GEO ExPro Favourite Geoscience Magazine Oil Gas 2019 v16 I1

vol . 16, no.
1 – 2019
GEOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED
geoexpro.com
GEOEDUCATION
Creating Excitement in the
EXPLORATION Geosciences
Myanmar:
The Golden
Land
GEOTOURISM
Australia’s Big
Outdoor Museum
TECHNOLOGY
The Pre-Drill
Prediction Toolbox
HISTORY OF OIL
Mr Five Per Cent
Make Better Decisions
on Indonesia Exploration Opportunities
North Sumatra South Makassar
3D acquisition ongoing Fast-track available
Q2 2019
North Madura West Timor

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Broadband Data Available for Viewing

The latest PGS MultiClient 3D GeoStreamer surveys enable a better
understanding of the plays and prospectivity offshore Indonesia.
To find out more about these surveys and new acquisition plans,
visit our website or contact [email protected].
A Clearer Image | www.pgs.com/Indonesia

Previous issues: www.geoexpro.com
Contents
Vol. 16 No. 1
This edition of GEO ExPro focuses on
Australasia and South East Asia, New
GEOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED
Technologies, and Training Geoscientists.
5 Editorial
; 6 Regional Update
Gulbenkian: Revealing the
man behind the myths. 8 Licensing Update
10 A Minute to Read
14 Cover Story Exploration:
Myanmar - The Golden Land
PetroEDGE
v 18 Hot Spot: Great Expectations
Virtual field trips offer an
integrated and flexible 20 Seismic Foldout:
learning resource. Gippsland Basin Rejuvenated
26 GEO Education: Creating
Excitement in the Geosciences
Y 30 History of Oil: Mr Five per Cent,
The last frontier in seismic Calouste Gulbenkian
interpretation is getting a
step closer.
34 GEO Education:
Eliis
Field Trips in a Virtual World

Robert Hall
I 38 Technology Explained:
East Indonesian geology suggests The Pre-Drill Prediction Toolbox
that relatively recent tectonic events
had spectacular consequences on 42 Seismic Foldout:
palaeogeography and life. Offshore Somalia – The Chase is On!
48 Recent Advances in Technology:
Finite Difference Modelling IV
: 52 GEO Tourism:
The lives of great geologists Australia’s Big Outdoor Museum
uncover the story of the science
itself.
56 Technology Explained:
To Boldly Go…
58 Exploration:
New Views of Eastern Indonesia
64 Seismic Foldout:
Offshore Exploration in Greece
w
X
70 GEO Media: Great Geologists
h F
N 8
X 72 Exploration Update
r
0 @ 74 Q&A: The Importance of Mentoring
5
I 76 Global Resource Management
Y
X W
p
GEOExPro March 2019 3

Legend
TGS_MC3D
Oil Fields (GPInfo) WA-521-P W17-4
Gas Fields (GPInfo)
Permit Blocks (GpInfo)
Blocks
Exploration Permit WA-482-P
Gazettal
Production Licence
Retention Licence
Open Acreage
WA-436-P
WA-435-P
WA-528-P
WA-468-P
WA-389-P Phoenix
Phoenix South
WA-389-P
W18-4
WA-389-P WA-437-P
WA-409-P
WA-525-P W18-5 WA-438-P

WA-359-P
Mutineer/Pitcairn Fletcher
Exeter Bounty
Exeter Deep
Finucane South WA-191-P
Hermes
WA-535-P Lambert West
Lambert Deep
WA-17-L Lambert
WA-3-L
Egret Angel Talisman Amulet
Eaglehawk
Searipple Persephone Montague
Perseus
Cossack
North Rankin
Wanaea
WA-5-L
Goodwyn
Gaea WA-11-L
Hurricane
Legendre
ne
Echo/Yodel
Dockrell Goodwyn South
WA-2-L
Keast Tidepole
Rankin
Sculptor
Lady Nora
Dixon
Pemberton Jalfrezi
Haycock
W18-6
Sage
WA-524-P
WA-7-R WA-452-P
Saffron Coast
li
Wilcox Winchester
Reindeer
Caribou Gungurru
Corvus Wandoo
We have the Australian Bedout and

Beagle Sub-basins Covered
The Bedout Sub-basin, offshore Western Australia contains the
largest oil discovery of the North West Shelf in the last 30 years.
Blocks are available within the data coverage.
Available Now!
• New Polly 3D, Repro PSDM
• New Beagle 2Dcubed
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See the energy at TGS.com
© 2019 TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA. All rights reserved.

Editorial
Increasing Demand in South East Asia GEOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED
South East Asia holds only a relatively small www.geoexpro.com
Amy Gough
percentage of the world’s oil and gas (about 2% of
total proved oil reserves and 5% of total gas), but GeoPublishing Ltd
has nonetheless played an important role in the 15 Palace Place Mansion
development of the industry. Oil produced using Kensington Court
London W8 5BB, UK
hand-dug wells in Sarawak was mentioned in official
+44 20 7937 2224
Chinese documents in the 11th century and the
process is thought to have been used in Myanmar Managing Director
as long ago as 900 BC. The first commercial well in Tore Karlsson
South East Asia was drilled in 1885 in East Sumatra
Editor in Chief
by Aeilko Jans Zijklert, a 25-year-old Dutch tobacco Jane Whaley
planter-turned-oil-explorer who, five years later, [email protected]
founded the Royal Dutch Company. Sadly, he died
shortly afterwards, and was not able to see either Editorial enquiries
Producing oil with hand-dug wells in Myanmar. GeoPublishing
the success of his discoveries or how his fledgling Jane Whaley
company eventually morphed into the supermajor we know as Shell. +44 7812 137161
As elsewhere, investment in exploration in the region reduced dramatically after the oil [email protected]
price collapse in 2014. Demand, however, has not – in fact, in the ten countries which make www.geoexpro.com
up the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), energy demand grew by 60% in the
Sales and Marketing Director
years between 2000 and 2017. Many of these countries have experienced significant economic Kirsti Karlsson
growth, and the population of the ASEAN countries increased by an average of 23% during +44 79 0991 5513
this time, so there is an urgent need for new resources to feed this economic development and [email protected]
reduce the strong dependence on coal and imported oil.
There have been signs of a rally in the market since the middle of 2018, albeit at a lower rate
than in other parts of the world. In Vietnam, for example, PetroVietnam is developing a large
gas field known as Block B, while in Indonesia significant investment is planned for the second
Subscription
ine phase of the giant Senoro gas field. In fact, it has been reported that as many as 50 oil and gas
GeoPublishing Ltd
fields, with a collective resource of 4 Bboe, will be approved for development between 2018 +44 20 7937 2224
and 2020. While some of this investment will focus on developing existing fields, a number 15 Palace Place Mansion
of large new fields, such as the Pegara discovery offshore Sarawak, are in Kensington Court
London W8 5BB, UK
development, hoping to start production within the next couple of years.
[email protected]
Over three-quarters of the planned development is for gas fields.
For many years, South East Asia had limited attraction to explorers as GEO EXPro is published bimonthly
it was viewed as too gas-prone, but with economic development has for a base subscription rate of GBP
come an increased demand for gas for both domestic and industrial uses 60 a year (6 issues).
We encourage readers to alert us
throughout the region. The appetite for exploration in South East Asia to news for possible publication
should continue to grow. and to submit articles for publication.
Jane Whaley
Editor in Chief VOL . 16, NO. 1 – 2019
Cover Photograph:
GEOSCIENC
E & TECHNOLOG
Y EXPLAINED
Main Image: Conor McMillan
geoexpro.com
Inset: Thomas Smith
EXPLOR ATIO
N GEOEDUCATION
Myanmar: Layout: Winslade Graphics

Creating Excite
ment in the
Geosciences
The Golden Print: Stephens & George, UK

Land
issn 1744-8743
MYANMAR: THE GOLDEN LAND
GEOTOURISM
The famous Golden Rock of Myanmar is precariously balanced Australia’s Big
Outdoor Mus
eum
on the 1,100m high summit of Mount Kyaiktiyo, a granite boulder TECHNOLOG
Y
covered in gold leaf. This is a testament to the multitude of minerals The Pre-Drill
Prediction Too
lbox
and gems found in the country, as well as a very productive HISTORY OF
OIL
petroleum industry that has been active for nearly 3,000 years. Mr Five Per Cen
t
Inset: Teachers learning about geology at G-Camp, a diverse and

eye-opening field experience.
© 2019 GeoPublishing Limited.

Copyright or similar rights in all material in this publication, including graphics and other media, is owned by GeoPublishing Limited, unless otherwise stated.
You are allowed to print extracts for your personal use only. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photographic, recorded or otherwise without the prior written permission of GeoPublishing Limited. Requests
to republish material from this publication for distribution should be sent to the Editor in Chief. GeoPublishing Limited does not guarantee the accuracy of the
information contained in this publication nor does it accept responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences. Opinions expressed by contributors to
this publication are not necessarily those of GeoPublishing Limited.
GEO ExPro March 2019 5

Regional Update
Australian Exploration ABBREVIATIONS
The year that was, and what will [may] be.

Numbers
Australia experienced both exciting discoveries and disappointing dry holes in (US and scientific community)
2018, drilling 60 exploration wells over the year. Buoyed by strong demand, policy M: thousand = 1 x 103
change and recovering oil prices, Rystad expects to see this figure rise to 65 in MM: million = 1 x 106
B: billion = 1 x 109
2019, with offshore exploration increasing to the highest level seen since 2014.
T: trillion = 1 x 1012
Source: Rystad Energy ECube

180 6000
Onshore
Offshore
Liquids
160
Exploration Spend 5000 barrel = bbl = 159 litre
boe: barrels of oil equivalent
Exploration Spend (US$m)

140
120 4000 bopd: barrels (bbls) of oil per day

bcpd: bbls of condensate per day
Well Count
100
3000 bwpd: bbls of water per day
80
60 2000 Gas
40 MMscfg: million ft3 gas
1000
20 MMscmg: million m3 gas
Tcfg: trillion cubic feet of gas
0 0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Australian exploration well count and expenditure. Ma: Million years ago
Several Successes LNG

About 360 MMboe were discovered in Australia in 2018, at an exploration expense Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is natural
of close to US$1.4bn (US$850m offshore and US$550m onshore). Chief among 2018’s gas (primarily methane) cooled to a
temperature of approximately -260 oC.
successes was Quadrant’s Dorado-1 well in the Bedout Basin (North West Shelf),
which discovered 171 MMbo, 16 MMbc and 552 Bcfg (2C), making it 2018’s 12th
NGL
largest discovery globally. Quadrant has now turned to the Apus prospect, where it Natural gas liquids (NGL) include
hopes to unlock over 750 MMboe, although drilling is not expected until 2021. propane, butane, pentane, hexane
In contrast, ExxonMobil and BHP’s much-hyped 2–3 Tcf Dory prospect in and heptane, but not methane and
Victoria’s Bass Straight came up dry, with both wells, Baldfish-1 and Hartail-1, ethane.
plugged and abandoned as uncommercial. However, the joint venture plan to
continue exploration within Dory’s permit area (VIC/P70), where further gas Reserves and resources
potential remains in the Angler (140 Bcf) and Archer-Anemone (175 Bcf) prospects. P1 reserves:
Quantity of hydrocarbons believed
recoverable with a 90% probability
High Expectations
Strong market fundamentals and favourable policy change should see exploration
P2 reserves:
expenditure in Australia more than double from 2018 levels in the next five years,
Quantity of hydrocarbons believed
reaching an annual spend of US$3.6bn by 2023. recoverable with a 50% probability
Offshore, 2019–20 should see Equinor drill its long-awaited Stromlo-1 well in
South Australia’s Ceduna Basin: the first well in the Great Australian Bight since P3 reserves:
Woodside’s Gnarlyknots 1A in 2003. However, there is strong community opposition Quantity of hydrocarbons believed
to the project and NOPSEMA is yet to approve the well. Success here would be the recoverable with a 10% probability
first step to unlocking the Bight’s potential multi-billion boe resource.
2019 could prove transformational for Australia’s fledgling shale industry. The Oilfield glossary:
repeal of a fracking moratorium, in place in the Northern Territory since 2016, www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com
should result in at least four shale wells in the highly prospective McArthur Basin
this year. Before the moratorium, Origin Energy conducted one of the largest
fracture jobs ever undertaken in Australia on their Amungee NW-1H well in the
MacArthur Basin, successfully flowing over 1 MMcfpd on test. This enabled Origin
to book 6.6 Tcf of contingent resources in the play, and also acted as a proof-of-
concept for the basin, representing the first extended commercial-level gas flow from
shale in the state. Origin now plan to drill and frack two horizontal wells in 2019.
Following the success of its Northern Territory Tanumbirini-1 well in 2014,
where the company reported gas over a 500m (gross) interval, Santos is expected
to drill two horizontal appraisal wells in the McArthur Basin. Success here has the
potential to kick-start a rapid development of the region.
Daniel Levy, Senior E&P Analyst, Rystad Energy
6 GEOExPro March 2019

