Western University - Department of Earth Sciences

GL9566: Applied Concepts in Petroleum Geology

Winter 2015
Course Information
Note: GL 9566 is co-listed with ES 4472B and shares the same lecture sessions. Evaluation criteria for GL
9566, however, differ from ES 4472B reflecting higher expectations for independent thought on the part of
graduate students.
Lectures: Wednesday 09:30 11:20 (BGS 1084) (Please note that this is a two (2) hour lecture session)
Lab: Tuesday 18:00 21:00 (BGS 0184) 1
Pre-requisites: none
Statement on Requisites: Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special
permission from your Academic Counselling Unit to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it
will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your
fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
Aims of the course:
At the end of the course, the student should be able to create play and prospect maps that integrate
stratigraphic, petrophysical, pressure, and fluid data. The student should be able to determine the
volume and characteristics of the mapped petroleum prospect, and be able to estimate the
uncertainty and risk associated with the prospect. Finally, the student should be able to estimate the
economic value of the prospect in terms of risked discounted cash flow valuation. Lectures, assigned
readings from the required textbook and instructional slides will form the basis for achieving these learning
objectives.
Instructor Information
Instructor: Dr. Burns A. Cheadle, Associate Professor, Department of Earth Sciences
Email: [email protected]
Office: Biological & Geological Sciences Building, Room 1078
Tel: (519) 661-2111 x89009
Office Hours: by appointment
Course Website: https://owl.uwo.ca/portal (log in with UWO username and password)
Note: PowerPoint presentations for each lecture will be posted the evening before the lecture (at
the latest), and will remain on the website for the rest of the term. Note, however, that some material in
the presentations will be deliberately left out, requiring you to fill in important terms and other
information critical to the topic. You will therefore be required to come to the lectures. It follows that the
PowerPoint presentations posted on OWL are not to be used as a substitute for coming to class (you have
been warned), and should be considered as supplementary to the required textbook. It is up to you to
download the presentations when they are available and to obtain information from your classmates if you
miss a class.
1 Graduate students who have not taken ES3372A will be responsible for self-training on geoSCOUT software. Tutorial
materials will be provided, and an introductory workshop will be scheduled in early January.

GL 9566B - Applied Concepts in Petroleum Geology - Winter 2015

Course Syllabus
(Note: This is an outline of lecture and lab topics that will be covered, but we will adjust the emphasis on
certain topics if the class has specific interests or requires more in-depth explanation.)

Lecture Topics
Introduction and Course Objectives

course outline & objectives | summary of petroleum systems | introduction to play and prospect assessment
Basin Analysis
Basin Analysis for Petroleum Assessment

fundamentals of basin analysis | subsidence mechanisms

Extensional Basin Petroleum Systems

heat flow history | rift phase systems | passive margin systems

Foreland Basin Petroleum Systems

tectonics and stratigraphy | maturation and migration | reservoir development

Translational Basin Petroleum Systems

transtension and transpression | source considerations | reservoir development

Burial History and Timing

fundamentals of basin analysis | burial history plots | timing and prospectivity

Source
Source Rock Characterization

transformation of kerogen | Rock-Eval pyrolysis data | modeling petroleum generation

Maturation and Migration

maturity indicators | expulsion mechanics | capillarity and multiphase flow

Reservoir
Reservoir Characterization

characterization as a discipline | scales of characterization | workflow considerations

Reservoir Architecture

clastic architectural elements | outcrop analogs | quantitative facies modeling

Seismic Reservoir Characterization

seismic attributes | porosity inversion | rock mechanics considerations

Petrophysical Reservoir Characterization

quantitative petrophysical methods | scaling properties for models

Trap & Seal
Evaluation of Extensional Traps

seismic method | fault geometries | fault seal analysis

Evaluation of Compressional Traps

seismic imaging of thrusts | palinspastic restoration | compressional trap geometries

Evaluation of Stratigraphic Traps

modeling unconformities | diagenetic modeling | stratigraphic vs. structural closure

Evaluation of Seal

capillary seal | hydrocarbon column height

Engineering & Economics
Reservoir Engineering

primary production characteristics | decline analysis | gas material balance analysis

enhanced oil recovery | production operations

Resources and Reserves

resources vs. reserves | reserves categories

volumetric oil reserves calculation | volumetric gas reserves calculation

Petroleum Economics

uncertainty and risk | time value of money | discounted cash flow analysis | economic indicators

Page 2

GL 9566B - Applied Concepts in Petroleum Geology - Winter 2015

Unconventional Resources
Oil Sands Assessment

surface mining considerations | in-situ (thermal) recovery considerations

"Shale Gas" Assessment

typical workflow | geomechanical considerations

Lab Topics
Orientation and Organization Session

developing a predation image | general assessment workflow

geoSCOUT refresher and project set-up | creating well lists using geoSCOUT searches

database organization in your project folder

Fields, Pools and Scoping Maps
Data Mining in geoSCOUT

creating a regional base map

identifying plays based on discovery histories

constructing production slice maps

Stratigraphic Interpretation
Correlation in geoSCOUT

avoiding the pitfall of lithostratigraphy | chronostratigraphic principles in correlation

designing a cross-section grid | datum selection | strategies for effective correlation

creating new user tops | quality assurance | exporting tops

Quantitative Well Log Analysis
Basic Well Log Analysis

"quick look" techniques | lithology prediction | porosity and saturation calculation

fundamentals of carbonate well log analysis

Shaly Sand Log Analysis

clay volume estimation | effective porosity calculation | bound water volume

hydrocarbon pore volume determination

Integration of Fluid and Pressure Analyses
Working with Water Analysis Data

reading a water analysis report | quality control of water analyses

formation water resistivity (Rw)

