Course Objectives and Items You Will Learn About:

• The seismic expression of carbonate depositional systems (including supratidal, ramp, shelf, shelf margin and reef, slope, and deep basinal carbonates).
• The trapping configurations and occurrence of hydrocarbons in carbonate rocks.
• The stratigraphy and depositional environments of carbonates from the supratidal to deep basinal settings.
• Use of carbonate sequence and seismic facies analysis to be more successful in prospecting in carbonates.
• The difference between systems tracts of carbonates and siliciclastics.

Overview:

The course is primarily a workshop. The instructor introduces the basic concept that carbonates are fundamentally different rocks than siliciclastics, since they are produced in the basin in which they are found rather than being externally derived. The carbonate producers have changed markedly during geologic time, and diagenetic changes are extremely important in forming reservoirs. Initial discussions focus on modern carbonate environments and outcrop examples of carbonates from the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. As problems on each carbonate environment are introduced, the instructor reviews the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the modern environments and examples of the occurrence of hydrocarbons in ancient analogs. The initial workshop focuses on a ramp environment, followed by problems in seismic sequence analysis and facies analysis in shelf, shelf margin, and slope-basin plain environments. In each problem, drilling locations must be proposed.

The fourth day of the workshop is "options day". Five different data sets from North America, South America, Africa, and Europe are made available to "bid on". Successful teams must analyze the stratigraphy and facies of the carbonates in the areas and propose drilling locations. Where available, wells evaluate the prospects. Day five is chalk day. The data sets focus on the chalks of the North Sea, first on the area of chalk production, then of ultimate deposition and the hydrocarbons reservoired within. Facies interpretation is used to predict new drilling locations.

Duration: Five Days

Attendees: Experienced Interpreters and Carbonate Enthusiasts