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Licensing Update
Ready? Set? Go! Quaternary
Neogene
2.6
Lebanon’s Second Offshore Tertiary
Cenozoic
South Atlantic starts opening
Licensing Round is set to open. 23
Paleogene
The Northern Levant Basin offshore Lebanon was the last place
to be explored in the Eastern Mediterranean. Following up on the 66*
Norwegian-Greenland Sea starts opening
Alpine orogeny
country’s first successful offshore licensing round in 2017, acreage
in the prospective basin is once again available. Surrounded as it is Cretaceous
Laramide orogeny
by proven hydrocarbon discoveries to the west and south, including
the offshore fields Tamar, Leviathan, Aphrodite, Zohr and Calypso,
and with prolific hydrocarbon indicators already identified, this
undrilled acreage should make Lebanon an exploration hotspot.
Pangaea breakup
145
Mesozoic
Jurassic
LPA
Awarded Blocks
North Sea rifting

(1st Licensing
Round)
Open Blocks as
Central Atlantic starts opening

per LPA’s
CYPRUS
recommendation
201*
*The Big Five Extinction Events

(2nd Licensing
Round)
Oil and Gas Fields
Triassic
LEBANON 252*
Gulf of Mexico rifting

Permian
Phanerozoic
Aphrodite
Tamar
Zohr Leviathan
299
Carboniferous
FORMATION OF PANGAEA
EGYPT 359*
Prospects mapped in Lebanon are on trend with major discoveries in the Eastern Devonian
Paleozoic
Mediterranean.
Various prospective targets have been identified offshore
Lebanon in siliciclastic, calciclastic and bioclastic lithologies.
Variscan orogeny
These prospects are found in structural traps including 419

symmetrical anticlinal structures, simple 3-way dip-faulted Silurian
anticlines and 1-way fault-closed structures. There is also 443*
evidence of stratigraphic traps such as pinch-outs with associated Ordovician
Caledonia orogeny
direct hydrocarbon indicators. Basin modelling shows potential

for a mixed biogenic and thermogenic system offshore Lebanon
and there is evidence for both gas- and oil-prone source rocks
from the Triassic to the Neogene. 486
The first exploration well offshore Lebanon will be drilled in 2019 Cambrian
by Total, which operates in Blocks 4 and 9 in a consortium with ENI
and Novatek. It is expected that more wells will follow in 2020.
The official launch of the bid round is scheduled to take place in 541
The Great Unconformity
the first quarter of 2019. Companies interested in participating in the
tendering process must be prequalified, with requirements covering
legal, technical, commercial, quality, health, safety and environment
Neoproterozoic
Precambrian
aspects. Interested companies will submit their prequalification

applications, followed by a bid submission which will be evaluated,
and subsequent award of the blocks will be towards the end of 2019.
For further details, see article online.

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As demonstrated in the image above, the combination of the least-squares and
Q methods produces much higher resolution and fidelity.
Exceptional People - Remarkable Technology - Outstanding Service
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A Minute to Read… News from around the world
Your Upstream Connections into Africa

The Africa E&P Summit will be held on 22–23 May 2019 at The
IET, Savoy Place, London, with a full two-day programme that aims
to bring you the best of Africa’s oil and gas in the heart of London.
Serving as a platform for your upstream connections into Africa,
attend this event to connect with and get the edge on Africa’s oil and
gas exploration horizon.
The summit brings together Africa’s upstream industry at a world-
class venue in London for a unique event shaped for companies active
in Africa’s oil and gas game and provides unrivalled insight into the
continent’s fast-changing exploration horizon. Hear directly from
key players and decision-makers, from corporate players active in
Africa through to fast-moving independents, finance, legal and service
and supply companies and African governments and NOCs seeking
investors. Hear from over 50 world-class speakers and uncover the
leading edge on Africa’s E&P hot spots.
You are also invited to join us on the concluding day for the Africa finale to the summit and is a celebration of all things African – and all
E&P Summit Gala Dinner 2019, on Thursday 23 May. This will be the things African oil and gas – with a fabulous guest speaker.
Evolution of Imaging in CNS

Results from priority areas of CGG’s Evolution reprocessing of its
CGG
Cornerstone Central North Sea (CNS) data sets straddling the UK-Norway
border are now available. The entire 35,000+ km2 Cornerstone survey is being
reprocessed from field tapes using the latest cutting-edge imaging technology,
in order to merge conventional long-offset, BroadSeisTM, BroadSeis-
BroadSourceTM and dual-azimuth data and thus create a single contiguous
broadband PSDM data set.
The processing is tailored to address the geological complexities, with
model building benefitting from Q-Tomo, Q-FWI, and Q-RTM. Final
PSDM data sets will include least-squares Q-Kirchhoff and wave-equation
migrations. Early-out data will be available in Q3 2019, and impressive new
high-resolution images of the Forties channels and the HPHT (high pressure
– high temperature) dual-azimuth area have already been achieved.
Location of the Cornerstone Evolution project in the Central North Sea.
New 2D Offshore Sierra Leone

International geophysical consultancy GeoPartners has oil, condensate or gas in the Upper Cretaceous. Reservoirs
announced a new 2D seismic survey offshore Sierra Leone. include stacked, high net:gross channelised turbidite sands,
The survey, consisting of over with good porosity, located in
9,000 line-km, is to be acquired in slope apron fan systems of the
partnership with the Petroleum Cenomanian and Turonian.
Directorate, and will support Interbedded marine shales are
the 4th Offshore Petroleum organic-rich, oil-prone and
Licensing Round planned for mature. Equivalent source/
later this year. This is the first reservoir facies are prospective
new 2D survey off Sierra Leone on the French Guiana conjugate
for seven years and will provide margin where Zaedyus-1 found
geophysical data covering the 72m net oil pay in high quality
entire offshore area from shallow Cenomanian and Turonian fan
to ultra-deepwater, providing ties sands.
to all existing wells and allowing Acquisition is planned to
a complete evaluation of the commence after completion of the
available acreage. necessary regulatory approvals and
GeoPartners
Four out of five exploration a subset of the data will be available

wells drilled in the southern for companies participating in the
deepwater basin encountered light Licence Round.

GeoConvention 2019:
Advancing Geoscience
The oil and gas industry has been completely reshaped
over the past four years and a more stable footing for Grow and stretch your
the industry is on the horizon for 2019. International
markets are picking up, as are the opportunities within capabilities with PetroEdge
Canada and, despite market fluctuations, geoscientists will
continue to find and develop the resources necessary to
power our economy.
GeoConvention offers some of the best local and
international insights to efficient energy exploration and
production, critical to the success of the industry. The 2019
technical content will build upon the success seen in 2018,
hosting topical sessions within impactful themes, covering
topics like technical fundamentals and applications, novel
technological tools and advancements, unconventional
plays and the management of associated risks, as well as
analyses and case studies that address both challenges and
opportunities in the industry.
GeoConvention 2019 is an opportunity for delegates,
exhibitors and supporters from around the world to benefit PetroEdge offers leading courses in
from and give back to the oil and gas community through Geology, Reservoir and Geophysics.
their technical contributions, technology showcases and Visit https://www.petroedgeasia.net or email
industry partnerships. GeoConvention 2019 is held in [email protected] for more details.
beautiful Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on 13–17 May.
Two Days About

Technology EVENTS IN LONDON,
AND STAVANGER
2018 / 2019
Imagine a world-class petroleum province with several
billion barrels of discoveries. Imagine that oil has been
found in carbonates intruded with volcanic sills, and that
the reservoir is located beneath a thick layer of salt. Then FINDING NEW SOLUTIONS TO INDUSTRY PROBLEMS
you would also imagine that you have a problem with Opportunities in Mature Where can digital technology
imaging of the reservoir. At the forthcoming conference Provinces and Super Basins contribute to safety
NCS Exploration – Recent Advances in Exploration London, 22 Mar 2019 London, 11 Jun 2019
Technology in Fornebu, Oslo on 21–22 May, Peter companies are looking hard to Is the biggest contribution
Szatmari, Senior Geologist with Petrobras, will give find ways to make it viable to condensing large amounts of data
a keynote about how his company has attacked this keep mature fields in production into something a human can
assess?
challenge.
New Geophysical
Imagine that oil is trapped in thin, vertical sandstone
Approaches Finding Oil and Gas in Sub
reservoirs with excellent properties. Imagine that they have London, 30 Apr 2019 Saharan Africa
been overlooked for tens of years, but that it is now possible New technology, software and London, 25 Jun 2019
to image them using either broadband or ocean-bottom data interpretation methods where the opportunities may exist
seismic. What will be the best technology to use? At the for geophysicists - and methods to approach the
conference several companies will relate their experience 'local content' requirements
of imaging injectites that have turned out to be extremely Finding Petroleum
Opportunities In The Opportunities in the Eastern
productive reservoirs.
Middle East Mediterranean
De-risking petroleum systems using up-to-date London, 23 May 2019 London, 20 Sep 2019
technology is the main topic for this third NCS exploration changing business landscape discoveries offshore Egypt, big
technology conference. It targets users of technology, available to investors and small / interest in Cyprus and
rather than tech nerds, and will thus concentrate on medium oil and gas companies developments in Israel, Lebanon
how explorationists can benefit from recent advances in
petroleum exploration technology. The NCS website has
further details. www.findingpetroleum.com

A Minute to Read… News from around the world
Devex: Learn and Be Inspired

DEVEX 2019, a conference jointly organised by the Society
Rory Raitt, c/o Devex conference

of Petroleum Engineers Aberdeen Section, Aberdeen
Formation Evaluation Society and the Petroleum
Exploration Society of Great Britain, has recently closed the
abstract submissions process. The organising committee has
been encouraged not only by the high number of abstracts
received, but also by their quality, which continues to create a
strong technical programme.
The DEVEX programme comprises technical presentations,
expert masterclasses and core displays as well as special events
such as the Young Professional session and a field trip to view
the Old Red Sandstone near Stonehaven and Glen Esk.
Conference Chair, Henk Kombrink (pictured), a petroleum
geologist at Lloyd’s Register, commented: “At DEVEX 2019,
around 400 engineers and geoscientists have the opportunity
to share industry best practice on how to achieve maximum
economic recovery in the UKCS. Our technical programme is continue to collaborate and innovate in the energy industry.”
central to this and provides delegates with all areas of expertise DEVEX 2019 takes place 7–8 May at the Aberdeen
and skill levels the opportunity to learn more and be inspired. Exhibition and Conference Centre, with the field trip on
This shared learning is so important in ensuring that we 9 May.
ACE Returns to San Antonio

