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Welcome Logistics

Block
5
Block
6
Block
7
Block
8
• Emergency Procedures
Block
1
Block
2
Block
3
Block
4
OWC

• Rest Rooms
• Hours
Petroleum Exploration • Breaks
Using a Field for an Example

NOTE: These materials are for educational purposes for

undergraduate and graduate students ONLY. If
you are not a student or faculty member, please
do not use these resources.

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Your Instructor My Experience

Name: Fred W. Schroeder, Ph.D. Basin Studied 6+ months

Chucki
Degrees: BS in Eng. Physics – Lehigh U. Sea Beaufort
Sea Haltenbanken
MS in Marine Geology – Columbia U. Viking Graben
Central Graben
Goban
PhD in Marine Geology – Columbia U. Midland
Basin
Baltimore
Spur
East
Canyon Yellow
Med
Experience: 32 years with ExxonMobil Research US Gulf
Coast
Sea
Pearl River
Venezuela Chad Mouth
3.5 years with Noble Energy Columbia
Nigeria
Eq. Guinea
Mergui Malay
Basin Basin
Angola
Specialties: Seismic Interpretation (2D & 3D) Exmouth
Plateau

Seismic Stratigraphy Ceduna

Gippsland
Basin
Falkland's Basin
Basin Modeling
Seismic Attribute Analysis • G&G studies of numerous basins worldwide
• R&D of interpretation tools & techniques
Volume Interpretation & Visualization
• Develop & deliver in-house training
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Course Objective Course Design

• This course takes a quick look at what we • There are three sessions of about 90 minutes
do in the early stages of exploration • There is homework between sessions
• We will follow an fictitious field, although I
Session I Session II Session III
have used more modern data and methods
than were available when the field was
discovered
• We start prior to the first offshore licensing
round
• We will progress to the stage of a Homework Homework
• Exercise 3 • Exercise 6
management review of a wildcat well • Exercise 5 • Exercise 7

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Field Location IBA Preparation

Should you be preparing for an IBA competition,

• Our fictitious field is supposedly in the
please note:
Ross Basin, offshore Antarctica
• I will guide you through a few typical analysis
steps, not a complete analysis
• Each IBA data set is different with different
amounts of well and seismic data, so the
analysis of each would be different
• Don’t force your data set and objectives into
my example
• You want to use creativity in all that you do
• Do NOT expect to mimic Fred’s example and
win a prize!

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Lecture 1 Geoscience Work in Industry

The Geoscience Work Process can be subdivided into four (4)

main stages that are related to the business cycle of an asset

Early in the

Play Elements with an Business Cycle Stage 1

Capture Areas of Highest Potential
Example Stage 2
Discover HC Reserves

Stage 3
NOTE: These materials are for educational purposes for Initiate Production from Discoveries
undergraduate and graduate students ONLY. If
you are not a student or faculty member, please
do not use these resources. Stage 4

Late in the
Deplete HC Fields
Business Cycle

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Exploration Geoscience Some Terminology

• Exploration is charged with finding and confirming new • What is a Lead?

oil and gas fields – A lead is something that geoscientists find that
• Their goal is to replace the volumes of HC that the might be a trap holding an economic volume
company produces so reserves stay flat or increase of recoverable oil and/or gas
Early in the – It is worthy of further study, but not ready to
Exploration Cycle Identify High-Potential Regions
propose as a drilling target
Locate Quality Leads • What is a Prospect?
Capture Exploration Licenses – A prospect is something that has been
scientifically matured to the state that we are
Mature Leads to Prospects ready to present it to management as ready
to be drilled
Drill Wildcats – Find HCs
– We have an estimate of what we will recover
Late in the
Confirm Discovery Is Economic and a chance of success
Exploration Cycle

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Stage 1: Capture Opportunities Play Elements

Key Questions • What are Play Elements?

– A play is a combination of the conditions that
1. Of the 700+ sedimentary basins on the planet, which make a HC field possible
offer the highest potential for undiscovered HCs?
– A play element is one of these necessary
2. Which high potential areas can we hope to operate within, conditions
in the near future? – Different companies use slightly different
3. Is the land holder (e.g., government) for these accessible terminology
areas likely to offer up some exploration licenses?
4. What can we do to get ready to enter this area? • List of Play Elements (my terminology)

1. Source 4. Seal
2. Reservoir 5. HC Migration
3. Trap

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What We Need for Success Elements and Processes

A Rube Goldberg View Correctly

Essential Elements
Placed
of a Hydrocarbon System Wells • Source rocks
CONVENTIONAL
FIELDS
• Reservoir rocks
A “Container”
• Seal rocks
“Plumbing” To Connect From Which • Overburden rocks
the Container to the Kitchen Oil & Gas
Can Be
Produced Major Processes
• Trap formation
• Hydrocarbon
– Generation
A “Kitchen” – Migration
Where Organic
Material Is – Accumulation
Cooked

