Seismic Stratigraphy: Depositional Sequences

Description of Presentation

In our Petroleum Exploration and Development Industry, seismic data plays a crucial role.

Impressive giant steps have been made in acquisition, processing and interpretation software.

Ultimately what we are after, is the subsurface distribution of reservoir, seal and source rocks (and of course -if we can- potential distribution of Hc fluids) both in 3D (subsurface) space and in geological time.

Petroleum basin-fills have an original depositional architecture albeit generally affected by gentle to intense structural deformation processes.

Seismic stratigraphy is all about abstracting maximum geological information from the seismic dataset, often -but not exclusively- focused on reservoir/seal presence and distribution.

It looks at key stratigraphic surfaces (SB’s - Depositional Sequence Boundaries) as well as the rock units contained by these surfaces.

It attempts to unravel and map out the depositional history of basin fills and delineate reservoir/seal objectives.

In practice, this means that the seismic stratigrapher looks more at reflection geometries, and reflection character variations than mapping horizons.

In this manner, seismic stratigraphy is complementary to horizon mapping and equally essential for understanding our subsurface areas of interest from regional exploration to development scale.

Presenter - Maarten Wiemer

Since 2015 Independent Geological Consultant and Trainer.

Delivery of courses on Seismic and Sequence Stratigraphy / Reservoir Geology, Prospect Maturation, and PBE in locations such as Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Muscat, Karachi, Algiers, Brunei, Paramaribo (Suriname), The Netherlands.

AAPG IBA mentor.

Virtual instructor-led training experience since 2020.

Recent consultancy and peer reviews for a/o Staatsolie (Suriname Nearshore, 2017 and Shallow Offshore 2018-2019) and Pexco (Malaysia - West Luconia acreage, 2015)

Prior to 2015, Maarten has 38 years of experience as an Exploration Geologist for Shell globally, with field experience in Egypt, NW Borneo, China, Madagascar, North Sea, Oman, and The Netherlands (Shell EP Geology Research and Training Centre in Rijswijk).

He has extensive supervisory, teaching, and coaching experience as well as a strong interest in Geoscience (Depositional Systems, Regional and Reservoir Geology) and Geology Learning.

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