This workshop aims to provide a forum for professionals from industry, academia and government agencies, who are actively involved in the study of Middle Eastern Source Rocks, to share their advances in source rock related fields, present their experiences and challenges, and demonstrate relevant technologies and solutions.  

For either conventional or unconventional resources, oil and gas exploration in Middle Eastern basins strongly relies on the recognition and characterization of source rocks. Besides the long recognized major source rocks, new ones have been identified in the Middle East over the past 20 years.  The contribution of each of these source rocks to the various petroleum systems is not always easy to quantify and is still a matter of debate.  For proper kinetic study, the access to immature source rocks is quite restricted and imposes heavy limitations on the proper characterization of source rock.  Up until recently, stratigraphers mainly focused on reservoir rocks, they are only now taking a closer look at source rocks and understanding their complexity. Finally the multitude of stratigraphic nomenclatures in the Middle East has hindered the integration of cross-border information about the distributions of source rocks.

The following themes are planned for inclusion into the workshop:

• Source Rock recognition; from direct outcrop/core/cutting/log analysis to geochemical inversion 
• Source Rock maturity; from direct Vitrinite, graptolite, Tmax, geochemical  indicator measurements to basin modeling predictions
• Source rock pyrolysis: applications, limitations, open vs. closed system
• Source Rock kinetics; from simple bulk to oil/gas to multicomponent kinetics with applications into the GOR and API prediction
• Source Rock depositional environments; from SEM, petrography, geochemistry, sedimentology, seismic attributes  to stratigraphic models
• Source Rock related Play Elements: from charge type, charge vs structural timing to migration risks
• Source Rocks studies in conventional vs unconventional settings
• New and revised old technologies, tips and tricks to best address Source Rock characteristics

Benefits of attending

The workshop is an opportunity for attendees to receive up-to-date knowledge about the recognition and characterization of source rock, along with new and revised technologies and regional case studies. It is an opportunity to network and share experiences and participants will receive a summary of all breakout sessions and discussions, lessons learned and a USB with abstracts for papers presented in the workshop.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop targets geochemists, basin modelers, sequence stratigraphers and exploration geologists who have a working interest and knowledge of the characterization and recognition of Middle East source rocks, and who are working in national operating and service companies, as well as academic institutions.