Working with Pressure Data

reading a DST report | reading a flow and buildup test report | spotting problem tests

hydrostatic and hydrodynamic analysis of test data | prediction of fluid contacts | prediction of hydrocarbon
column height

Map Construction and Interpretation

Mapping in geoSCOUT

posting user tops | quality assurance | contouring map data

Working With Reserves and Production Data

production performance indicators | mapping production data

volumetric reserves calculation | decline analysis | gas material balance | reserves reconciliation
Play and Prospect Risking
calculating chance of success | COGEH classification

Course Materials
Required Text:

Bjrlykke, K., 2010. Petroleum Geoscience: From Sedimentary Environments

to Rock Physics. Springer. 508p. (note that this textbook is available through the

Page 3

GL 9566B - Applied Concepts in Petroleum Geology - Winter 2015

Western Library system as a Springer e-book)
Optional Text:

Allen, P.A. and Allen, J.R., 2013. Basin Analysis: Principles and Applications.
3rd edition. Blackwell. 619 p. (Part 4 is particularly relevant to petroleum geology)

(Any citations for required readings or other reference materials will be made available by the instructor
throughout the course via OWL)
Required Materials:

The workstations in BGS0184 will be used for the labs. Students will be able to use
geoSCOUT, Surfer and Excel software on these workstations, and may also find it
helpful to have a set of coloured pencils and a straight edge / ruler if they want to
work with hard copies of well logs, cross-sections, and maps.

Methods of Evaluation
Your assessment will be based on lab assignments and a comprehensive term paper.
Labs (40% of total): (all lab assignments due* by the beginning of the following lab session)
The lab portion of the course uses a project-based approach. Some of the phases of the project
work require two consecutive weeks of work, which will then be combined for grading purposes.
These combined lab assignments will be identified at the beginning of the first week, and will not
be due until the conclusion of the second week. Each submitted assignment will be graded
individually on a weighted basis (i.e.: two-week assignments will carry twice the weight of a
one-week assignment) and combined for a normalized total grade out of 40.
Term Paper (60% of total): (due March 25, 2015)
The recent expansion of oil production from the Bakken Three Forks Petroleum System in the
Williston Basin has had a significant impact on domestic oil supply in the United States, with
repercussions for global oil price. Recoverable oil assessments for the Bakken play changed
significantly over the past decade, reflecting production increases from technology adaptation. The
term paper will summarize the history of these assessments, critically examine the data support
and methodologies used in the estimates, and develop a set of conclusions that provide guidance
for the assessment of new emerging plays. Written guidelines for report format and content
expectations will be provided at the beginning of term.
** due dates for assignments are firm - 10% per day will be deducted for late assignments. See note (4)
under "University Policies" for exceptions due to illness or special circumstances.

The Exceptional Contributor: The Class Was Better Because You Were Here.
As part of the learning process I expect all students to participate actively in class. Here are some
guidelines to keep in mind when in class:

You provide clear, concise, and correct explanations that help others gain a better understanding of
concepts.
You make outstanding, original, and informative comments.
You make highly attentive and constructive comments on other people's statements.
You ask questions that are penetrating or help clarify.
You raise your hand strategically (understanding that there are other students in the class).
You actively encourage others to express their ideas.
You display body language that communicates interest in what others are saying.
You arrive to class on time and are not absent without reason.

University Policies:

Page 4

GL 9566B - Applied Concepts in Petroleum Geology - Winter 2015

1) Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy,
specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf
2) Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Academic
Counselling Unit to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record.
This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are
dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
3) All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial
plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers
submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is
subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com
(http://www.turnitin.com ).
4) If you are unable to meet a course requirement due to illness or other serious circumstances, you must
provide valid medical or other supporting documentation to the Academic Counselling Unit as soon as
possible and contact your instructor immediately. It is the student's responsibility to make alternative
arrangements with their instructor once the accommodation has been approved and the instructor has
been informed. In the event of a missed final exam, a "Recommendation of Special Examination" form
must be obtained from the Academic Counselling Unit immediately. For further information please see:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/medical.pdf
A student requiring academic accommodation due to illness should use the Student Medical Certificate
when visiting an off-campus medical facility or request a Records Release Form (located in the Academic
Counselling Unit) for visits to Student Health Services. The form can be found here:
https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/medical_document.pdf
Accessibility Statement:
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other
arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for
Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 661-2111 x.82147 for any specific question regarding an
accommodation.
Graduate Student Health and Wellness:
As part of a successful graduate student experience at Western, we encourage students to make their
health and wellness a priority. Western provides several on campus health-related services to help you
achieve optimum health and engage in healthy living while pursuing your graduate degree. For example,
to support physical activity, all students, as part of their registration, receive membership in Westerns
Campus Recreation Centre. Numerous cultural events are offered throughout the year. For example,
please check out the Faculty of Music web page http://www.music.uwo.ca/, and our own McIntosh Gallery
http://www.mcintoshgallery.ca/. Information regarding health- and wellness-related services available to
students may be found at http://www.health.uwo.ca/. Students seeking help regarding mental health
concerns are advised to speak to someone they feel comfortable confiding in, such as their faculty
supervisor, their program director (graduate chair), or other relevant administrators in their unit. Campus
mental health resources may be found at http://www.health.uwo.ca/mental_health/resources.html.

Page 5