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists, along the-art technology displays and networking activities that
with the Society for Sedimentary Geology, the Austin create a dependable, fun and valuable business forum. ACE
Geological Society, and the South Texas Geological Society will feature more than 900 technical presentations, over 200
are proud to host the AAPG 2019 Annual Convention and exhibiting companies, 15 short courses, 13 field trips, eight
Exhibition (ACE) at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention networking events, seven forums and special sessions, and
Center in San Antonio, Texas, on 19–22 May 2019. four luncheons, as well as U-Pitch presentations, student and
Heading back to San Antonio for the first time in a young professional activities, and much more.
decade, ACE 2019 looks to attract a global audience of some Make plans to attend ACE 2019 and register today. Don’t
7,500 professionals from more than 72 countries. ACE miss the chance to join a community of geoscientists and
continues to be one of the most prestigious events for the petroleum industry professionals in San Antonio. Exhibition
geoscience community, with a tradition of delivering an and sponsorship opportunities, as well as the full technical
exceptionally strong, juried technical programme, state-of- programme, are available now on the AAPG ACE website.
Guided Reality
GeoReality is Zebra Data Sciences’ revolutionary new
web-based 3D Visualisation tool and makes ‘Showcasing as
a Service’ possible by taking geoscience data and creating a
3D model which can be viewed on a PC, smart device or VR
headset. It does not require the end user to have specialist
hardware or software, just a browser and an internet
connection. Not only that, but the end user (wherever they
may be) can be taken through a guided tour of the model in
real time, selecting the best viewpoints and combinations of
data to showcase it in the best possible way. This really saves
Zebra Data Sciences
time when compared with the traditional way of providing

access to a data room where potential investors wade through
all the information in a linear fashion.
GeoReality is a great way of promoting an asset, project or
data set to both technical and non-technical people and allows
collaboration between all parties. So, whether you are trying study, GeoReality provides a simple way to tell your story in a
to get investors interested in your area, or trying to sell a new dynamic, compelling fashion.

THE
Searcher in
PHILIPPINES Mialara Broadband 2D
Pinatubo Broadband 2D
Pala Sulu Non-Exclusive 2D
Bikuda Bulador Non-Exclusive 2D
Bid Round Now Open
searcherseismic.com
Cover Story: Exploration
The Golden Land

Reserves and Resources of Myanmar
Despite having a long history in petroleum production – and being the place where the
anticlinal trap was first recognised – there is much left to learn about the geology of
Myanmar and its remaining potential.
Modified from Metcalfe, 2017

AMY GOUGH, South East Asia Research Group,
Royal Holloway, University of London
A Rich History
On a clear day a landscape littered with buildings covered in
glittering gold facades greets you when flying into Yangon, the
old capital city of Myanmar. This pays homage to the original Mon
name of Suvannabhumi, which directly translates into the tag line of
the country – ‘The Golden Land.’ The gilded temples are covered in real
gold and often numerous jewels. For example, the largest temple in Yangon, the
Shwedagon Pagoda, is covered in 27 tons of gold, 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies,
mostly sourced from precious gem mines in the country itself. These gems have
long been mined in Myanmar, most specifically from marble gravels in the Mogok
Region, often referred to as the ‘Valley of Rubies,’ in the central north-east of the
country. They are considered some of the finest in the world. The country is also
famed for its gold reserves, cretaceous amber, and the rare tropical wood (e.g., teak
and rosewood) that grows there. In addition, its vast hydrocarbon reserves lead to a
great future exploration potential.
A Country Uplifted
Myanmar sits to the east of the India–Asia collision zone, where the Indian Plate
is obliquely subducting beneath the West Myanmar Block. The country is sub-
divided into three north–south trending belts: the accretionary prism of the Indo
Myanmar Ranges in the west; the central depression of the Central Myanmar
Basin, where most of the known onshore petroleum reserves are located; and the
The volcanic plug Taung Kalat rises sharply to a height

of 657m and is topped by a Buddist monastery.
Conor McMillan

Sino Myanmar Ranges, which include
the precious gem-rich Mogok Region.
Another notable feature is the partially
buried Wuntho–Popa magmatic arc
that dissects the centre of the Central
Myanmar Basin in a north–south
orientation. A large pagoda has been
built on the flat top of Taung Kalat,
a volcanic plug related to the extinct
Mount Popa.
The timing of the uplift of the Indo
Myanmar Ranges is still an area of
dispute, with some people arguing
Amy Gough
for an early Cenozoic age and others
proposing that it is as young as 5 Ma.
This affects the sediment routing
through the Central Myanmar Basin A 3 cm- wide load structure found in Cenozoic deposits indicates high sediment supply with
concurrent rapid deposition.
in the Cenozoic, and the timing of any
deflection or distribution of the sediments that were deposited pipes down the well and winching the reserves back up to
in the actively producing offshore oilfields in the west. This surface. There are also smaller operations, where one person
is important, as the Cenozoic sediments in the Salin Sub- uses a hand-winch and plastic bottles cut to act as a receptacle
basin of the Central Myanmar Basin are extensive and exceed to extract the petroleum.
thicknesses of 18 km (Hall and Morley, 2004), suggesting a Still forming a prominent industry for the people of
high sediment yield was sustained for a long period of time. Myanmar, these operations have been ongoing in the
Abundant load and flame structures are common throughout Yenangyaung area since at least the 1750s (although the
the Cenozoic deposits and can be related to a high sediment field was only officially ‘discovered’ in 1889). George Baker,
supply and concurrent rapid deposition. Sediment provenance a British captain, recorded the location of similar hand-dug
studies onshore in the Central Myanmar Basin can help to wells in the area, and it has remained an area of interest for
answer some of these questions. exploration into the modern day (Longmuir, 2008; Racey &
Ridd, 2015). Interestingly, the Yenangyaung field is considered
Long Production History to be the first place that the anticlinal theory of petroleum
From the construction of the walls of Babylon to salt accumulation was identified, in 1855 by Anglo-Irish geologist
production in ancient China, humans have been utilising Thomas Oldham when he was working for the Indian
petroleum reserves for over 4,000 years. Myanmar is no Geological Survey – a fact that the geologists who work on
exception, with hand-dug wells dating back to 900 BC the field for the national oil company, MOGE, are incredibly
(Thornton, 2015). Exploration and production carries on into proud of. Oldham recognised that the local villagers were only
the current day. Currently, Myanmar has 51 onshore blocks digging for oil on the crest of the highest part of the anticline
in operation, 18 of which are offshore, mostly producing and made the connection between this and structural traps.
natural gas (MoEE, 2018). The Ministry of
A typical outcrop of marine Oligocene sediments.
Electricity and Energy (MoEE) reports proven
reserves of 16.6 Tcfg (CEIC, 2018) but this
Amy Gough
leaves room for many more substantial finds.
In addition, Myanmar derives energy from a
range of renewable sources, with solar panels
and hydroelectric plants being a common sight
across the country.
The city of Yenangyuang, Central Myanmar,
has been built on the petroleum industry: in
fact, the very name is directly translated as
‘stream of oil’. The modern-day landscape
is littered with thousands of pyramidoidal
bamboo frames marking the location of hand-
drilled oil wells. The luckiest villagers will
strike oil close to surface, but some of the wells
can reach more than 460m in depth. They are
mostly drilled by using metal-tipped bamboo
rods attached to car engine-sized generators,
and the oil extracted by lowering long plastic

Cover Story: Exploration
After the official ‘discovery’ of the field in 1889, ‘Well

One’ was drilled. It was completely dry, mainly because
it was too shallow. Further efforts of exploration have,
however, proven to be highly successful, with a derrick
actively producing directly next to this initial ‘Well One’.
The field is now officially owned and run by MOGE, but
many villagers still hand-drill and produce oil in the area.
Many other fields have the potential to be as productive as
the Yenangyuang field, but further research and exploration
efforts are required.
New Geological Understanding

Despite this long history of reserves and exploration, fieldwork-
based studies are relatively limited in Myanmar. The South
East Asia Research Group (SEARG) have been on the ground in
the country since 2013. A combination of geological mapping,
sedimentological logging, sampling, and subsequent analysis
through petrology, XRD, heavy mineral analysis, and U-Pb
dating of zircons has allowed us to make some interesting
Amy Gough
discoveries about this unique and dynamic country. For
example, analysis from the Chin Hills area suggests that the
West Myanmar Block was tectonically already part of Asia
A Yenangyuang oil well dug by hand using metal-tipped bamboo rods
from the Mesozoic (Sevastjanova et al., 2016).
attached to a small generator.
SEARG have more recently found that the sediment routing
pathways in the Central Myanmar Basin are a lot more the geological history of the area and the numerous
complex than previously thought, with sediment sources in hydrocarbon plays found throughout the country.
the Indo-Myanmar Ranges to the west and from the magmatic
arc to the east (McNeil et al., in prep). This has enabled us Importance to South East Asia
to revise the Cenozoic sedimentology in the hydrocarbon- The growth of energy use in South East Asia is generally
bearing areas (Gough & Hall, in prep). For example, a spatially considered to currently be unsustainable. Consumption in
dense logging campaign allowed for facies associations and Indonesia, for example, has started to out-pace production,
architectural elements to be studied through the Oligocene, relying more and more on imports to keep up with demand
and it was found that the fluvio-marine environments show (PWC, 2018). Areas like Myanmar, with plentiful potential
that marine incursions transgressed further into the basin reserves, could help this potential energy crisis with ongoing
than previously thought. Further studies into the sediments of efforts in exploration.
the Central Myanmar Basin will help us to better understand References available online.
Hand drilled oil wells dug by villagers in the Mann Field, Central Myanmar.
Amy Gough

