The Geosciences Technology Workshop (GTW) aims to deliver the latest understanding of a selected exploration play to its members by engaging with key industry and academic professionals to share recent knowledge through case studies, new technologies and latest innovative geological thinking to unlock it's potential.
In October 2014, the AAPG hosted its first stratigraphic traps of the Middle East GTW in Muscat Oman to a resounding success as the potential for such traps in onshore areas is still at an immature stage. Thus it is rapidly becoming clear that the traditional structural traps are mostly creamed and attention is fast moving to complex trapping configurations for potential of large structures similar to recent discoveries in the offshore. Hence this 3-day workshop aims to continue the success of the first meeting and by investigating further the concepts of exploration of stratigraphic traps in the Middle East.
The amount of technical work required to effectively mitigate the geological risks associated with stratigraphic traps, has increased significantly. Mature basins such as those found in the Middle East provide the ideal setting for defining technologies and workflows that will ensure continued execution of successful exploration programs. The wealth of available data, knowledge and professional experience in these mature basins, enables a better understanding of the regional geology, depositional environment, and petroleum systems, all critical elements to successful evaluation of this trapping configuration.
One key petroleum element that has been addressed in the past workshop but deserves a dedicated session is seal assessment. Seal risk is commonly the most critical risk element, yet the least understood for stratigraphic trap configurations. Careful investigation of data, including 3D seismic data, cores, cuttings, and well logs, in a chronostratigraphic framework, as well as new analytical techniques are required for the characterization of seal geometry and integrity. Examples on this work will be highlighted and shared in this event.
New technologies and best-practices that support the evaluation of stratigraphic traps and the decision making process will be emphasized during this workshop. We will be discussing new developments in seismic data acquisition, such as the acquisition of high-resolution seismic data, new processing techniques focused on imaging and development of stratigraphic traps, and new interpretation workflows that have unraveled some of the latest discoveries in the area.
Benefits of Attending
The workshop is an opportunity for attendees to receive up-to-date knowledge about stratigraphic trap exploration, exposure to regional and global stratigraphic case studies and to be introduced to state of the art-technologies utilized to detect these difficult to find yet rewarding traps. It is an opportunity to network and share experiences. The participants will receive a summary of the breakout sessions and discussions, lessons learned and the abstracts of papers presented in the workshop.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop targets technical experts involved in exploring and developing stratigraphic and subtle traps who are working in national operating and service companies, as well as academic institutions.