Engineering

AAPG and ABGP invite you to participate in an interactive, multidisciplinary workshop featuring presentations and discussions exploring opportunities to improve companies’ efficiency and effectiveness throughout the E&P cycle, from block acquisition and exploration to development and production.

In Conjunction with AAPG/SEG 2017 International Conference & Exhibition (ICE)
This short course will introduce modern concepts, principles and applications of biostratigraphy to industry geoscientists and engineers with a non-biostratigraphic background.

The Wessex Basin in Dorset is a world-renowned locality to learn the play elements of a petroleum system. The basin comprises the Wytch Farm oil field, one of the largest onshore oil field in Europe.

This workshop provides the opportunity to learn and discuss the latest knowledge, techniques & technologies applied to petroleum reservoirs in the Paleozoic of North Africa which can be utilized to explore for and develop these reservoirs. The workshop will provide a set-up for networking, interacting & sharing expertise with fellow petroleum scientists interested in developing and producing hydrocarbon resources within the Paleozoic of North Africa.

Location: Atlas; Anti-Atlas of Marrakech and Ouarzazate areas of Morocco**
Field Trip Leader: Abdallah Aitsalem (ONHYM) & Lahcen Boutib (ONHYM)
Field Trip Fee: USD575 *

* Field trip pricing covers accommodation, feeding and transportation for the duration of the Trip. Seats are limited and will be confirmed on a first come first served basis.

Day 1 Departure from Marrakech to Ouarzazate

The Atlas Mountains of Marrakech extend more than 250 km East-West and 50 km North-South. They record the highest mountainous peaks in North Africa with altitudes exceeding 4,000 meters (Toubkal 4,165m and Ouenkrim 4,089m). Northward and southward, they rise hundreds of meters above the Marrakech plain (Haouz plain) and Imini syncline, respectively. The recently incised mountain valleys, created during the last inversion of the Atlas, form the crossing ways of the massif, as is the case of the main road that connects Marrakech to Ouarzazate passing via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass. They also provide the opportunity to view multiple breathtaking landscapes and contain outcrops that shed light on the geological evolution of the mountain from the Precambrian to the present. Day 1 of the field trip will allow participants to view Paleozoic outcrops through the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, which displays a complete Cambrian to Devonian succession and contains several organic-rich intervals. Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits, which are exposed on the borders of the massif, will also be viewed briefly.

Day 2: Departure from Ouarzazate to Tazzarine and back to Ouarzazate **

Day 2 of the field trip crosses the central Anti-Atlas Paleozoic basin and offers spectacular views of the largest oasis in North Africa, along the Draa River, and its majestic ancient Kasbahs. Participants will examine formations ranging in age from Upper Precambrian to Silurian. Discussions will focus on the evolution of their various depositional environments in relation to sea level changes. The well exposed sandstone formations provide the opportunity to view major Paleozoic reservoirsintervals, as well as the organic-rich "hot shales" that source these reservoirs. Rubble from recent water wells and ingenious sub-cropping irrigation systems (Khattara) provide the chance to sample fresh Ordovician and Silurian organic-rich and fossiliferous black shales. In addition, the participants will have perspective views of gentle folding generated during the Hercynian compression and related regional fractures.

Field trip route map

**Field trip will end in Ouarzazate. All participants to arrange their own transport from Ouarzazate following the conclusion of the field trip.

To register for the field trip please click here.

This course emphasizes key changes in reservoir models that have a major impact in exploration and production of these reservoirs. The course will include lectures, exercises, and observations from cores, well logs and seismic profiles. Participants will learn how to interpret and map environments of deposition (EoD’s) in deep water systems and understand how the different EoD’s and sub-EoD’s behave as reservoirs.

This three-day workshop builds on the success of the first AAPG Carbonate Reservoirs of the Middle East GTW, held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2015. It is dedicated to addressing the hydrocarbon bearing carbonate reservoirs of the Middle East, in the context of a changing oil market within a more challenging exploration and development environment. These challenges include the shift from traditional anticlinal traps to stratigraphic traps, and development strategies for dealing with maturing, long-producing, giant fields.