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The Kitchen The Container

A “Kitchen”
Where Organic
• Reservoir
Material Is – Porous & Permeable rock that are suitable
Cooked
for producing HCs
– Most commonly sandstones & some types
A “Container”
• Source From Which
of carbonates
Oil & Gas
• Trap
– Organic-Rich Rocks, usually shales, best Can Be
Produced – 3-D configuration in the subsurface where
if deposited under anoxic conditions significant amounts of oil & gas is pooled
– Temperature & Pressure Conditions such – Structural and/or Stratigraphic Traps
that the geochemical transform of • Seal
organic matter into molecules of oil & – Rocks that prevent the leakage of HCs
gas has occurred from the trap
– Most commonly shales and evaporites
– We need both top seals & lateral seals
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The Plumbing Other Important Components

“Plumbing” To Connect
the Container to the Kitchen
• Timing
– Did the Trap form before HC Migration began?
• Fill & Spill
• HC Migration
– Has HC Generation Exceeded Trap Volume?
– From source (shales) to porous reservoirs
– Has there been Spillage from Trap to Trap?
– Primary mechanism is buoyance
– Where is the Oil?
– Strata-Parallel Component (sand & silt layers)
• Preservation
– Cross-Strata Component (faults, fractures)
– Has Oil been Degraded in the Reservoir -
Thermal Cracking or Biodegradation?

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Hydrocarbon Fill & Spill Using Play Elements

Oil Spills
1. Early Charge: Some Oil, Minor Gas Trap B Up Fault If we can:
2. Peak Charge: Significant Oil, Some Gas • Map where source rocks exist and have/are
3. Late Charge: No Oil, Significant Gas generating hydrocarbons
• Determine where reservoir-quality rocks were
Trap A deposited
Fault Leak
Gas Cap Spill Point
• Locate potential traps
Displaces Oil Synclinal
Spill Point
• Deduce that migration paths, timing, fill & spill and
preservation all look favorable
Oil Spilled
from Trap A
Then we can:
to Trap B
• Decide on which basins to focus on
• Determine which blocks hold the greatest promise
• Position wells to best evaluate prospects, plan the
development of a discovery, or effectively deplete a field
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Play Adequacy Maps Stage 1: Workflow

• To evaluate these eight (8) blocks, we would make maps of the Regional Studies -> Focus Areas
key play elements: Source, Reservoir, Trap, Seal, and Migration Interesting Leads

• We’d look for locations where all elements were favorable Lead Lead

C A
Lead
B
Block Block
7 8
Play Elements Profit
e.g. Reservoir Analysis
Adequacy

}
Block
Block Block Block
5
6 7 8

Lease Sale in a Block

1
Block
2
Block
3
Block
4
Block
5 Block Block Block Focus Area
6 7 8
Blocks Up
Block Block Block Block for Bid
1 2 3 4
Our company
Block
5
Block Block Block
places bids on
6 7 8
Blocks 7 & 8
Block Block Block Block
1 2 3 4

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Example Exercise 2

Objective
Use a series of seismic interpretation maps to
Exercise 2 evaluate the HC potential of eight blocks that are
open to bidding.
Play Elements – Using Play
Adequacy Maps
Final Product
1. List of blocks to drop from further analysis.
2. List of blocks to do more work on.

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Introduction Introduction

Our regional geology team has developed a list of

high-potential basins and the Bonanza Basin is A series of maps have been generated based on the
high on that list. Now eight blocks are up for well data and a grid of 2D seismic data. Some
bid in this basin. modeling of source maturation and reservoir
porosity as a function of burial depth has also
A team of 5 people have been tasked with been done.
evaluating these eight blocks. There is a well
just outside the open blocks that encountered a You will use these maps to decide:
good reservoir and a good source rock. • Which blocks merit further work leading to a bid - Good
Unfortunately the well was dry. At the well
• Which blocks show little HC potential - Bad
location the source interval is immature (no HC
generation). • Which blocks are in between - Possible

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Index Map Interpreted EODs

Index map showing the location of the A-1 well, the 2D seismic grid, Interpreted depositional environments and inferred lithologies for the
and the eight open blocks primary reservoir interval

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Structural Traps HC Generation Map

Map of potential structural traps in the Bonanza Basin. Note the salt A map showing where oil and gas are currently being generated,
ridge and anticlines in the northern tier of blocks based on burial, heat flow, and HC kinetics

