibration and to identify if the faults are open or closed, as well as the incorporation of geomechanical parameters during the initial stages of modelling. The importance of running multiple scenarios and incorporating uncertainty, a factor generally not taken into account at industry level, in models for more robust decision-making and improved profitability, was further emphasized.

Mr. Pierre Laer of ADNOC delivered the last keynote speech of the workshop on Day 3 where he highlighted the use of basin modelling and back-stripping analysis for seal assessment in the event of lack of data or issues faced during upscaling.

Poster Presentations

This session served as an interactive platform for the attendees to indulge in engaging discussions with the presenters. Two posters, from Saudi Aramco and PT Pertamina Persero, showcased case studies where integrated workflows of seismic interpretation, sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy analysis were used to characterize and map seals.

Closing Remarks

Mr. Fahad Al-Najrani, chair of the event, during his closing remarks emphasized the importance of studying seals. He also called for use of integrated workflows for seal assessment and characterization that would allow for better decision making in the long run.