Since 2006, GeoScience Ltd and Geoplay Ltd of Tremp in the Catalonia region of Spain ( www.geoplay.org) have been running an outcrop-based training course for those working on carbonate reservoirs. The Pyrenees offer excellent exposure of Mesozoic and Tertiary carbonates from a wide range of depositional settings (inner shelf, shelf margin, reefs, slope deposits etc). In addition, fracture types, patterns and distributions may be studied in the exposures from micro to macro-scale. 

The course has run twice a year in the form of open courses as well as versions requested by single companies, for example an operator developing a field in the Zagros and another company who brought members of three of their asset teams together for the trip. Geologist Lluis Ardevol of Geoplay is our local guide who introduces the carbonate lithofacies, depositional context and tectonic history of each locality, and structural geologist Jon Gutmanis of GeoScience adds the fault and fracture characterisation story with a strong emphasis on the application of outcrop understanding to help with sub-surface reservoir appraisal. He also presents classroom sessions on structural geology basics for fracture characterisation, and on case histories from carbonate field development. Cultural visits are also included on the programme for the week.

Photos from one of the courses can be seen at this link , and some recent delegates have kindly given permission for us to quote their comments on the course here:

  “Great trip. We saw some fantastic outcrops and I learned a great deal about carbonate facies. It was also good to see all the fractures and faults and to think about the implications for these faults on a reservoir. I also thought the classroom sessions worked well with your practical conclusions about determining the influence of fractures being key. The logistics and food/wine were superb and really helped to make the whole trip unforgettable and memorable. I will recommend the trip to my colleagues in Perth and Tripoli.” ... Woodside Energy

“I really enjoyed the week in the Pyrenees and especially your outstanding knowledge concerning all the fracture architecture. We have to send more geologists and even engineers to your course to get a better understanding of our various reservoirs. Congratulations on the successful course! ” ... OMV Austria

In 2008 we also presented our long-established course in ‘Naturally Fractured Reservoirs: An Introduction to their Appraisal and Management’. This time however, we worked with Roxar to go right through the workflow from well data analysis to modeling of the fracture system in Roxars’ FracPerm software. As usual we included a day at the outcrop, looking at the wonderful fracture networks to be seen in the Blue Lias carbonates of the Bristol Channel coast, as well as the transient hydraulic fracturing of the Mercia Mudstones.

We plan to run the course again in 2009, watch this space for more information.

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In 2008 we will continue to build on our successes in these regions. In recent years we have worked on a range of formations from Pre-Cambrian basements (Arabian Shield), through Palaeozoic glaciogenics (Algeria), carbonates (Pechora Sea) and quartzites (eg Hamra Formation), to Mesozoic and Tertiary carbonates (eg Iran, Saudi). We will be exhibiting at the Geo 2008 Conference and Exhibition in March in Bahrain (the photos show us at Geo 2006). .

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