Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to:

• Have knowledge of the different microfossil groups and in which ages of sediment and palaeoenvironment of deposition they can be utilized.
• Develop an understanding of how biostratigraphical data can be integrated with other geological data to optimize its use as an interpretative tool
• Develop an enhanced interpretation skill to recognize key seismic markers and how to interpret these as a geological sequence by integrating biostratigraphical data
• Interpret palaeoenvironment of deposition by using biostratigraphical assemblages
• Use biostratigraphy as a predictive tool in exploration and development

DAY 1 

Stratigraphy and an Introduction to Micropaleontology

Competency Description: Understanding the fundamental laws and principles of stratigraphy and biostratigraphy including preparation techniques and an appreciation of all the fossil groups and their stratigraphical ranges.

Key behaviours

• Understand and apply key technical laws and principles
• Apply and use relative versus absolute age dating mechanisms
• Apply chronostratigraphy the under-used tool in exploration
• Discover all the microfossil groups and what their age ranges are and their palaeoenvironmental of deposition

Topics to be covered

• The laws of Stratigraphy
• Age dating methods for sediments and igneous rocks
• The stratigraphical column and chronostratigraphy
• The different microfossil groups and preparation techniques
• Organic microfossils (Palynomorphs) including Acritarchs, Chitinozoans, Dinoflagellates, Pollen and Spores
• Inorganic microfossils including Microforaminifera and Ostracoda

DAY 2 

Biostratigraphy

Competency Description: How to present and interpret biostratigraphical data and understanding the relationship between biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy.

Key behaviours

• Prepare and present biostratigraphical data
• Prepare biostratigraphical range charts
• Understand the use of numerical methods in biostratigraphy
• Develop knowledge of how to select which samples and which microfossils should be analysed in a biostratigraphical study
• Learn how to identify index fossils
• Identify which microfossils can be found in which sediment type and of what age

Topics to be covered

• Microfossil evolution through the stratigraphical column
• Building stratigraphical range charts
• First downhole occurrence, last downhole occurrence, fossil assemblages
• Numerical methods, frequency polygons, abundance increases and maxima
• Index fossils
• Stratigraphical type sections and the relation between biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy

DAY 3 

Biostratigraphical Correlations and Correlation Techniques

Competency Description: How to prepare well to well correlations using biostratigraphical data, how to integrate it with other geological data and how to identify and discount spurious or misleading information to optimize the interpretation method

Key behaviours

• Understand how to generate a biostratigraphical cross section
• Recognize the pitfalls in the use of biostratigraphical data
• Learn how to define a biozonation
• Finding out how best to integrate other geological data
• Discover the relationship and how to integrate geochemical information

Topics to be covered

• Building a biostratigraphical cross section, datum selection
• Pitfalls using biostratigraphical data, downhole caving, reworking, contamination
• Definition of biozones
• Integration of sedimentological and petrographical data
• The integration of geochemical information
• Identification of unconformities / hiatus in the sequences

DAY 4 

Biostratigraphy, Paleoenvironment’s and Seismic Sequence Stratigraphy

Competency Description: Using microfossils to identify the palaeoenvironment of deposition, using biostratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental information to identify sequences and sequence boundaries and its integration into a seismic sequence stratigraphy and using biostratigraphy in appraisal and development situations.

Key behaviours

• Discover the use of microfossils as palaeoenvironmental indicators
• Use biostratigraphical data to identify sequences and to determine a sequence stratigraphy
• Integrate biostratigraphical data with well log data to identify unconformities, hiatuses and sequence boundaries
• Develop seismic interpretation skills of sequences for optimum resolution using fully integrated geological data
• Discover the use of biostratigraphical techniques in appraisal and development situations

Topics to be covered

• Using micropalaeontology for palaeoenvironmental interpretation
• Marine microfossils versus non-marine microfossils
• Preservation of microfossil groups and different lithology’s
• Definition of water depth from the different fossil groups
• The identification of sequence boundaries using biostratigraphical data
• Using biostratigraphical data to identify condensed sequences and maximum flooding surfaces
• Using biostratigraphical data to identify lowstand system and high stand system tracts
• Integration of biostratigraphical data and seismic sequence stratigraphy
• The pitfalls, understanding the resolution related to the geology and the limitations

DAY 5 

Play Definition using Play Based Exploration Techniques and Examples of the Use of Biostratigraphy in Exploration and Development

Competency Description: Learning and applying play-based exploration techniques and the integration of biostratigraphy using real working examples from Libya, Egypt and Thailand and how to use these techniques optimally in active exploration and appraisal situations.

Key behaviors

• Discover the use and the application of play based exploration techniques
• Understand the practical use of play based exploration and integrated biostratigraphy using real working examples
• Develop skills in the application, interpretation and knowledge of the restrictions in different plays of different ages
• Practice by using real examples to integrate bio stratigraphical data and then understand how this can be used in play through to prospect definition

Topics to be covered

• Hydrocarbon play definition – what is a play
• Integrated biostratigraphy and its use in Play Based Exploration techniques
• The Kalash Formation a Late Cretaceous shelfal carbonate play NW Sirt Basin, Libya
• The Kareem Formation a sub marine Miocene fan play, Gulf of Suez, Egypt
• A Middle Miocene lacustrine fan/delta play, Kra Basin, Gulf of Thailand, Thailand
• Examples of the use of biostratigraphy in development in Libya, Thailand, Ivory Coast

This training course is suitable for exploration and development geologists, seismic interpreters, sedimentologists, petrographers and other upstream subsurface professionals who are interested in optimally utilizing geological data as a predictive tool in sedimentary basins and for identifying hydrocarbon plays in active petroleum systems.