On March 31, 2017 members of AAPG set their course for Southeast Trinidad to the Goudron Oilfield located between East Moruga and Beach Marcelle. This adventure was led by Xavier Moonan, AAPG Visiting Geoscientist (VG) and Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (GSTT) President Elect with the hope of giving AAPG members the opportunity to meet and interact with personnel from various oil and service companies to share learnings and experiences with regard to wellsite operations.

This trip to Goudron Oilfield was awaited anxiously by specifically the undergraduate Petroleum Geoscience students at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine because this was our first trip to an oilfield. Most of the year one students in this undergraduate program leaped to the opportunity to witness our future employment options as well as gain more knowledge about the industry we are determined to join. This was a golden opportunity to acquire a practical understanding which would enhance our theoretical wisdom that is acquired in the classroom.

When we arrived at Petrotrin gate, we were greeted and safety instructions were given to us by Petrotrin, Range Resources as well as LGO Energy. Then we continued towards the Goudron Oilfield where we were noticed a magnificent outcrop which was exposed due to the excavation of the site at the drilling rig. There, we split into smaller groups for the tour of the rig by Xavier Moonan, and an analysis and interpretation of the geological features of the outcrop by Dr. Ryan Ramsook, a Director of the GSTT.

While some groups were occupied with the tours, the remaining folks who consisted of primarily year one students enthusiastically proceeded to take selfies since it was the first time we were clothed in full PPE!

After our impromptu photoshoot, we embarked on a journey through time as Dr. Ryan Ramsook identified features of the outcrop which he used to interpret its geological history. This was the most fun part of the trip because as a year one student, our insight about geology is very little compared to the rest of the group who have firm grasp of the subject already, however, we were able to put our theoretical education to use in the field. Being in the field truly gave a more vivid understanding because it was not just a lecture but an experience.

At the outcrop, we saw unconsolidated sand, silt and a large percentage of clay. In fact, the clay beds were so distinct we could see the upper and lower boundary as well as the dip direction for each bed which was generally to the south. The large amount of clay suggests a shallow marine setting where sediments were deposited by the Orinoco river during a period of sea regression then eventually part the land was uplifted. The shallow marine setting allowed for this basin to be infilled with organic rich sediments, accumulating over millions of years. LGO Energy is drilling in this area targeting the Plio-Pleistocene Mayaro sandstone reservoirs. Mr. Philip Farfan, a part-time lecturer at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine once proclaimed that Mayaro sandstones to be one of the best reservoir rocks in Trinidad. The Mayaro sandstone together with E-W trending Marcelle fault and its associated anticline generates suitable traps and very profitable wells for LGO Energy especially since the oil found in the Goudron oilfield usually has a high API gravity. Even with the problems faced due to instability of the unconsolidated sands as well montmorillonite along with the silts which pose the threat of clogged boreholes, the rewards for drilling here seems to far outweigh the obstacles.

After the brief geological tour to the outcrop on the wellsite, we toured the rig itself where we were given explanations about how the rig physically functions. Luckily at this time, active drilling commenced so we saw exactly how each mechanism worked in the drilling process. We viewed the different components of the rig and were told its purpose and how it is fits into the bigger picture – the drilling operation.

This was also another career day for us because we met different professionals in the field and we were educated about their role in the exploration as well as production of oil and gas. The workers of LGO Energy were very cooperative and receptive to our questions about their operations at Goudron Oilfield. This was a very defining moment for some of the year one students whom have used the information given by these professions in determining the profession in which they want to be in the future.

To end this trip, Rabindra Harricharan, Senior Petroleum Engineer at LGO Energy gave an interactive presentation detailing the operations of the Goudron Field, both past and present explaining the geological information that was used to drill strategically. After a very captivating discussion, we then ended this trip with a couple of photos to capture the memories of our trip to the Goudron oilfield.

On behalf of all the members of the AAPG, we would like to thank Xavier Moonan as well as the rest of the AAPG executives for organising this trip as well as LGO Energy for making this a very informative and truly successful field trip. I am sure all persons present walked away learning something new from this experience.