Eighth EAGE Arabian Plate Core Geology Workshop

The 8th EAGE Arabian Plate Core Workshop will focus on the stratigraphic interval covering the Early Jurassic Aalenian to the Early Cretaceous Barremian. 

The technical committee invites you to submit an abstract of 2-4 pages for the workshop. Submissions can be made using the 'Submit Here' button at the bottom of this page. The call for abstract themes are:

Call for Abstract Themes

1. Evaporites

• The role of evaporites in a holistic sequence stratigraphic interpretation
Most current sequence stratigraphic interpretations do neglect the role of evaporitic sediments by either cropping them from the chart or assigning them a rather stereotypical role. However, evaporites come in a great variety and are extremely sensitive to any external or internal changes in the depositional system. Incorporating such important information adds tremendously to an improved sequence stratigraphic interpretation.

• The impact of evaporites on the petroleum systems of the Arabian plate – more than just a seal?
Comparing the temporal and spatial positions and relationships of evaporites in the various intra-platform basins of the Arabian plate shows that reducing their existence to “sealing function” only is falling short of the multiple roles they might play.

• Evaporites and their impact on intra-platform basin fill – from macro to micro and back again
Evaporites come in many different shapes and forms but are usually not examined in great detail. Studying visual and compositional differences from macro- to microscopic scales within a single basin as well as across several intra-platform basins helps to differentiate local impacts on deposition from plate-wide developments.

• Modeling evaporites – progress and challenge
Though any modeling attempts in the industry have come a long way in the past 30+ years, evaporites have been mostly neglected all the way through. The presence of evaporites in a petroleum system however has huge impact on deposition, diagenesis, geomechanics and many other aspects important for exploration and production of oil and gas. An adequate handling and input of evaporites into a model would help to improve the output and make results much more robust.

2. Intrashelf Basin Creation and Infill 

Intrashelf basins are one of the most important stratigraphic features of the Jurassic and Cretaceous successions of the Arabian Plate. They occur at different intervals, and profoundly influenced the stratigraphic architecture, causing complex geometrical and facies relationships, affecting reservoir, source and seal facies. Accurate conceptual models of intrashelf basin creation and infill are essential for successful prediction in the subsurface.

• Tectonics and Sea-level Changes
The creation of intrashelf basins has been attributed to different factors, including the pace and magnitude of sea-level rise, crises in the carbonate producing organisms, and local tectonic control.

• Mode of deposition and regional variations in organic-matter content
The production and subsequent accumulation of organic matter in intra-shelf basins can be subject to the particular oceanographic conditions, such as currents, dominant wind directions, clastic input, and type of organic matter, which can create substantial heterogeneity.

• Stratigraphic forward modelling
Testing different scenarios of organic matter deposition in relation to basin configuration, depositional geometries, carbonate and siliciclastic sediment flux, currents, and primary organic matter production rates, is instructive for the prediction of spatial and temporal variations of TOC distribution.

3. Reservoir Analogs from Outcrop and Subsurface: Why do they Matter and How do we Maximize Their Value?

Outcrop analogs have changed the way we explore and produce petroleum since more than 100 years. What has not changed is the way we capture relevant information that allow us to address common challenges in the subsurface. Similarly, subsurface analogs that are densely sampled (drilled) provide as wealth of information that allows optimization of the spatial trends of relevant parameters (e.g., diagenetic and lithofacies) that influence reservoir quality distributions and can be used to determine their spatial trends. They can also be used as input to reactive transport modeling (RTM) of pore system evolution. The following sub-themes are open for submission.

• Capturing Relevant Information from Outcrops
With the introduction of 3D photogrammetry and new and capable drone sensors (e.g., hyperspectral) capability is available to accelerate data acquisition and interpretation of attributes that “matter”. What is the current state of the art? What are relevant attributes? What are promising new and innovative technologies to capture such attributes safely and interpret and share in an efficient manner?

• Capturing Relevant Information from Subsurface
Reservoirs are non-unique and solutions from densely sampled (drilled) reservoirs can provide a wealth of information (geological influence, flow behavior, saturation, etc.) that are invaluable to address challenges in other reservoirs. What is the current state of the art? How to homogenize information and make it accessible?

• Subsurface Challenges drive Outcrop Analog Interest
What tools are available to optimize the exploration and deployment of relevant information from outcrops and subsurface (e.g., RTM modeling to simulate diagenetic processes, FSM to simulate depositional texture).

How to resolve the critical differences in spatial and temporal scales between outcrop and subsurface?