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HC Migration Map Your Task

Based on your analysis, categorize each block into
“Good,” “Bad,” or “Possible.” You can circle the
appropriate word below.
Block 1 Good Bad Possible
Block 2 Good Bad Possible
Block 3 Good Bad Possible
Block 4 Good Bad Possible
Block 5 Good Bad Possible
Block 6 Good Bad Possible
Block 7 Good Bad Possible
Block 8 Good Bad Possible
A map showing possible buoyancy-driven flow paths based on the
structure (shape) of the top reservoir horizon

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HC Migration Map Structural Traps

A map showing possible buoyancy-driven flow paths based on the Map of potential structural traps in the Bonanza Basin. Note the salt
structure (shape) of the top reservoir horizon ridge and anticlines in the northern tier of blocks

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Interpreted EODs HC Generation Map

Overmature Oil
X
X
Gas Gas

Immature
Oil
X
X

Interpreted depositional environments and inferred lithologies for the

primary reservoir interval

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Synthesis
Overmature
Oil
X Gas
Gas
Immature

Oil
Oil
X

Immature Immature
Immature

Block 1 Good Bad Possible

Block 2 Good Bad Possible
Block 3 Good Bad Possible
Block 4 Good Bad Possible
Block 5 Good Bad Possible
Block 6 Good Bad Possible
Block 7 Good Bad Possible
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Introduction to the Ross Basin Ross Basin, Offshore Australia

• A third of the Ross Basin extends onshore

• There are many outcrops of Cretaceous and Paleogene rocks
The Ross • There are a number of onshore wells; one gas field
Basin • There are NO offshore wells

NOTE:
The Ross Basin is real, but
the geology and field used
as an example is from a Outcrop Belts
different part of the world
Onshore Well Locations
Penguin Field
Gas Field

Basin Limits
NOTE: These materials are for educational purposes for
undergraduate and graduate students ONLY. If
you are not a student or faculty member, please
Basin Limits
do not use these resources.

FWSchroeder 1 FWSchroeder 2

Tectonic Setting Late Jurassic

Hillary Formation
• Plate Tectonic Setting • Prior to the onset of
rifting between East

Sag Phase
• Basin Evolution Mid Cretaceous
Antarctica and West East
Antarctica
Antarctica West
Antarctica
• Stratigraphy • Mostly continental

Late Rift
sedimentation with
minor marine incursions
Early Rift
Upper Cretaceous

Type of Plate
Boundary
Extension
Transform
Inactive
Present Day

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Early Cretaceous Upper Cretaceous

Amundsen Formation Scott Formation

• Rifting commenced in the • Late syn-rift phase clastic
Ross Sea separating sediments
Sag Phase

Sag Phase
East and West East
Antarctica • Declining clastic sediment
East
Antarctica
Antarctica West
Antarctica input
West
Antarctica
• Early syn-rift sediments • As rifting ceased in the
Late Rift

Late Rift
including volcano- Ross Basin (~65 MY),
clastics and major coal the region collapsed
seams
Early Rift

Early Rift
rapidly and fault blocks
• First significant marine rotated
incursions • A major transgression
Type of Plate occurred Type of Plate
Boundary Boundary
Extension Extension
Transform Transform
Inactive Inactive

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Paleocene Present Day

Shackleton Member Larson Formation

• Time of a world-class • The major transgression
transgression ceased at the end of the
Sag Phase

Sag Phase
East
• Deep marine shales were West
Antarctica Eocene
deposited in the rapidly Antarctica
• A regression occurred
subsiding basin during the Oligocene as
Late Rift

Late Rift
sedimentation caught
up with decreasing
subsidence
Early Rift

Early Rift

• Very little deposition from

the Miocene to the
Type of Plate
present Type of Plate
Boundary Boundary
Extension Extension
Transform Transform
Inactive Inactive

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Basin Evolution Basin Formation

• Plate Tectonic Setting Drift/Sag 35 km Continental

Crust
Continental
Crust
L. Cenozoic Mantle
• Basin Evolution
• Stratigraphy End of Rifting 35 km Continental Crust
L. Cretaceous Mantle

Early Rifting 35 km Continental Crust

E. Cretaceous
Mantle

Continental
Pre-Rifting 35 km
Crust
L. Jurassic
Mantle
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Basin Stratigraphy Stratigraphy

Geologic Stratigraphy
• Plate Tectonic Setting Ages
Inland Coastal

• Basin Evolution Nansen

Nansen Fm

Sag Phase
• Stratigraphy Fm
Shackleton Shale Shackleton Member

Scott
Ross Fm
Fm

Late Rift
Nansen Fm

Amundsen Fm
Coals
Amundsen
Early Rift

Coals Fm

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Ross Basin, Summary A Major Unconformity

Tectonic Summary The TOR Unconformity Inland Coastal

• The basin is an extensional, pull-apart basin Geologic Stratigraphy • The Ross Basin started as a segment of
• Rifting started in the Early Cretaceous Ages Inland Coastal an extensional triple junction
• Extension ceased near the end of the Cret.

