Training

  1.   Introduction to carbonate rocks and reservoirs (2 days)
  2.   Seismic interpretation of carbonates (3 days)

These training courses are the product of the expertise accumulated by Marcello in 25+ years experience in the industry, and it was designed to teach how to handle all the main practical intepretation issues when it comes to search carbonates for oil and gas. 

These courses are characterized by a distinctive practical approach and you  will hardly find similar courses on the market, even within the largest training providers’ portfolio. This is especially true for the Carbonate seismic intepretation course, in which you will learn, among other things, how to recognize carbonate features from non-carbonate, deceiving structures (Marcello is the main author of the Carbonate Seismic Scorecard, published in Badalì et al. 2022, AAPG Bulletin).

Training rates are listed at the bottom of this page. Note that they represent the total training fee, regardless of the number of participants.

Introduction to carbonate rocks and reservoirs

 

  • Discipline: Geology

  • Methodology: Classroom formal training, preferably provided remotely

  • Duration: 2 days

  • Language: English*

  • Instructor: Marcello Badali’, PhD

  • Requirements for attendees: None

* Slides are in English, however, upon request, the course can also be held in Spanish, Italian or French. 

This two-day classroom course is not only aimed at the usual introduction to carbonate rocks (e.g. their depositional and diagenetic evolution and features), but it covers also the basic aspects of carbonate reservoir characterization (and modeling) and the practical workflow of the interpretation of the most useful well data in carbonate settings, from vintage petrophysical logs to recent NMR data, with a particular focus on borehole image well logs.

Course objectives

  • Understand carbonate depositional and post-depositional (diagenetic) processes

  • Become familiar with carbonate nomenclature, lithofacies description and porosity terminology

  • Understand how depositional and diagenetic history can affect carbonate reservoir properties

  • Recognize the main differences in porosity evolution between limestone and dolostone

  • Learn main petrophysical trends in limestone and dolostone 

  • Understand basic carbonate reservoir characterization concepts and carbonate static reservoir models

  • Learn how to perform basic well-log and borehole image-log interpretation in carbonate settings

Course outline

1) Carbonate sedimentology and diagenesis 

  • Main differences between carbonate and siliciclastic rocks 

  • The carbonate factory: Depositional components of carbonate sediments

  • Main post-depositional processes and diagenetic products in carbonate rocks

  • Most used carbonate classifications and lithofacies nomenclatures (Folk + Dunham/Embry and Klovan)

  • Main carbonate depositional settings and lithofacies distribution

2) Reservoir properties in carbonates

  • Carbonate qualitative (genetic) porosity classification (Choquette and Pray)

  • Carbonate quantitative (petrophysical) classification (Lucia)

  • The different petrophysical classes and porosity trends (depth, age) in limestone and dolostone

  • Examples of matrix and non-matrix (e.g. vugs and fractures) porosity in carbonates

  • Main well logs in carbonates and their interpretation

  • Interpretation of borehole image logs in carbonates

  • Static reservoir model building in a carbonate setting

Seismic interpretation of carbonates

  • Discipline: Geology and geophysics
  • Methodology: Classroom formal training, preferrably performed remotely
  • Duration: 3 days
  • Language: English*
  • Instructor: Marcello Badali’, PhD
  • Requirements for attendees: Basic knowledge of seismic interpretation and carbonate geology.

* Slides are in English. However, upon request, the course can also be held in Spanish, Italian or French. 

This is a three-day classroom course during which you will learn the most important concepts of carbonate sequence stratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy,  seismic attributes and seismic inversion analysis which can be applied to hydrocarbon exploitation. The most important hydrocarbon carbonate plays will also be described and discussed.

This is a hands-on training, more practical than theoretical, in which many real examples will be illustrated and practical exercises will be given, during and at the end of each section. Also, the use of the Carbonate Seismic Scorecard will be explained. The course, if needed, can also be integrated with the initial two-day introduction course on carbonate rocks described above (carbonate sedimentology, diagenesis and reservoir properties).

Moreover, this training (as the introductory one) is continuously subject to update and improvement from working practice on actual projects.

The course can also be adapted for non-Oil&Gas disciplines, such as carbonate exploration for CO2 storage or geothermal energy exploitation. 

Special rates are applied to universities.

Course objectives

  • Recognize the most important stratigraphic and diagenetic carbonate plays

  • Predict reservoir/seal/source distribution in a carbonate depositional setting through sequence stratigraphic analysis of seismic scale sequences and seismic facies interpretation

  • Recognize main carbonate features on seismic sections and volumes, both at basin and prospect scales.

  • Avoid misinterpretation of non-carbonate structures (salt, volcanoes etc.)

  • Use seismic attributes and seismic inversion volumes to detect facies, fractures and porosity distribution in carbonate targets

  • (Optional) Find the right (producing or outcropping) carbonate analog to predict reservoir properties during the exploration phase

Course outline*

  • Main carbonate depositional and diagenetic hydrocarbon play concepts

  • Carbonate sequence stratigraphy applied to hydrocarbon exploitation (reservoir to basin scale)

  • Carbonate seismic stratigraphy applied to exploration/appraisal/development

  • What is the Seismic Carbonate Score Card and how can it help us?

  • Seismic attribute interpretation (including analysis of frequency decomposition and seismic inversion volumes) in carbonate play and prospect study

  • (Optional) Not all carbonates look alike: How carbonate structures and their seismic expression have changed through geologic time and how this can help derisk carbonate exploration

  • (Optional) How to find the right carbonate reservoir/play analog in order to help predict reservoir properties and possible production scenarios. How to use public data or multiclient databases to quantify your analog properties.

  • (Optional) Analysis of internal (exploration to appraisal/development) cases provided by the client

 

* All sections are implemented with numerous actual examples and practical exercises  

Examples of companies and institutions to which different versions of the training have been provided

  • Repsol (internal training course for 8 years to G&G employees), Madrid (Spain) and Houston, TX (US)

  • PTTEP (national Thai oil company), performed remotely

  • Servicio Geologico de Cuba (Cuban Geologic Survey), La Habana (Cuba)

  • University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Geological Sciences Department, Rome (Italy)

  • University of Basilicata, II Level Master in Petroleum Geoscience, Potenza (Italy)

Rates * **

Introduction to carbonate rocks and reservoirs (2 days)

  • Industry – 2,500 €
  • Universities – 1,800 €

Seismic interpretation of carbonates (3 days)

  • Industry – 3,750 €
  • Universities – 2,700 €

*The amount represents the total rate charged to the client, regardless of the number of participants

**The amount includes taxes, with the exception of clients resident in Italy, to which a 22% Vat surcharge will be applied