Hot Spot
Brought to you in association with NVentures.
Great Expectations
A number of interesting, but not very adventurous, drilling campaigns are planned for 2019.
PETER ELLIOTT, NVentures
A summary of expected wildcat drilling continue their efforts on Block 42 targets. Impact Oil & Gas may get to
campaigns around the world for 2019 withApetina-1 and Aurora-1. In French taste drilling success with partners
suggests a continuing trend of fewer Guiana Total plans to drill Nasua-1 in CNOOC in AGC this year, and with
wells, mostly clustering in and near 2,000m water. Total in the Orange Basin.
proven core basins, with few unproven Elsewhere, the majors will test recent Atlantic Ireland will return to
frontier basins being tested. trends, with ExxonMobil in Cyprus, Eni centre stage later in 2019, as CNOOC
and Sasol in South Africa, ExxonMobil announced an all-Irish asset swap with
The Usual Suspects and Eni in the Angoche Basin offshore ExxonMobil to fund the Iolar well in
South America’s Atlantic Margin Mozambique, and Murphy, BP, Premier Block 3/18, targeting a pre- to syn-rift
deepwater trend will continue to and Petronas offshore Mexico, where Jurassic structural play on the west
catch the headlines in 2019 following the Sureste Basin (similar in style and flank of the Porcupine Basin. Total
ExxonMobil’s world-beater Starbroek scale to Lower Congo and Campos), in has taken the devil by the horns and
Block (CNOOC and Hess partners), particular, holds great promise. joined Providence for the nearby Diablo
with approximately 5 Bbo already prospect. Further Irish excitement
discovered. Immediately south-west Testing New Plays could come if Providence find partners
in 100m water, Repsol’s Kaieteur-1 Away from the big names, smaller firms for the drill-ready Newgrange Prospect
(Kanuku Block, Tullow and Total with regional focus plan to test new (Block 6/14), at Eni’s Dunquin South
partners) will target a similar Upper and challenging plays with the drill (with Repsol, Providence and Sosina,
Cretaceous fan system. With dry wells bit. Amerisur (and Oxy) will carry out FEL 3/04) and Europa’s Corrib lookalike
to the north and south, this is not a a 3–6 well programme in Colombia’s at Inishkea (subject to joint ventures
straight extension of the Liza play. It Putamayo Basin. Southern Australia’s concluding).
will be closely watched by Tullow and Otway Basin welcomes exploration
partners Total and Eco on the adjacent drilling back in shallow waters, with Drilling Clubs
Orinduik Block as it is apparently on Cooper Energy eyeing two wildcats, One interesting development to
trend with their planned Amatuk-1 Annie and Elanora, which could deliver watch for in 2019 is special purpose
and Latuk-1. After two dry wells in 200 Bcf in a high value, low-cost basin ‘drilling clubs’, partly driven by drilling
Namibia, Tullow and Eco are shifting where gas is king in both demand and companies sharing more risk. Seapulse
their subsurface allegiance to Guyana, price. Octant Energy will drill up to and Maersk, for example, plan to
but Total will stay with Namibia, five wells in southern Kenya and north expedite the JV process across a varied
possibly testing the huge Venus Tanzania coastal basins. Guinea Bissau portfolio of high-graded prospects,
prospect in the ultra-deepwater Orange and AGC may see new drilling after a targeting 12 wells in the next two
Basin later in 2019. hiatus of over a decade, with Svenska years. This will be a welcome trend in
Suriname waits to claim its place pushing ahead with their SNE-style an otherwise risk-adverse exploration
in the hydrocarbon hall of fame, platform edge Atum and Anchovie industry.
after a number
of high-profile
wells (Kosmos,
Tullow) had light
oil and condensate
shows but were
non-commercial.
Tullow, with
Israeli explorer
Ratio, will try
again, testing the
400 MMbo Block
47 Goliatberg
prospect, while
Kosmos, with new
partners Chevron
and Hess, will

SUMMER
21–22 AUG 2019 | HOUSTON, TX
GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER
REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 6, 2019
REGISTER & LEARN MORE AT

www.NAPEexpo.com
Australia:
The world-class oil and gas fields of the Gippsland Basin, with original recoverable reserves of more
than four billion barrels of oil and around ten trillion cubic feet of gas, were discovered following
a 1962 2D seismic survey with a 19 x 27 km line spacing. Ten of the first eleven wildcat wells were
successful and all the discoveries were related to a single play: porosity in top Latrobe Group clastic
reservoirs below the regional seal.
Depth Reprocessing Rejuvenates Despite considerable exploration, it has long been known that unresolved seismic depth imaging
issues have had a significant impact on data quality. As a consequence, the province probably has
unrealised exploration potential, particularly in the deeper stratigraphic section. The basin-wide
Gippsland Basin Gippsland ReGeneration reprocessing project by CGG has changed the paradigm and the basin is
now seen as rejuvenated, with new exploration opportunities and significant upside potential.
For some years, the Gippsland Basin of south-east Australia has been the ‘dowager queen’ of The ‘elixir of youth’ was provided by new processing technologies, which have overcome the depth
the country’s oil and gas industry – in decline but maintaining wealth and dignity. imaging issues that have plagued the basin since the beginning of offshore exploration in the 1960s.
Wirrah Snapper Marlin Flounder Blackback
G01A Northern Fields 3D – Stage 1 G01A Northern Fields 3D – Stage 2 Tuskfish 3D
20 GEOExPro February 2019 GEOExPro February 2019 22

Changing Perceptions
ReGeneration project overcomes the imaging challenges of the Gippsland Basin.
PETER BAILLIE, PAUL CARTER, JARRAD GRAHAME, JOE ZHOU and NIGEL MUDGE, CGG
Over the last ten years CGG has gained extensive Throughout the Tertiary there were several periods of
experience in the processing and reprocessing of canyon formation and infill, including a major erosional
legacy datasets in the Gippsland Basin. Leveraging that phase in the mid-Eocene which enhanced the developing
experience, we recognised that further advances to our structures. Minor volcanics are sporadically present
recent innovations in data processing could be critical in throughout the entire section. These depositional and
overcoming the imaging challenges of the basin. erosional elements are known to have a significant
There are two main challenges, driven by the geology impact on seismic velocities.
and the seafloor character. The north-western area has With regard to petroleum system elements, the
water depths of less than 200m, and in general a hard primary source rock consists of Latrobe Group non-
seabed which leads to extensive multiple generation and marine, coastal plain organic-rich shale and coal
data contamination. The impact on data quality in this area (kerogen Type II/III). The main reservoir unit is the
is exacerbated by the presence of high-velocity carbonate Latrobe Group marine, nearshore barrier/shore-
channels in the shallow section and highly absorbing and face sandstone, and fluvio-deltaic sandstone and
scattering coal reflectors in the deeper stratigraphy. The sandy channel-fill. The regional seal is composed of
eastern area has a very rugose seabed at the shelf-break, fine-grained material of the Seaspray Group with
and complex velocity variations associated with high- intraformational and volcanics acting as local seals.
velocity carbonate-filled channels, adding to structural Traps include anticlines, fault closures, erosional
imaging challenges that lead to large well mis-ties. remnants, Top Latrobe sub-crops and buttress
By applying our latest improvements in velocity model- structural/stratigraphic plays in the late Cretaceous
building and imaging algorithms, CGG reprocessed the Golden Beach and Emperor sub-groups. These sub-
vintage data, to the highest level of quality, to provide groups are a secondary exploration target in the basin.
the highest-fidelity depth images available for improved The main phase of hydrocarbon generation and
prospect mapping. The outstanding success of the current expulsion occurred in the Neogene, with an earlier phase
multi-client reprocessing project with the latest data in the latest Cretaceous/Paleocene. Vertical migration,
processing technology has led to a resurgence of interest often in excess of two kilometres, is the primary
in the Gippsland Basin. charge mechanism. Trap definition represents the key
exploration challenge in the basin.
Geological Development and Petroleum Systems
The Gippsland Basin formed as a result of Mesozoic Processing Technology
rifting and the subsequent breakup of eastern Gondwana, CGG’s new processing flow includes three key technologies:
and hosts at least 7.5 km of Early Cretaceous to recent • 3D joint source and receiver deghosting was applied to
sediments. The main recognised units include the suppress the ghost and extend the bandwidth for low and
volcaniclastic Strzelecki Group (130–95 Ma), deposited high frequencies, resulting in a step-change in resolution.
within a continental rift; the siliciclastic Latrobe • Multi-passes of Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) were
Group, initially deposited within a continental rift with applied to generate a high-resolution and high-fidelity
a major half graben near the north boundary fault; velocity model. To overcome the challenges such as poor
subsequent mixed marginal marine to lower coastal plain signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio at low frequencies and limited
depositional deposits; and the Figure 1: Comparison of legacy vs. reprocessed data with velocity model.
calcareous Seaspray Group (32
Ma to Present), deposited on a
prograding continental shelf.
In the early Eocene, a
compressional period initiated,
forming north-east to east-north-
east-trending anticlines. The
compression peaked in the middle
Miocene, resulting in partial
basin inversion. All of the major
fold structures and associated
hydrocarbon accumulations at
the top of the Latrobe Group are
CGG
related to this tectonic episode.
GEOExPro February 2019 23

offset in the vintage narrow-azimuth data, a hybrid
FWI and tomography velocity model-building
flow was applied. The FWI processing focused on
resolving the velocity contrast from the shallow,
high-velocity channels. The resulting tomography
update focused on the low-frequency background
trend and updated the anisotropic parameters.
• Least-squares Q pre-stack depth migration
was selected as the final imaging algorithm to
compensate for illumination, improve S/N ratio
and recover the bandwidth and amplitudes.
Figure 1, which is a comparison of vintage and
reprocessed data, demonstrates the substantial
CGG
imaging improvements, specifically:
• a high-resolution and geologically plausible Figure 2: Marlin channel – new velocity model.
velocity model, resulting in a greatly improved
depth section and well tie; undrilled features in the deepwater have been identified
• better suppression of multiples and coherent noise and beneath the continental slope, where depth imaging problems
significant improvement of S/N ratio from shallow to deep have been extreme in the past. The majority of untested
section; opportunities are expected to be found at deeper horizons.
• higher-resolution imaging, particularly at reservoir level;
• sharper fault delineation; New Exploration Potential
• reliable AVO inversion. With offshore production reaching its golden anniversary
this year, conventional logic would suggest that Gippsland
Key Insights and Opportunities is a ‘mature’ basin; however, because of the long-standing
The newly reprocessed data provides greatly improved depth imaging problems, we believe that the basin still holds
images, allowing for greater understanding of both the regional significant upside potential.
geology and the key exploration targets. The data provides While the reprocessed dataset is a significant
improved definition below the thick coal seams despite the improvement, the imaging is inherently constrained by the
relatively short streamer length from previous acquisition. original acquisition parameters, primarily cable length.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate improved imaging of canyons New longer-offset data would allow even better imaging,
and their fill, made possible with the enhanced velocity particularly in the deeper section. CGG therefore plans to
model. Figure 2 is a vertical seismic section, colour-blended acquire a new basin-wide 3D survey with modern broadband
with the new velocity model, which intersects the Marlin to produce high-resolution reservoir imaging – and provide
Channel overlying the Marlin field. The channel system, coverage of the deeper but highly-prospective eastern
which ranges from 5 to 30 km in width, 75 km in length and canyon area.
700m in depth, developed during a period of tectonic uplift The success of the high-end reprocessing proves that
and associated sea-level fall in the mid-Eocene. The high- even in basins that are considered mature, new ideas and
velocity zone, at the base of the channel succession, is likely processing technology can change long-held perceptions,
due to the presence of lithified fine-grained micrite. and rejuvenate exploration activities.
Figure 3 shows a vertical seismic section with a prominent Images courtesy of CGG Multi-Client & New Ventures.
canyon projected onto a time-slice from the velocity volume. References available online.
The areal extent of the high-velocity zone at the base of
Figure 3. Time slice – new velocity model.
the channel succession is clearly defined and highlights
the complexity of the geology and associated depth
imaging issues.
Another key exploration challenge is the effective
imaging of fluid contacts, which has long been
problematic within the Gippsland Basin. Preliminary
analysis of the current dataset shows that imaging of
fluid contacts over a number of fields is significantly
enhanced, demonstrating the opportunity for future
AVO and inversion studies.
Exploration opportunities identified from the
reprocessing include the Top Latrobe, Intra-Latrobe,
and Golden Beach and Emperor gas fields. There
are very few shallow-water, Top Latrobe undrilled
CGG
structures in the current dataset. However, large
24 GEOExPro February 2019

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URTec.org/2019
GEO Education
Creating At G-Camp teachers learn about

geology through a very diverse
and eye-opening field experience,
Excitement returning to their classrooms eager to

share their new-found knowledge
and inspire their students.
in the Geosciences THOMAS SMITH
While taking 36 teachers out in the field each year to study learning and what they were taking back to their schools from
geology may seem inconsequential in the overall scheme the experience.
of educating our young people in the sciences, it clearly
demonstrates the need and demand for such programmes. Getting Students Excited About Science
Since its inception ten years ago, the founders of G-Camp The US government projects STEM jobs to greatly increase
now receive twenty times the applications that they can in the future, yet not enough students have access to
fill. Dr. Rick Giardino, professor in the Department of quality STEM learning and too few of them see these
Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M disciplines as springboards for
University at College Station, Texas, their careers. These factors have
“My classes wouldn’t be as rich or as
helped start G-Camp. It has become led to a great shortage of students
interesting if I hadn’t attended G-Camp.”
internationally recognised, with the pursuing STEM fields and this
Kayla Jubert, Colorado, 2018 G-Camp.
future of this and similar programmes shortfall is being felt by companies
gaining strength to educate more that depend on people educated in
teachers and students in STEM subjects: science, technology, the sciences. These facts caused President Obama and his
engineering and mathematics (STEM). administration to set a clear priority for STEM education,
In June 2018 I was lucky enough to be invited to spend stating in March of 2015: “[Science] is more than a school
several days at G-Camp, discovering what the students were subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves.
The teachers selected for the G-Camp field course experience spectacular geological
locations, such as the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, and learn from
Thomas Smith
local experts like Supervisory Park Ranger, Paul Zaenger.