Sag Phase
• Active rifting caused basin subsidence
Nansen Fm TOR
Onshore Stratigraphic Summary from during the Late Cretaceous
• The Neogene has thin, fluvial deposits Shackleton Shale • Around K-T boundary, extension ceased
• The Oligocene has fluvial to nearshore in the Ross Basin (a failed rift segment)

Late Rift
• The Eocene is mid slope to shelfal Scott Fm • Once extension ceased, the area rapidly
• The Paleocene has deep water shales Nansen Fm subsided and was flooded
• The Upper K is fluvial to nearshore-offshore Amundsen Fm • The tectonic readjustments resulted in a

Early Rift
Coals
major unconformity with erosion of highs
Geologic History Summary Coals on tilted fault blocks and an abrupt
• During the Upper K there was a regression change from shallow to deep water facies
followed by a minor marine transgression
• The Upper K Scott Formation has fluvial to nearshore (beach) deposits near
• A major unconformity occurred at the end of the Cretaceous
the current shoreline – these are potential reservoir rocks
• The area subsided rapidly, which resulted in a major marine transgression
• The Paleocene Shackleton Member consists of deep water shales deposited
• As subsidence slowed, a new regression occurred
as the basin rapidly subsided during a major marine transgression – these
• During the Eocene the basin slowly filled (slope to shelfal)
are potential sealing rocks
• The regression continued to the present
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Trap, Reservoir & Seal Ross Basin Licensing Round

• Rotated, extensional fault blocks form large potential • The government of Antarctica is offering up 15
structural traps offshore blocks in the Ross Basin
• The Scott Formation has fluvial and nearshore sands • Your company assigned a team of five (5)
that can have reservoir quality porosity & permeability geoscientists to evaluate the 15 blocks
• The Shackleton Member can be a very effective seal • The team has compiled data from onshore wells
Inland Coastal
and outcrops and deduced a regional geologic
story
TOR • The team will attempt to generate a series of play
element maps and identify interesting leads
• For key leads, the team will make some rough
estimates of potential HC volumes and risks
• These analyses will lead to a bidding strategy
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Ross Licensing Round Ross Licensing Round

The 15 blocks southeast of West Antarctica are A coarse grid of 2D seismic lines cover the 15 blocks
open for bids

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Lecture 3 Mega-Regional Data

• Geologic Maps • Maast. to Present Open marine

• Plate Tectonics • Cen. to Maastrictian M
A
R A

• Gravity & Magnetics I N

N O
E X

• Regional Seismic Lines I

C

Regional Evaluation • Tectonic Evolution

• Stratigraphic Charts
• Albian to Cenomanian
M
A
R
I
C
A
R
B
O
N N
E A
T
• Paleogeographic Maps E

• Aptian
• Etc. G
U
Mitchum et al., 1977b L
F

• Late Jurassic to Aptian

NOTE: These materials are for educational purposes for
R
undergraduate and graduate students ONLY. If I
F
you are not a student or faculty member, please T

do not use these resources.

AAPG©1977 reprinted with permission of the AAPG

whose permission is required for further use. Images Courtesy of ExxonMobil

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Mega-Regional Analysis Questions to Address

Usually mega-regional analyses are • Are there any known HC occurrences in or near
performed to: the study area?
• Decide which basins hold the highest potential for • What is the availability of outcrop, well, and
discovering & producing oil or gas geophysical data?
• Provide the regional context of a basin or sub- • What is the plate tectonic history, including the
basin so that we can understand the important timing and intensity of structural events?
characteristics of the region
• What does the local stratigraphic chart look like?
• Provide geologic constraints and the likelihood of • Do we have possible mature source rocks?
HC presence at the beginning of a lease sale
evaluation • Are there reservoir quality clastics or carbonates?
• How likely are regional seals?
• To guide step-out wells, i.e., those that extend
beyond a known field in search of similar HC • What is the weakest play element for this area?
accumulations
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Local Data - Surface Local Data - Subsurface

Surface Observations / Measurements Measured Subsurface Measurements/Observations
Sections
– Topographic/Bathymetric maps – Data from Wells

– Surface geology (structure & stratigraphy) • cores, cuttings, logs

• lithology, ages, geochem, etc.
– Nearby outcrops (or analogs)
– Geophysical Data
– Heat flow measurements
• Seismic (2D, 3D, 4D)
– HC seeps
• Gravity & Magnetics
– Etc.

Outcrop
Studies
20 ft
Logging a Well

Images Courtesy of ExxonMobil Vibrators – Seismic Sources Images Courtesy of ExxonMobil

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