Sequence Stratigraphy: Concepts, Methods, and Workflows
By: Rene Jonk
Instructor
Rene Jonk
Duration
9-10 September 2025
8AM-12PM CEST
4hr/day
Disciplines
Geology - Stratigraphy
Course Format
The EAGE Interactive online short courses bring carefully selected courses of experienced instructors from industry and academia online to give participants the possibility to follow the latest education in geoscience and engineering remotely. The courses are designed to be easily digested over the course of two or three days. Participants will have the possibility to interact live with the instructor and ask questions.
Education Packages
To help you save on registration fees and better organize your learning path, we are offering Education Packages for all Interactive Online Short Courses and Online EETs. The packages are valid for a period of 12 months, choose between packages of 3, 5 and 10 credits.
Course Description
The sequence stratigraphic method was developed to support geoscientists with the geologic interpretation of subsurface data. This method is utilized to predict the presence of play elements and to assess their quality and validity before drilling. Sequence stratigraphy is applied to core, outcrop, well logs, as well as 2-D and 3-D seismic data across all depositional environments.
This course reviews definitions and terminology of surfaces and systems tracts and introduces the sequence stratigraphic hierarchy. Training exercises and datasets are thoroughly discussed, and participants interpret subsurface data in terrestrial, shallow marine, and deep-marine depositional settings within a sequence stratigraphic framework across siliciclastic and carbonate depositional settings. Based on the sequence stratigraphic method, the recognition and mapping of play elements from exploration to production scales is emphasized.
Applications through the lectures and exercises include the recognition, interpretation, and mapping of key play elements of energy systems (source rock, reservoir, seal, and trap). This workshop presents a methodology to predict the presence, distribution, and quality of play elements and to perform pre-drill estimates for exploration, appraisal, and well development.
During the exploration stage, the workflow focuses on identifying play elements on seismic lines and integrating well information. The exploration, appraisal, and production stages in the course place emphasis on play element distribution and trapping styles from shelf to deep-water settings. Primary goals for the production stage include describing reservoir connectivity and continuity as well as identifying flow baffles and barriers.
Through the exercises, participants will learn to:
- Understand the concepts of facies stacking and shoreline trajectories to define parasequences, surfaces, and systems tracts.
- Create tectono-stratigraphic interpretations and basin charts.
- Utilize the sequence stratigraphic method to map play elements in different depositional environments.
- Apply sequence stratigraphy concepts to define hydrocarbon plays and prospects.
- Conduct high-resolution reservoir mapping across
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Define key sequence stratigraphic surfaces and systems tracts.
- Interpret facies and facies stacking patterns.
- Use shoreline trajectories to identify parasequences, systems tracts, and stratigraphic surfaces to make predictions away from control points.
- Apply the sequence stratigraphic method across depositional and tectonic settings.
- Map energy play elements across temporal and spatial scales using core, well log, and seismic data.
Course Outline
The following steps will be discussed:
Day 1
- Stratigraphy history, methods, concepts and lithostratigraphy vs. chronostratigraphic correlations.
- Lithostratigraphic versus chronostratigraphic correlations.
- Sequence Stratigraphic Concepts.
- Construction and interpretation of a Wheeler diagram.
- Parasequences and 1D stacking patterns in cores and well logs.
- Well log and core stacking patterns.
- Sequence stratigraphic interpretation using well logs.
Day 2
- Fundamentals of Seismic Stratigraphy.
- Seismic Stratigraphic Interpretation - Waltman Shale.
- Sequence Sets and Composite Sequences.
- Composite Sequences - West Siberia Basin.
- Seismic Stratigraphy in Deep-Water settings.
- Seismic Stratigraphy in Deep-water settings – Danube Fan.
- Basin-scale seismic stratigraphy.
- Basin-scale seismic stratigraphic interpretation: Pelotas to Namibe Basin.
Participants' Profile
This course is designed for geoscientists and energy professionals involved in the interpretation of subsurface data, from early exploration through production. Participants are expected to have a foundational understanding of geology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy, as the program builds on these concepts with advanced applications in sequence stratigraphy.
Prerequisites
Ideally, the course is taught at an intermediate level, meaning students have at least had an introductory sequence stratigraphic training course through university or company training.
About the Instructor
Rene is the director of ACT-Geo, a company specialized in geoscience consulting and training. He has more than 25 years of experience in geoscience characterization for basin exploration, development and research, having held technical advisor and leadership roles with ExxonMobil and Apache. He has worked extensively across offshore basins of the African and South American margins, as well as the North Sea, onshore North America and the Mediterranean areas. His experience spans across onshore and offshore regions, research, exploration and production, and both conventional and unconventional reservoir systems. Rene’s holistic approach to depositional systems allows him to work across reservoir, seal and source evaluations, at basin to field compartment scales. Both at ExxonMobil and Apache Rene was responsible for stewarding, developing and delivering classroom and field-based training in stratigraphy, structure and hydrocarbon systems, including seismic stratigraphy, clastic reservoir sedimentology, fine-grained rock (seal, source and reservoir) characterization, and deep-water depositional systems. Rene delivered these courses internally, as well as to external student audiences, including the SEPM short course on sequence stratigraphy and a trap-seal course at the University of Aberdeen. Rene is an honorary professor at the University of Aberdeen, where he teaches formal courses on seal evaluation and reservoir characterization with application to petroleum geology and CCS, mentors Geology M.Sc. and Ph.D. projects and is a consultant with the Sand Injectite Research Group. He is a member of SEPM, EAGE and the Geological Society of London..