Thomas Smith
Rick has help along the way from local experts at specific locations and from the G-Camp staff. From left to right: Carolyn Schroeder, Nina Lawson, Fran
Giardino, Rick Giardino, Kevin Gamache, Rita Gamache, and Merlin Lawson.
It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand very short time to get something started before the summer
and explore and engage with the world, and then have the field season in Colorado and New Mexico. I put a request
capacity to change that world…” for interested teachers, along with
At a time when the Texas state programme details, on the internet in
government was trying different ways “What was exciting is that as the days late April, 2008. By the time I checked
to attract more teachers into science unfolded, there was so much I knew that I the website later that week we had
programmes, Carlos Dengo of Exxon, could take back to my students. This was over 300 applicants.
one of Rick’s Texas A&M graduates, was an experience I would be able to share “The first eight years we took only
also noticing that many students lacked that would encourage, motivate, and Texas educators,” he adds. “In 2016,
science backgrounds. Consequently, Mr. empower my students to delve into the we opened it up to ten people from
Dengo offered Rick a proposal for an science content.” outside the state and now it is open
Exxon sponsorship to create a geological Ms. Kimberly Renick, New Jersey, to the entire country; this year we
field programme for teachers. 2018 G-Camp. had twenty from other states. The
“I went right to work to put a geology programme has been sustained by
field programme together that was designed for educators numerous industry sponsors, with Aramco the primary
with little to no science background,” says Rick. “I had a sponsor for the last two years.
Dr. Rick Giardino pointing

Thomas Smith
out features in the western

Colorado foothills of the
Rocky Mountains. “Each
year we tour locations in
Texas, New Mexico, and
Colorado,” he explains. “The
three-week trip can include
Capulin Volcano, Great
Sand Dunes, Black Canyon
of the Gunnison, Carlsbad
Caverns, various rivers, and
the glacial valleys high in the
Colorado Rockies. We keep
the teachers busy with 12-
hour days in an exhausting
but exhilarating whirlwind
of learning. They keep a daily
field book and develop lesson
plans each night. Post-trip,
they present their knowledge
and experiences to other
teachers within their districts
and at state and national
meetings.”

GEO Education
The Field Experience
Thomas Smith
1 2 3
Colorado National Monument: (1) View of Sentinel Spire and canyons; (2) Students are taught to observe; 3) Local Colorado teacher Kayla Jubert
interviewed by Grand Junction TV.
Thomas Smith
1 2 3
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: (1) Inspiring views; (2) More inspiring views; (3) Teachers feeling the moment at Dragon Point.
Thomas Smith
1 2
Colorado Rockies: (1) Home base in Colorado, the mining town of Ouray; (2) Teachers panning for precious metal at the Old 100 mine.
“The value of getting involved at the grassroots level and their potential career choices.”
and the positive impact our sponsorship brings to teachers Moore says an experience like G-Camp gets educators
and students is rewarding,” says Jack Moore, Director, out of the classroom and into the field to see, touch, and
Washington, D.C. office, Aramco Services Company. experience the subject matter first hand.
“Through the years, we’ve supported hundreds of educators
(teachers and career counsellors) and, in turn, made a Why Fund Science Education?
difference to thousands of students’ knowledge of geology Recent polls of US consumers show that a majority believe

that the oil and gas industry is very important to our educators and how they view the earth. Having worked as a
economy, but few want oil and gas companies in their field and petroleum geologist, I know the importance that
communities. Fewer than 40% trust first-hand field observations play in
the industry to do the ‘right thing’ “G-Camp doesn’t just tell you stories; becoming knowledgeable and proficient
(EV polling, 2017). A majority of teens G-Camp gives you stories to tell. in this science. Dr. Giardino and his
believe the industry is bad for society When education is all about personal assistants’ approach in teaching some
but would be “more likely to engage relationships with students, having a of the many aspects of geology to a very
with oil and gas companies if they personal connection to the content helps diverse group was illuminating and
thought the industry was interested engage your learners.” gave me a great deal of respect for our
in their views” according to the EV educational system and the people that
David Downing, former student of G-Camp.
polling. make it happen. It is these educators
So where do programmes like passing along their knowledge and
G-Camp fit into the overall goals of oil and gas companies? enthusiasm for the sciences that will make a difference, one
According to Alma Kombargi, Director, Strategic Relations, student at a time.
Aramco Services Company: “The energy industry benefits Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Aramco Services Company
are many. A programme like this supports a new generation and Rick and Fran Giardino for making my trip and this article
of talent excited and interested in pursuing a career in the possible.
energy industry. Students learn that
G-Camp group photo at Tent Rocks in the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in north-
there is a wide range of geoscience
central New Mexico. The tapering hoodoos were formed from a combination of pyroclastic flows,
careers and applications – such as tuffs, and ash fall reworked by water.
geologists, geophysicists, or petroleum
engineers. It widens their horizons and
they begin to consider the possibilities.”
She says G-Camp is an outgrowth of
the company’s broader commitment to
STEM education.
Timothy Diggs, Senior Geological
Consultant, Upstream, Aramco
Services Company, has an even more
‘down to earth’ perspective as to the
importance of G-Camp. “I think it’s
instructive for people to understand
the types of work geoscientists conduct
in the field. How modern depositional
environments like beaches or deltas
inform our interpretation of ancient
deposits, and how surface geology is
related to subsurface structures, is of
particular importance in the energy
industry. The G-Camp field trip leaders
provided an excellent series of locales
that exposed the participants to a wide
variety of geological settings, including
those with direct connections as to how
oil and gas reservoirs are formed.”
While programmes like G-Camp may
not change America’s overall perspective
of the oil and gas industry, the 2018
programme changed the lives of the 36
“Being in college and hearing lectures

about this information taught me the
basics, but getting a hands-on experience
from G-Camp and our amazing teachers
was the greatest learning experience.”
Rick Giardino
Madalyn Culpepper, Louisiana, 2018

G-Camp.

History of Oil
Mr Five Per Cent

Calouste Gulbenkian JONATHAN CONLIN
Intensely secretive, for more than half a century Gulbenkian personally controlled five
per cent of Middle East oil production and shaped the firms we know as Shell and Total.
TPC had been established by the Anglo- map of the Middle East, took a thick red
Armenian Calouste Gulbenkian back pencil and slowly drew a red line round
Foundation
Gulbenkian
© Calouste
in 1912. Two years later the British the central area. “That was the Ottoman
Foreign Office and the Grand Empire which I knew in 1914,” he said.
Vizier in Istanbul had given “And I ought to know. I was born in
their blessing: rival powers it, lived in it and served it. If anybody
were to cooperate not only knows better, carry on…”’
in the oil-rich Ottoman Gulbenkian’s TPC partners
provinces of Mosul inspected the map, and it was good.
and Baghdad, but in Hewins continues: ‘Gulbenkian had
the entire ‘Ottoman built a framework for Middle East
Empire in Asia’. For oil development which lasted until
Gulbenkian, who 1948: another fantastic one-man feat,
held 5% of TPC, it unsurpassed in international big
was a promising business.’
start. In his lifetime Gulbenkian studiously
By 1928, avoided the press, to the extent that
however, the today those who recognise the name
‘Ottoman Empire often confuse the secretive Calouste
in Asia’ was a with his publicity-seeking son Nubar.
distant memory. Londoners in particular fondly recall
The Great War Nubar’s chauffeur-driven taxicab. Many
broke out just a contemporaries and some historians
few months after have equated Gulbenkian’s secretiveness
TPC secured its with duplicity, rather than modesty. It is
concession. Allied common to find Gulbenkian referred to
to Germany, in the as ‘a shadowy Armenian manipulator’,
wake of defeat the a ‘detested’ figure whose influence,
Ottoman Empire had we are told, derived ‘from the liberal
collapsed, triggering a wave dispensation of bribes’.
of genocidal violence which
killed a million of Gulbenkian’s A Great Buccaneer of Oil
fellow Armenians. A patchwork Others have been kinder. In his
of mandates and protectorates was Pulitzer-winning history of the
Calouste Gulbenkian in 1914. developing into the new nation-states oil industry Daniel Yergin places
we know today as Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Gulbenkian on a par with Rockefeller,
Drawing the Line Arabia. When it came to defining the Getty and Mattei, as ‘one of the great
Every map has its legend. The map ‘Ottoman Empire in Asia’ as it had been buccaneer-creators of oil’. But if
attached to the Red Line Agreement in 1914, therefore, the oilmen meeting Calouste Gulbenkian is known today, it
of 31 July 1928 is no exception. This in Ostend in Belgium that day in 1928 is as the man who drew the red line. The
agreement saw the companies we know were in something of a fix. 1928 Red Line Agreement embodied
as BP, ExxonMobil, Total and Royal According to Ralph Hewins’s 1957 Gulbenkian’s personal claim to 5% of
Dutch-Shell join forces in the Middle biography, all was confusion until TPC’s oil, a claim which he later vested
East. Instead of fighting each other for Calouste Gulbenkian intervened: in a company, Partex, which continues
control of the region’s oil, they would ‘When the conference looked like to this day.
collaborate in a joint venture: the foundering, he again produced one of Yet on closer inspection the legend
Turkish Petroleum Company (TPC). his brainwaves. He called for a large falls apart. Although the map was

in 1955 the world oil industry was no
© Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

longer an American monopoly, but an
international cartel. Though the oil
industry no longer resembles Antony
Sampson’s “Seven Sisters”, the structure
of multinational production, integration
and partnerships remains the same. The
web woven by Gulbenkian is with us still.
Crooks and Corners