The modern carbonate-evaporite depositional environments along the Abu Dhabi shoreline and offshore Abu Dhabi belong to the few areas of the world where the geoscientist can observe the interplay between carbonate and evaporite sedimentation.

Supratidal (sabkha) to intertidal and shallow subtidal (microbial mat and peloid-skeletal tidal-flat) environments will be studied in the vicinity of Al-Qanatir Island.

Al-Qanatir Island

In the vicinity of the road to Al-Qanatir Island participants will be able to study a complete and undisturbed lateral facies succession from the upper supratidal to the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal:

• Upper supratidal stranded beach ridges
• Topographic highs, some cm above the adjacent upper sabkha environment
• Upper sabkha (upper supratidal)
• Surface covered by polygonally-cracked halite crust
• Middle sabkha (middle supratidal)
• Surface covered by finely-crystalline, whitish anhydrite polygons
• Lower sabkha (lower supratidal)
• Surface covered by shiny, sparkling gypsum crystals
• Upper to lower intertidal microbial mat
• Crenulated or crinkled microbial mat above gypsum mush facies
• Blistered and pinnacle microbial mat
• Polygonal and tufted microbial mat
• Lowermost intertidal to shallow sub-tidal
• Peloid-skeletal tidal-flat

Many of these depositional environments and facies successions correspond to those observed in cores from the subsurface of the Arabian Peninsula.

The main objective of this field trip is to offer participants the opportunity to study the structural style and fracturing of carbonate rocks analogous to reservoir units of the globally important UAE Oil Province. The clear exposure of these carbonate rocks in this tectonically complicated area provides a significant opportunity to study and explain the structural style and deformation history of the region. Although the carbonate rocks exposed in Jebal Hafit area are of Early Eocene–Miocene age (Rus, Dammam and Asmari Formations), the emphasis here is to study fractures pattern and fracturing mechanism with relation to the paleostress and the link to fractures conductivity.

The selected stops will demonstrate the stratigraphic relationship of the rock units and their fracture systems that have been developed during long geological deformation. There are significant similarities between these exposed rocks and those units seen in the Abu Dhabi Oil Fields by means of reservoir characteristics and fracture system and fracture related diagenesis (cementation/host rock alteration) with its impact on sealing potential.

Jebal Hafit, an elongated asymmetrical, double‐plunging, NNW‐SSW trending anticline with an elevation reaches up to ~ 1140 m high, is situated at the border between Oman and UAE. It extends ca 30 km in the direction NNW–SSE with average width of 4 to 5 km.

This workshop provides the opportunity to learn and discuss the latest knowledge, techniques & technologies applied to mature fields. The workshop will provide a set-up for networking, interacting & sharing expertise with fellow petroleum scientists interested in enhancing production from maturing fields in the Niger Delta and similar deltaic settings.

An overview of a new ambient seismic imaging method and applications of the method throughout the lifecycles (exploration through refracing) of unconventional oil and/or gas fields.

This study will focus in the combination of λρ – μρ inversion with clustering analysis techniques in order to discriminate brittle zones in the Barnett Shale.

This presentation will look at well placement vertically in the pay, well azimuth and well trajectory with explanations of how geology and post-depositional effects can make the difference between a successful well and a failure.

This presentation describes a proven workflow that uses a standard narrow azimuth 3D seismic, conventional logs, image logs and core data to build five key reservoir properties required for an optimal development of shale plays.

Projects in several shales will be discussed, including Marcellus, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Fayetteville, Montney, and Barnett, as will several seismically-detectable drivers for success including lithofacies, stress, pre-existing fractures, and pore pressure.

The presentation will discuss key reservoir information and how to develop a predictive pressure model.

Effective hydraulic fracture stimulation is critical for shale development, and microseismic is the only technology able to map the growth of these hydraulic fracture networks.

This work investigates how heterogeneity can be defined and how we can quantify this term by describing a range of statistical heterogeneity (e.g. coefficient of variation and the Lorenz coefficient).

This talk will present a brief overview of proppants followed by a comprehensive discussion of the major considerations that are driving proppant selection in these plays.

The Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas is one of the more exciting shale plays in the United States at the current time.

This e-symposium focuses on methods for predicting connectivity within clastic fluvial systems.

The goal of this e-symposium is to provide an overview of the latest trends and technologies for water management for oil and gas drilling, completions, and production.

There are more approximately 1,000 oil and gas fields in the world that have been classified as "giant," containing more than 500 million barrels of recoverable oil and /or 3 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Unger Field, discovered in1955, has produced 8.6 million barrels of oil from a thinly (several ft) bedded, locally cherty dolomite containing vuggy and intercrystalline porosity.

The goal of this e-symposium is to review an important dimension in the ways geologist can build and update geological models using information from performance data.

This e-symposium presents techniques for predicting pore pressure in seals by examining case studies from the Gulf of Mexico and incorporating the relationship between rocks, fluids, stress, and pressure.

This e-symposium will focus on how surface geochemical surveys and Downhole Geochemical Imaging technologies can be utilized jointly to directly characterize the composition of hydrocarbons vertically through the prospect section.

This presentation discusses one operator’s approach to fully integrate data captured in the Marcellus Shale in order to optimize horizontal well performance.

This e-symposium provides highlights of the hydraulic fracturing mechanics, analysis, and design, and is derived from a two and one-half (2-1/2) day course which is designed for drilling, completion, production engineers, engineering technicians, geologists, well-site and completion supervisors, and managers, who desire to possess a comprehensive and integral knowledge of Hydraulic Fracturing.

The Niobrara Petroleum System of the U.S. Rocky Mountain Region is a major tight petroleum resource play.

This e-symposium will provide information on which tools, processes, and procedures all geoscientists, engineers, and technical professionals working in shale plays need to understand and implement.

The Mississippian-Devonian Bakken Petroleum System of the Williston Basin is characterized by low-porosity and permeability reservoirs, organic-rich source rocks, and regional hydrocarbon charge.

This e-symposium covers how to conduct an interdisciplinary evaluation of mature fields to determine the best approach to recover remaining reserves.

The presentation will focus on hydraulic fracture geometry in shales, the materials used in the fracturing process, and treatment monitoring via microseismic.

This presentation will show where there are cases of missing sections, but none of them can be attributed to normal faulting.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to describe geomechanics in shale reservoirs and discuss differences between plays.

This 1-hour web-cast will arm the G&G asset team professionals with a core-competency understanding of these critical field realities, with direct reference to recent documented field experience and learnings

This esymposium takes a close look at workflows associated with resource plays, and analyzes where integration must occur between disciplines, data, and workflows at all phases of the process.

This course can help you gain the ability to describe the complex and highly variable reservoirs, which are typified by complex internal heterogeneity.

This e-symposium introduces you to the practical benefits of thermal profiling for a variety of unconventional oil and gas projects, including tight gas sands, oil shale, low-gravity oil.

Join two GIS/geoscience experts Scott Sires and Gerry Bartz as they use information from the Teapot Dome Field in Wyoming (DOE/RMOTC program).

Unconventional Resources is an online course that enables participants to learn about shale gas, shale oil and coalbed methane.

This course introduces the learner to the fundamentals of shale gas, including current theories that explain its origin, and how to determine which reservoirs are commercially viable.

Renewable & Non-Renewable Resources is an online course that enables participants to review, analyze, and evaluate opportunities in the rapidly expanding market for renewable energy.

Biomass Energy Basics is an online course that enables participants to review, analyze, and evaluate opportunities in the rapidly expanding market for biopower and biofuel.

Solar Energy Basics is an online course that enables participants to review, analyze, and evaluate opportunities in the rapidly expanding market for solar energy.

Wind Energy Basics is an online course that enables participants to review, analyze, and evaluate opportunities in the rapidly expanding market for wind energy.

Geothermal Energy Basics is an online course that enables participants to review, analyze, and evaluate opportunities in the rapidly expanding market for geothermal energy.

This online course provides an overview of the petroleum industry from what is natural gas and crude oil to how to explore, drill, and produce oil and gas.