4. Multi-scale Reservoir Quality and Geological Control

Challenges in carbonate reservoir characterization (Middle East not an exception) result from their often-heterogeneous nature, which undermines our ability to predict reservoir quality, particularly at interwell scales, and to overcome often low recovery factors. Factors feeding into this are, but not limited to, diagenetic modification of the multiscale and multimodal pore systems away from depositional texture, variable primary (matrix) and secondary pore types (vugs and fractures), the roles of primary and secondary dolomite, the significant contribution of so-called ‘’quiet’’ (non-draining) porosity.

This session aims to take stock of both current knowledge and innovative technologies that determine the role of geological processes and attributes on this specific carbonate behavior in static and dynamic domains. The following sub-themes are open for submission.

• State of “Static” Knowledge (From Pore - to Well - to Reservoir Scale)
Determination of the geological influence on multiscale petrophysical properties and appropriate design of categories to populate static models is not resolved. What do we know of the geological control (diagenetic modification) on saturation behavior, core domain, well domain and reservoir domain?

• State of “Dynamic” Knowledge (From Pore - to Well - to Reservoir Scale)
Determination of the geological influence on multiscale petrophysical properties and appropriate design of categories to populate static models is not resolved. What are the parameters that control flow behavior (matrix, fractures, and meteoric dissolution) and evacuation of hydrocarbons from such multimodal pore systems?

• Innovative Technologies (Tools, Workflows, Roadmaps) That Bring Solutions for the Future
How can we realistically determine the role of geology on saturation, porosity, permeability (including Kr), recovery factors, etc. and optimize their distribution in subsurface models, static and dynamic. In terms of geological properties: what do we keep, what do we add and what can we drop? Can we simplify the way we do carbonate reservoir characterization?

5. Unconventional source rocks/reservoirs 

Unconventional Hydrocarbon plays are discovered in many intrashelf basins in Arabia and elsewhere around the world. Their exploration and production are an increasingly important challenge for the oil and gas industry due to the depletion of conventional petroleum resources. The complexity in the development of unconventional reservoirs is associated with significant uncertainties and risks, leading to high production costs. Organic-rich rocks in unconventional reservoirs exhibit high heterogeneity on a wide range of scales, and their physical properties are typically highly anisotropic. Comprehensive petrophysical and geochemical studies are of particular importance in the analysis of petroleum generation and accumulation processes in unconventional plays. The study of organic-rich rocks is of crucial importance for the development and optimization of production technologies, including hydraulic fracturing and various methods of enhanced hydrocarbon recovery (EOR). The evaluation of unconventional resources is essential for successful exploration and development projects. The following sub-themes are open for submissions:

• Depositional systems

• Petrophysics, lithology, and geochemistry of unconventional formations, including reservoir properties, mechanical and thermal properties, and molecular and isotope composition of organic matter.

• Source rock characterization (from conceptual to numerical approaches)

• Hydrocarbon generation and maturation during geological history

• Reservoir production

• Reservoir geomechanics: From Multi-1D Mechanical Earth Models to 3D MEMs

• Structural characterization and hydraulic fracturing

6. Updating Regional Stratigraphic Models

• Arabian Plate-wide age control
Bio- and chemostratigraphy have emerged as one of the most important, versatile tools in stratigraphic correlation and can add to petroleum exploration in a number of valuable ways. Their application at a field-scale has been very well utilized, however, on a sub-regional and regional scale, these tools are under-used. 

Establishing age definition of lithostratigraphic units is critical for the determination of paleoenvironmental evolution of basins. The availability of numerical ages provides constraints on chronostratigraphic surfaces and allows for a better control in sequence stratigraphic correlations. It also provides age-depth pairs required for analyzing subsidence and depositional rate as well as maturation. This enables a proper assessment of the relative roles of subsidence, tectonics, and sea level changes. 

The interpretation of lithofacies, paleobathymetry, and depositional settings within a chronostratigraphic framework provides the basis for reconstructing the depositional history of a basin. It also adds to an advanced assessment and understanding of geological parameters which might impact depositional architectures on a larger geographic scale. The application of these tools has the capacity to be extended beyond any well-to-well correlation and can assist in various ways while drilling. A more recent development involves the use of such techniques in new challenges like unconventional (source rock) reservoirs.

• Typical stratigraphic patterns go beyond country boundaries – the data sharing issue
How can we use integrated databases to develop a more complete understanding of the spatial and temporal continuity of stratigraphic units? (i.e. NEFTEX and other compilations conducted by the industry and also the academia)- Is developing and publishing geological conceptual models locally and later comparing between them around the Arabian Plate sufficient to tackle the stratigraphic challenges? How can we approach future research to create more collaborations between academic groups and industry groups with precisely set targets? How far can the collaboration go?

• A common sequence stratigraphic model for the Arabian Plate 

The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 August 2022.