In the 1920s the line which most
exercised Gulbenkian was that
separating Turkey from the new state
of Iraq. Despite being ‘Turkish’, TPC’s
relations with the Turks were poor. The
British-mandatory regime in Iraq was
more likely to confirm the company’s
pre-war rights to Mosul’s oil. For TPC,
therefore, it was crucial that Mosul’s
oilfields ended up on the Iraqi side of
any Turkish-Iraqi border. Unfortunately,
the 1923 Lausanne Conference had
failed to settle the border question,
referring it to the League of Nations.
In June 1925 Gulbenkian proposed to
get the League’s maps drawn so that the
Mosul oilfields were on the ‘right’ (Iraqi)
side of the border. He happened to know
The original Red Line Agreement map.
the cartographer assigned to the survey
certainly left until the final phase of it, Gulbenkian was ‘the world’s first oil party, a fellow Armenian named Zatik
the negotiations that culminated at fixer, broker and deal-maker’. Khanzadian and, as he explained in a
Ostend, Gulbenkian showed little The spider at the centre of the letter to his TPC partners:
interest in it. In fact, he was not even at emerging international oil and banking ‘Khanzadian knows all the crooks
Ostend on that fateful day. The others industry, Gulbenkian held empires and [sic] and corners of the place, and
round this table were powerful empires multinationals to ransom for more than as the other members [of the border
and multinational companies, staffed fifty years. He would not have come to commission] are not cartographers,
by hundreds of employees, backed by wield such power, however, had he not it remains for him to make up the
armies of soldiers and sailors, as well been an exceptionally skilled negotiator map according to certain instructions
as taxpayers and shareholders. They and financial architect. Oilmen from regarding topographical positions; I am
were hardly going to let Gulbenkian, California to the Caucasus sought him
an individual with no company or state out for his skill in raising capital on the Gulbenkian at the age of 20.
behind him, scrawl red lines over their stock markets of New York, London © Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
maps. and Paris. He played an important,

Gulbenkian had fought hard to if previously unacknowledged, role
get his quarrelsome British, French helping both Royal Dutch-Shell and
and American partners to agree to Total establish themselves as oil majors
cohabitate in his ‘house’ (as he called – notably as Svengali to Shell’s Henri
TPC), and successfully defeated Deterding.
repeated attempts to defenestrate him. Gulbenkian’s deals introduced
But he was not particularly bothered American oil companies to the Middle
about the course of the red line itself. East, and brought Royal Dutch-Shell
Nor was it his style to make pretty to America – as well as to Mexico,
speeches. He worked as a back-room Venezuela and Russia. The embryonic
fixer, an intermediary between the oil industry Gulbenkian found at the
worlds of business, diplomacy and high start of his career in 1900 was one
finance, a figure very different – and dominated by a single oil producer
more interesting – than the Gulbenkian and a single company: the United
of legend. As Al Jazeera recently put States and Standard Oil. At his death

History of Oil
as true of Sultan
Abdülhamid II in
1900 as it was of the
Shah of Iran and
Ibn Saud of Saudi
Arabia four decades
later. Gulbenkian
was a diplomat in
the service of both
the Ottoman and
Persian empires.
Even Stalin sought
Gulbenkian’s advice,
rewarding him with
Rembrandts from the
famous Hermitage
Museum. No other
business figure in

Rembrandt’s ‘Pallas Athena’ was sold to the history of the
Gulbenkian by Stalin. It is now owned by the
Gulbenkian Foundation. oil industry wielded
such influence, over
given to understand that he can turn such a scale, for so
this as he likes, and so Khanzadian long.
desires to get into personal and Gulbenkian’s story
confidential touch with me, relying on is timely. Whether
my position and name to keep the whole we look back to the The roof terrace of Gulbenkian’s Paris palace.
thing [secret]. He is desirous of knowing First World War
which are the points that our company and secret agreements like Sykes-Picot equally international in ambition.
would like to remain on the side of Iraq.’ a century ago, or whether we consider This freewheeling, cosmopolitan
Why bother with conventions, the ongoing struggle for control of Iraq spirit reflected the pre-1914 world of
protocols and treaties when or current debates about capitalism, unrestricted international exchange of
international borders could be fixed politics and identity, Gulbenkian is capital, technology and people. Such
your way, for just £2,000 (£100,000 in hiding in plain sight, challenging us globalisation subsequently went into
today’s values)? Others might go to the to pin down the source of his fabulous retreat, until the 1980s. Now the tide is
starting line. Gulbenkian went straight wealth and influence. How did a man going out again: free enterprise and free
to the finish. who knew nothing of geology and who movement are under assault from right
never visited Iraq, Saudi Arabia or any and left. Trade disputes are trumped up.
Nowhere Man of the Gulf states lay claim to 5% of Sinister ‘citizens of nowhere’ are made
Born in Constantinople in 1869, Middle East oil production? Once he up. And the cheers and the votes role in.
Gulbenkian came of age in the Ottoman secured this stake, how did he manage Surely Gulbenkian, the ultimate ‘citizen
Empire, only to see this familiar world to hold on to it, and so become the of nowhere’, has something important
tear itself apart. He was not the only richest man on earth? How did a shy to tell us at this moment in history.
Ottoman Armenian to find refuge recluse bridge divides of East and West
in the West, but he was the only which seem insurmountable today?
one to make it big in this unfamiliar Gulbenkian built a fabulous palace If you want
world. Far from holding him back, the in Paris which he filled with treasures, to learn more
destruction of his homeland and a loner not only paintings from the Hermitage, about Calouste
personality became keys to his success: but Greek coins, Egyptian antiquities, Gulbenkian,
as a secretive man without loyalties Persian carpets, Iznik faience and Jonathan’s
to any one empire, state or company, Japanese netsuke. Today his collections new biography
Gulbenkian could present himself as the are housed in Lisbon, next to the reveals the
ultimate honest broker. headquarters of the foundation which man behind
For ‘westerners’ he was a trusted bears his name and which remains one the myths.
source of intelligence on the Middle of the wealthiest foundations in the Called Mr. Five
East. For ‘easterners’ he was someone world. Yet the great collector himself Per Cent: The Many
to turn to in order to find out what never slept in his palace. He lived in Lives of Calouste Gulbenkian, the
the Great Powers and their mighty hotels. He held four different passports book was published in January 2019
oil companies were up to. This was and intended his foundation to be by Profile Books.

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GEO Education
Field Trips in a Bringing world-class

field locations into
Virtual World the classroom.

CAROL HOPKINS, PetroEDGE
‘The best geologist is the one who has seen the most rocks’ is chosen as a pilot location. They are well visited by field groups,
a mantra often repeated to student geoscientists. Sadly, not and of particular interest to oil and gas geoscientists as they
everyone has the opportunity to undertake field trips, and are comprise the Lower Triassic Ormskirk Sandstone Formation
therefore not benefitting from the learning opportunities and of the Sherwood Sandstone Group, which is producing oil and
skills development gained from conducting measurements gas from fields 25 km away in the East Irish Sea Basin.
and observations in the field environment. The VR field trips are intended to create an immersive and
realistic environment designed to encourage exploration.
The Rationale Users are supplied with a virtual field guide, accessible at all
PetroEDGE provides technical training to the oil and gas times, and have access to various tools to make appropriate
industry through taught courses, workshops and field trips, measurements. Guidance at the start of the field trip
but recently there has been a significant decrease in the encourages the user to make the same observations they
number of requests for field trips, primarily due to a reduction would in the field and to develop their fieldwork skills.
in training budgets. Since virtual reality (VR) modules Areas of particular interest have ‘hotspots’ providing
focusing on facilities and equipment were already available, more detail when selected, such as core or log images,
it was decided to extend this to VR geological field trips, photomicrographs, depositional models, illustrations of
Carol Hopkins
presented in a style consistent with physical field trips. sedimentary structures, or annotation of the outcrop. The
The Hilbre Islands off the north-west coast of England were range of information that can be displayed in the hotspots
is vast, and can include video footage, seismic imagery,
animations and 3D models.
A photograph of part of the outcrop at Little Hilbre.

PetroEDGE
A screen shot of the start of the field trip. The annotation (right of the picture) and voice-over
encourage users to make observations from a distance before moving closer and exploring freely. The
blue spheres are the hotspots that reveal further information or data when selected. The white line is a
1 metre measure for scale, augmented by a linear measuring tool. A video flypast is also available.
ENVOI specialises in upstream

The Challenges acquisition and divestment (A&D),
There are numerous VR field trips available, with different strengths and project marketing and portfolio advice
disadvantages. Many exploit the freedom, scale and accessibility that drone image for the international oil and gas industry.
capture can provide; this has certainly excited me as, having spent years assuring
field trip attendees of the features that can be seen at the top of outcrops, we can
finally fly up and see for ourselves.
Our initial photogrammetric models did not provide high enough resolution
when converted into VR, primarily because drones are unable to fly too near to
outcrops and acquire close-up imagery. Many VR field trips have a resolution
equal to 3 cm per pixel or lower, but to illustrate meaningful sedimentological
features higher resolution is needed, and our aim was to resolve to coarse-grain
size. Many months of experimentation with a combination of different methods
ACTIVE PROJECTS
of image capture and processing techniques achieved the required results,
but also highlighted technical problems that would be encountered at future CENTRAL ASIA
localities. (Onshore production/exploration)
For example, the presence of deep shadows confuses the processing software as COLOMBIA
it relies on an algorithm that identifies similarities in adjacent areas. Occasional (Onshore exploration)
shadowed areas can be processed manually, but that process is time consuming
and is best avoided whenever possible. Virtual field trips to carbonate outcrops in GABON
the Middle East are planned, but filming when the sun is high in bright conditions (Offshore exploration)
will produce numerous areas of deep shade contrasting with brightly lit areas, GHANA
creating extensive processing problems. (Offshore exploration)
On a conventional field trip, it is possible to move behind foliage and boulders
KAZAKHSTAN
to access the outcrop, but these can obstruct drone image capture, so can limit the
(Onshore appraisal/development)
selection of locations. Also, some of the filming requires access to the outcrops on
foot and cannot rely on flying drones into less accessible areas if high-resolution NAMIBIA
imagery is required. (Offshore exploration)
Lengthy filming and processing of large outcrops can be overcome by using a SOUTH AFRICA
combination of VR with embedded fly-past and 360-degree videos. As the user is (Offshore exploration)
provided with a geographical map, different sections of more extensive outcrops
can be imaged and the user is transported to each area when selected on the map. UK: EAST MIDLANDS
Integration with Other Training Methods UK: NORTH SEA
VR field trips cannot replicate all the skills transfer and learning opportunities (Offshore exploration)
provided by physical field trips, but we all need to be pragmatic in a changed
UKRAINE
financial landscape. Conventional field trips are costly in terms of travel,
accommodation, downtime and logistics, so it is better to be able to experience
many of the benefits of a field trip, albeit virtually, than to never experience them
at all. The skills required to make appropriate observations and conclusions
can still be taught, and serve as a reminder that the various data we are using
elsewhere relates to real rocks and that interpretations should comply with our VISIT WWW.ENVOI.CO.UK
understanding of geological processes. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Using VR field trips to illustrate various aspects of training courses can be

GEO Education
more incidental, allowing trainees

to experience field trips as part of
classroom courses or workshops, where
travel to each locality is impractical or
costly. VR modules can be tailored to
include information pertinent to the
course, or be integrated with other
learning resources. However, it is vital
that the VR field trips are valuable in
their own right, and not just a new
technology to play with. Unnecessary
graphics and sound effects have been
PetroEDGE
eliminated to help the user forget they
are in VR and focus on the geology.
Flexibility A screen shot of the paint palette, interactive map and tool selection palette, all attached to the
handsets. The user’s location and field of view are displayed on the map, along with a tab to move to
The information in the hotspots and
another locality (Little Hilbre).
field guides can easily be tailored to
different audiences, including non-geoscientists, engineers, into VR ensures access for future students and field trippers,
administrative staff and geophysicists. Many of these groups and provides consistency for any teaching modules that utilise
might not normally attend conventional field trips, but do attend these localities.
classroom courses that can be enriched by examining real rocks.
The field trip leader can be in the classroom with attendees, Inclusivity
or can join them remotely, guiding the trainees in the same When planning a physical field trip, it can be difficult to
way as on a physical field trip. However, the VR field trips are include access to a number of good outcrops that tell a
designed as stand-alone modules that can also be accessed coherent story, while restricting the amount of travelling
by an individual without any need for a leader or instructor. between localities. With VR field trips, a wide range of
Undertaking a particular module can be used as a refresher geographical locations can be combined to provide a
for staff, to acquaint themselves with a new environment comprehensive understanding, or for comparison of different
of deposition, or as part of their personal development localities.
programme. VR field trips may also be used to equip students The cost of creating VR field trips is mitigated by the
with field skills or to familiarise them with the locations prior unlimited number of users able to access each trip, the
to a real field trip. This serves to build their confidence and absence of travel and logistical costs, and the variety of roles
maximise their time in the field. They can be reviewed many the VR field trips can fulfil.
times and help to refresh understanding, or provide easy It must be stressed that VR field trips are not intended to
comparison between different localities. replace physical field trips, but do provide additional features,
There is also interest from various organisations anxious such as aerial and panoramic views, and the ability to overlay
to preserve educational outcrops that are threatened by data, interpretation and models onto the outcrop. They also
weathering, quarrying or development. Putting these outcrops provide inclusive access to less mobile users, or those unable
to travel. Inclusivity also extends
A screenshot of the opened field guide and a hotspot. The image in the hotspot is one of several
to non-geoscientists, junior staff
photomicrographs of thin sections prepared from samples collected for the project.
and others who may not normally
get an opportunity to visit the field.
PetroEDGE
Remote localities, outcrops with

restricted accessibility or ones
that present particular health and
safety risks can still be experienced,
providing the filming team can
overcome these issues safely.
However, virtual reality field
trips should not just be considered
a cost-effective, risk-free alternative
to real field work. They offer unique
opportunities to incorporate
activities and features unavailable
in the field, and deliver a more
integrated and flexible learning
resource.

