You are invited to prepare a poster display for presentation. If you are interested in participating, please send a short abstract to [email protected] by 17 March 2025. All posters will be produced as pull-up banners and delivered by AAPG. There will not be any other format available for poster display.
Poster Abstract Template
The evolution of hydrocarbon exploration driven by the diminishing accessibility of conventional large-size hydrocarbon traps has compelled national and international oil and gas companies to scrutinize off-structure prospects and near-field undeveloped or unsuccessful commercial discoveries, discerning root causes of their failures. This dual-pronged approach not only enhances chance of commercial success during exploration, but also expedites production and re-evaluation of undeveloped or commercially unsuccessful discoveries respectively, saving valuable time and resources of operators.
These scrutinizes pave the way for fast-tracking exploration to production lifecycle of the off-structure prospects by leveraging their similarities to active fields in terms of geology, low capital expenditure (CAPEX), and seamless integration with pre-existing infrastructure. Off-structure prospects and near-field undeveloped or previously unsuccessful discoveries, which are located near active fields, have proven to be valuable extensions. They have significantly expanded potential exploration areas and resources.
In recent years, the exploration success and tie-back of such off-structure discoveries into production lines have significantly contributed to reserve addition and production rates of many operators in Middle East and elsewhere. Therefore, haring knowledge and lessons learned from these endeavors is crucial for the benefit of the broader community. By discussing real-world examples and case studies, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how these strategies have been successfully implemented and can be adapted to their own projects.
Through a series of facilitated exercises and discussions, workshop attendees will learn techniques for identifying and evaluating these "off-structure" prospects - ideas, technologies, or phenomena that fall outside the mainstream. Participants will explore methods for recognizing the early signals of potentially transformative discoveries and develop strategies for severely assessing their viability and impact. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a comprehensive toolkit for effectively navigating the complexities of modern hydrocarbon exploration, positioning their organizations for success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
This field trip aims to explore and study the depositional environments and sedimentary structures of the Holocene shoreface and tidal deposits at Enjefa Beach. Participants will examine the various sedimentary structures, ichnofacies, stratigraphic layering, and depositional packages. This geological site is modest; however, it offers easy access and high-quality preservation or sedimentary structures.
Parking lot of Hyatt Regency, Al Kout Mall
Upon arrival at Enjefa Beach, the field guides will provide an orientation of the Enjefa beach and explain the main exposed sedimentary facies. The participants will have the opportunity to walk to the exposed rocks and examine them closely. However, taking samples or breaking the exposure with a hammer will not be allowed, and can only be done with instructions from the organizers. The outcrop exposure is small, and we want to do our part in preserving its geological beauty. The instructors will walk the participants through various facies and explain their main characteristics. This will give the participants critical insight into recognizing such facies in their own hydrocarbon fields, on cores, or on other outcrops they may study. The primary depositional environments that will be analyzed are:
Participants will gain knowledge on how to differentiate between middle shoreface, upper shoreface, and foreshore facies using stratification patterns and ichnofacies.
Exploration of tidal channels including channel fill and lateral accretion surfaces will also be conducted based on distinct bioturbation, sedimentary structures, and sediment grading.
Once the participants have established facies understanding special attention will be put on the sea level changes during the Holocene epoch. Such understanding is critical for the participant's future application of sequence stratigraphic concepts.
We recommend that all participants bring a field notebook, camera or phone for taking pictures, and a hand lens.
The core display to accompany the AAPG workshop: Unlocking Hidden Potential: Unveiling Off-Structure Prospects and Re-Evaluating Borderline Discoveries includes core cut from several Cretaceous reservoirs in the Bahrah Field of North Kuwait.
The successful development of the Bahrah Field optimizes the leveraging of new drilling and completion technology, as well as a deepening exploration strategy involving multiple reservoirs.
Reservoirs include the Mauddud Formation, a matrix-dominated shelfal carbonate reservoir originally discovered in the 1930’s, and initially not possible for production at sustainable rates using conventional vertical wells. This reservoir has been redeveloped in the last few years using horizontal wells and multi-stage acid frack completions. A similar approach is being considered for the deeper Ratawi Limestone Formation.
The Burgan and Zubair reservoirs are heterogeneous fluvio-deltaic reservoirs, where channelized sandbodies encased in heterolithic fines offer stratigraphic trapping potential. Such closures combine with a complex network of transpressional and transtensional cross faults to set-up further exploration potential through the mapping of subtle combination traps.
The story of the successful Bahrah Field development is further described in Session 3 of the workshop (The Bahrah Field and the Value of Re-Evaluating Once Borderline Discoveries).
We have secured exclusive rates at the Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall for those who wish to book accommodations at the workshop location. If you have any questions concerning your stay at the Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall, please email [email protected]. You may also call the following number for assistance: +965 23931234.
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* To avail the Member rate you must be an active member of AAPG or KGS.
** To register as a Young Professional, you must be under the age of 35 with less than 10 years work experience.
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