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Technology Explained
The
Pre-Drill How sharp are the technologies in the
hydrocarbon pre-drill prediction toolbox?
Prediction Toolbox KIM GUNN MAVER

KGM Geoconsulting
ACTIVE DATA ACQUISITION PASSIVE DATA ACQUISITION
Satellite SAR   Geochemical analysis

Airborne hyperspectral   Microbial analysis
& laser fluorosensor  Biochemical & geobotanical
Surface
Echosounder and  analysis
sidescan sonar  Marine towable
hydrocarbon profiling
systems
Overburden
Induced polarisation 
 Micromagnetics
microseepage
Reflection seismic 
CSEM   Microtremor
Reservoir
Seismic reflection to   Magnetics
CSEM and vice versa  Gravity
Refraction seismic   MT
Figure 1: Technology overview of data acquisition across the reservoir, in the overburden or at the surface (ground, seabed, water column, or air).
A number of hydrocarbon exploration shown that for 1,163 wells from 2012 to of the constraints and limitations
processes have been developed to 2017, the pre-drill technical success rate in utilising the available data and
ensure consistency and avoid personal (assumed to correspond to GCOS) is, as technologies.
biases when attempting to correctly expected, 22 percentage points higher
rank prospects and make appropriate than the commercial success rate, Technology Overview
drill or drop decisions. One such with the actual proven hydrocarbon The technologies shown in Figure 1
process is the calculation of Geological volumes only marginally larger than can all provide data input to the GCOS
Chance of Success (GCOS), which is the predicted volumes (Kunjan, 2018). calculation, but there are significant
a systematic approach to managing Richmond Energy Partners have shown differences between them in acquisition
prospect risking by multiplying that the pre-drill prognosed commercial approach, validity of the data and their
fractions representing the likelihood chance of success versus the actual possible impact on the determination of
of each of the parameters: structure, commercial success rates of a couple of each of the four GCOS parameters.
reservoir, retention, and charge. hundred wells drilled worldwide by 40 Data can be acquired passively by
Each GCOS parameter is well oil companies between 2009 and 2013 measuring signals emitted by the earth
described, and the explorationist’s were within the limits of expectations or actively by emitting signals and
input and assessment is based on past (Kunjan, 2016). recording the earth’s corresponding
drilling experience, analogue field However, no overview exists of the responses (Figure 1). It can relate directly
studies, well cores and outcrops. In technologies available when gathering to the reservoir and hydrocarbons
addition, acquired data from different information to assign fractions to through an in-situ measurement from
technologies can be used to describe each of the four GCOS parameters. the surface, resulting in very valuable
an undrilled prospect in order to assess This article provides such an overview, information, but this requires various
reservoir properties and hydrocarbon offering a track record for the majority degrees of processing and interpretation
presence. This is in general a reliable of the technologies as statistical to convert the results to an actual
process. Westwood Energy Group has probabilities and with a description prediction of reservoir properties and

presence of hydrocarbons. Average true
The other technologies measure the Location Technology +ve statistical
result of microseepage, and in some probabilities
cases macroseepage, of hydrocarbons Reflection seismic DHI 75%
from the reservoir to the surface. Reflection seismic low frequencies 69%
Through measuring either the mineral CSEM 77%
alterations due to hydrocarbons in MT (passive EM) 50%
the reservoir overburden or traces Reservoir Microtremor (seismic background wave signals) 88%
of hydrocarbons at the surface or Reflection seismic to CSEM and vice versa Not available
various surface changes due to the Magnetics Not available
presence of hydrocarbons, the result Gravity Not available
of the microseepage can be mapped Refraction seismic Not available
(Table 1). It is well documented that Induced polarisation (pyrite mineral) 83%
mature source rocks and most oil and Overburden
Micromagnetics (magnetic greigate mineral) 75%
gas accumulations leak hydrocarbons,
Geochemical analysis 93%
that this microseepage is widespread in
Microbial analysis 84%
all hydrocarbon basins, predominantly
Biochemical & geobotanical analysis 82%
vertical, and that it is dynamic. As Surface
(water column, air, Airborne hyperspectral & laser fluorosensor Not available
the seepage expression can be some ground, seabed)
Marine towable hydrocarbon profiling systems Not available
distance from the hydrocarbon
Single & multi-beam echosounder & sidescan sonar Not available
reservoir, the resulting data needs to
be carefully managed when used in the Satellite SAR 77%
GCOS calculation. Table 1: Technology overview with a description of the methods and statistical probabilities.
As not necessarily all hydrocarbon
reservoirs exhibit microseepage Direct reservoir measurements using important technology, along with
(although most do), there will be active acquisition provide quantifiable Magnetic Telluric (MT) data, in cases
instances where a lack of overburden information about the structure size, where reflection seismic struggles or
or surface expression of hydrocarbons reservoir properties, presence of and fails to image, for example in sub-salt
is not necessarily proof that there is hydrocarbon volume in place (Table 2: and sub-basalt regions.
no deeper hydrocarbon accumulation. Group A). This is the reason for Direct Through a direct reservoir
Hence, a false negative hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon Indicators (DHIs) seen or hydrocarbon measurement,
prediction is a possible risk. on reflection seismic data being the technologies in Group B (Table 2) can
Two technologies provide technology of choice by oil companies. provide qualifiable information about
quantifiable data, including reservoir It also explains the current interest in hydrocarbon charge, and potentially
properties, saturation, gross volume Controlled Source ElectroMagnetic some information in relation to
etc. (Table 2: Group A), whereas the (CSEM) data, as that is the only other structure, but only as approximate
remaining technologies mainly provide technology providing quantifiable geographical outlines. Geochemical
qualifiable information about the data. CSEM is also better at predicting analysis relating directly to reservoir
reservoir properties and presence of retention of hydrocarbons than hydrocarbons is a very powerful
hydrocarbons (Table 2: Group B and C). reflection seismic DHIs (Hesthammer indicator of a working hydrocarbon
Publicly available statistics based on et al., 2010). CSEM data is also an system, even though it is measured at a
utilising technologies for prediction of
Table 2: Review of the data measurement type for each technology.
reservoir properties and hydrocarbon
presence are limited, considering the Data
Quantifiable data Qualifiable data
origin/value
annual investment in drilling wells to
explore for hydrocarbons. However, for GROUP A GROUP B
Reflection seismic DHI Geochemical analysis
two-thirds of the technologies some CSEM Microtremor
Direct
true positive statistical probabilities reservoir/ Reflection seismic low frequencies
MT
from historical track records are hydrocarbon
Magnetics
measurement
available (Maver, 2019). Gravity
Refraction seismic
Seismic reflection to CSEM and vice versa
Calculating Geological
GROUP D GROUP C
Chance of Success N/A Micromagnetics
The acquired data can be used as Indirect Induced polarisation
Satellite SAR
support to assign fractions to the four reservoir/
Microbial analysis
hydrocarbon
GCOS parameters, remembering measurement
Biochemical & geobotanical analysis
Single & multi-beam echosounder & sidescan sonar
that GCOS = Structure x Reservoir x Airborne hyperspectral & laser fluorosensor
Retention x Charge. Marine towable hydrocarbon profiling systems

Retention fractions in the GCOS calculation, as

Measurement
past performance is not directly related
Satellite SAR, Echosounder & Sonar, Airborne Laser, Marine Profiling System
location to future predictions and the statistical
Geochemcial, Microbial, Biochemical & Geobotanical Analysis
Reservoir
probabilities are not necessarily
Induced Polarisation, Micromagnetics geologically representative (Peel and
Overburden Brooks, 2016). In general, it is the
Magnetics, Gravity, Refraction Seismic Surface successfully datasets and case studies
Reflection Seismic to CSEM that are published (Abrams, 1996).
Low Frequency, Microtremor Finally the data population size for some
MT of the technologies is not statistically
Reservoir
Structure
CSEM significant.
DHI
Use New Information Carefully
By integrating data from technologies
and doing technical work, value and
certainty will not be added to the
prospect portfolio by improving GCOS.
New information will add value to
the exploration cycle, but not by an
expectation of improving the prospect
risk. New information may result in
© MGM an increase or a decrease of GCOS,
but the expected result (the average of
Charge all possible outcomes) is zero change.
Furthermore as GCOS is typically below
Full colour: Strong predictor Dotted colour: Weak predictor 0.5 it is likely that new information will
Figure 2: Technologies (full names in Table 1) that can provide input to the assessment of structure,
actually downgrade more prospects
reservoir, retention and charge. Full colour indicates a significant data impact, whereas a hatched than are upgraded (Peel and Brooks,
colour indicates a weaker and more general data input. This is based on a subjective subdivision. 2015). The main added value is from
identifying prospects not to drill,
distance from the reservoir. widely applied in the industry; there thereby saving the cost of likely dry
The technologies in the final group are only limited case studies, and no holes, and by choosing which wells
(C) in Table 2 do not provide data documented track record is available. to drill first, optimising the revenue
directly but instead provide indirect In summary detailed quantifiable stream from a successful well campaign.
information qualifying the presence structure and reservoir information are When including new data in the
of charge, and in some cases the only provided by reflection seismic DHIs GCOS calculation, therefore, it is
approximate geographical outline of and partly by CSEM, while some other important to understand whether
structure. For example, micromagnetics technologies can provide additional the new data is complementary to,
and induced polarisation are information about structure. CSEM independent of and does not replace the
technologies related to vertical is the technology providing the most original information, or whether the
hydrocarbon seepage from the reservoir significant input relating to retention. new information updates and replaces
forming either greigate or pyrite The parameter that is best determined an older piece of information (Peel and
minerals in the shallow overburden. The is charge but with variable data validity. Brooks, 2015). Furthermore, to update
magnetic mineral greigate only exists Charge information is very valuable, with new information a simple Bayesian
in a live seepage system and hence is as the majority of wells are dry, but the risking formulation can be utilised
a powerful charge indicator, whereas prediction of charge may also be a result to help understand its impact on the
pyrite may relate to either a live or of breached trap integrity, increasing the GCOS calculation.
relic seepage system and can therefore retention risk (Schumacher, 2010). A range of technologies are available
result in a false positive hydrocarbon Table 1 provides an overview of to provide input data to the four
prediction. Microbial analysis, the technologies where statistical parameters in the GCOS , but the
biochemical and geobotanical analysis probabilities derived from a historical decision about which technologies to
are cost-effective technologies to track record are available and can utilise will depend on a combination
indirectly detect the presence of seeping provide input to the GCOS calculation. of cost-benefit analysis, to what
hydrocarbons by surface sampling All the technologies have high average extent there is microseepage from the
and with satellite Synthetic Aperture statistical probabilities, with some range reservoir, and the specific information
Radar (SAR), in order to provide of outcomes for each technology (Maver, required to calculate a more reliable
qualified charge input. The remaining 2019). These statistical probabilities can GCOS.
technologies in Group C have not been only be used as support in assigning References available online.

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Offshore Somalia:
Offshore Somalia remains one of the last truly frontier passive margins in the
world, with only two exploration wells offshore along the 1,000 km-long margin.
In frontier basins such as this, the first step is to identify potential source rocks by
The Chase Is On!

integrating multiple datasets such as gravity and magnetic data, all available and
relevant well information, satellite imagery and regional knowledge, coupled with
seismic interpretation.
Figure 1: Spectrum
190 km-long Spectrum PSDM seismic section with

In 2015 Spectrum acquired approximately 20,000 km of long-offset 2D seismic data 2D datasets offshore
Somalia.
brown tones highlighting the main pre-rift, syn-rift offshore Somalia (Figure 1), which has been used to de-risk source rock presence,
and early post-rfit inferred source rock intervals. Figure 2: A Late Jurassic plate
distribution and maturity. There are strong indications of widespread distribution tectonic reconstruction,
corresponding to the late syn-rift
of good quality source rocks that modelling has shown to be in the oil window, to early post-rift stages.
potentially charging significant traps, making this a very attractive margin offering
Carbonate platform
nearshore –
outstanding exploration opportunities in the 1st Licensing Round, launched in
Meregh 1 well February 2019.
Deep marine sapropels (dark coloured sediments,

rich in organic matter, thought to develop in
episodes of reduced oxygen availability in bottom
waters, such as during oceanic anoxic events)
proposed outboard.
42 GEOExPro March 2019 GEOExPro March 2019 44

The Illusive Oil-Prone Gem
The opening of the chase for oil in Somalia’s offshore.
KARYNA RODRIGUEZ, NEIL HODGSON and DAVID EASTWELL, Spectrum Geo;
ABDULKADIR ABIIKAR HUSSEIN, MOPMR, Federal Government of Somalia.
Offshore Somalia remains one of the last truly frontier reconstruction of the margin was undertaken in order
passive margins in the world. Only two exploration to develop an understanding of depositional and
wells have been drilled offshore along the 1,000 km-long stratigraphic basin evolution. This involved identifying
margin, and both are in the shallow nearshore area in time periods and environments where source rock
less than 100m water depth. In frontier basins such as may have been deposited and preserved. The picking
this one, the first essential step is to de-risk the presence of ‘candidate’ source rocks on seismic data, driven by
and effectiveness (total organic carbon percentage the basin evolution model, was guided in part by the
(TOC%) and maturity) of a viable source. Identifying observation that high TOC% oil-prone shale sources
potential source rocks with very limited well calibration typically exhibit a low-frequency, low internal reflectivity
is a challenging exercise which requires integration from character.
multiple datasets to build a robust geological model that Interpretation was then further constrained by
fits with observations from seismic data. Gravity and criteria described by Løseth et al. (2011), which can
magnetic data are used as support in the reconstruction be used to ‘identify, characterise and map spatial
of tectonic plate positions, conjugate margin and onshore distributions and variations of thick source rocks’.
well information are integrated, regional geological These mainly included a significant reduction and
understanding and records of Ocean Anoxic Events increase in acoustic impedance (AI) at the top and base
(OAEs) are taken into account, and this is complemented of the candidate source rock unit respectively and a
with seismic observations, source rock characterisation, reduction in amplitude with increasing reflection angle
sequence stratigraphy models and naturally occurring at the top of the unit. Finally, this interpretation was
slick clusters identified on satellite imagery. integrated with observations from other non-seismic
direct hydrocarbon indicators, including slick clusters
Source Rock Evaluation from satellite imagery and pockmarks from multi-beam
A regional plate tectonic and palaeo-geographic bathymetry. All of the evidence, data and interpretation
were then synthesised to provide a
Figure 3: Stratigraphic chart for northern and southern Somalia developed from
Spectrum’s recent integrated study. concise evidence base for the presence,
character and potential maturity of
Period Northern Somalia Southern Somalia
NW SE NW SE individual ‘candidate’ sources within
Figure 2: Proposed stratigraphic chart showing main potential source rocks. the offshore Somali basins.
Quaternary
Seeking Potential Source Rocks

Neogene Initial Karoo rifting of Gondwana
began in the Late Carboniferous/
Early Permian. Deposition of
the continentally-derived Karoo
Palaeogene Supergroup, world-renowned for
its source and reservoir properties,
occurred across Southern and East
Africa at this time. Breakup of Somalia
Cretaceous and the Madagascar-Seychelles-
India (MSI) block occurred in the
Early Jurassic. This coincided with an
initial marine transgression which
saw lacustrine to brackish-marine
Jurassic restricted basin sediments deposited
in rifted half grabens formed by fault
block rotation. In the Middle to Late
Jurassic, a restricted seaway formed
Triassic between the Indian and Somali plates.
Restricted marine marls were deposited

in the basin at this time (Figure 2), while shallow
water platform carbonate growth occurred on
the continental shelf. From the Early Cretaceous,
the northward movement of the Indian plate past
the Somali plate led to the formation of large-
scale transpressional and transtensional flower
structures in the deep offshore, creating potentially
very large trapping structures, as well as partial
barriers to oceanic circulation, which may have
facilitated the deposition of an organic-rich Late
Cretaceous source rock. In the Late Cretaceous
and Paleogene, slope failure events occurred in the
southern offshore. All these observations led to the
development of a stratigraphic chart for offshore
northern and southern Somalia (Figure 3). Figure 4: Early post-rift Late Jurassic candidate source rock recognised, based on
Based on the detailed regional geological basin evolution history and expected seismic character.
evaluation of the 40,000 km of 2D seismic data
acquired between 2014 and 2015, several ‘candidate’ source University. Peak maturation maps for source rocks at pre-rift
rocks were identified by predicted depositional environment (Karoo), syn-rift, Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous levels
and seismic character. In the early post-rift, Upper Jurassic indicate that where the sediment column is thickest in the
marine shales are a key source in the Ethiopian Ogaden Basin south, shallower Early Cretaceous sources are in the oil
and in northern Somalia (Uarandab Formation). Organic-rich window. Where the pre-rift, syn-rift and early post-rift is not
shales of similar age are present in the Rovuma Basin and so deeply buried in the north, these source intervals sit in
have moderate TOCs in the Seychelles. In the deep basin, an the present-day oil window.
acoustically quiet homogeneous unit was recognised at this
level and was interpreted as a deep marine organic-rich marl Exciting Upcoming Licensing Round
source (Figure 4 and deep marine sapropels proposed outboard Defining source rocks in untested frontier margins can
in the foldout Seismic Line). It is suggested that this candidate present a challenge; however, by integrating multiple
source rock is a regionally extensive restricted marine shale, datasets and geological models developed from seismic
mapped within the Obbia Basin of northern Somalia. analysis, gravity and magnetic data, offset well information,
No well control or oil discovery exists to date to confirm satellite slick mapping and sequence stratigraphy models,
the presence or test the maturity of the interpreted we can propose various scenarios in which organic-rich
source horizons. In order to provide additional evidence sediments may have been deposited. This method combined
for the presence of a hydrocarbon-producing source the with basin modelling has highlighted particular areas of
low-frequency character present at the inferred source interest for lead and prospect identification at multiple
interval on the seismic section was further supported by a stratigraphic levels offshore Somalia.
significant decrease in acoustic impedance at the top of the In modern seismic data offshore Somalia we have now
infererred source rock unit and a dimming of amplitude found the illusive oil-prone gem in East Africa’s otherwise
with increasing angle (AVO Type IV) (Figure 5). Additionally prolific petroleum systems. Source rock presence,
a sea-surface slick study was employed which identified more distribution and maturity are largely de-risked for oil plays.
than 80 individual non-anthropogenic sea surface slicks The attraction of large oil reserves will draw the attention
along the length of offshore Somalia. of the oil industry to Somalia in 2019, as this new province
Basin modelling considering four potential source has now opened up its offshore waters for exploration in its
rock intervals was carried out in collaboration with Leeds exciting and hugely prospective 2019 licensing round.
Figure 5: Source rock

characterisation
results for the early
post-rift Upper
Jurassic candidate
source rock. Left:
intercept gradient
plot. Sequence
plots as Type 4 AVO
anomaly. Right:
acoustically soft
top, hard base, low
frequency - source
interval.

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Recent Advances in Technology
Finite Difference
1. In a homogeneous, isotropic medium,
rays are straight lines; rays are normal
to the wave front and thus point in the
direction of wave propagation.
Modelling: Part IV 2. At the boundary between two media

of different velocities, the angle of
reflection is equal to the angle of
incidence; further, Snell’s Law gives
Let’s Look at Examples the relationship between the angles of

incidence and refraction (see Figure 1).
3. Ray theory is a high-frequency
approximation, implying that
“If you can’t solve something with finite difference, you can the medium must vary smoothly
solve it with infinite indifference.” compared to the wavelength. Sharp
discontinuities of the medium can
Unknown
be handled, but the maths then gets
complicated.
Continuing the discussion that was started in GEO ExPro Vol. 15, No. 2.
Geophysicists use a wide range of
The finite difference method applied to the acoustic wave equation gives techniques for seismic modelling, of
beautiful wave solutions. Read on! which geometric ray modelling and
FD modelling are ‘end members’. Ray
LASSE AMUNDSEN, ØRJAN PEDERSEN and MARTIN LANDRØ
theory is based on the fact that wave
You might remember studying optics in Geophysics with Recent Advances (Bivrost energy in the form of rays travels along
school. You learnt that the concepts of Geo, Landrø and Amundsen, 2018) know minimum time paths in the model.
reflection and refraction of light can be that ray theory also applies to acoustic Ray modelling is intuitive, may neglect
based on a theory known as geometric waves. You learnt that Snell’s Law, or the important wave propagation effects,
optics or ‘ray theory’, where light waves Law of Refraction, was first described by but is computationally fast, and gives
are represented with simple geometric the Arabian optics engineer Ibn Sahl (ca. very accurate traveltimes and accurate
lines or rays. Those who have read 940–1000) and learnt the basic, quite self- amplitudes for geometric arrivals if the
the book Introduction to Exploration explanatory laws of ray theory: model is sufficiently smooth. It is an
irreplaceable modelling tool in seismic
interpretation. Diffractions and multiple
French mathematician Pierre de
Fermat (1601–1665) is often reflections can be added, increasing
called the founder of the computing times.
modern theory of numbers. FD methods, on the other hand, are
In optics, Fermat’s
more physically complete – they solve
principle, or the
principle of least time, the full differential equations. They are
enunciated in 1658, easy to implement but are limited by
is the principle that computer capabilities and are potentially
the path taken
too informative, as they include all
between two
points by a ray wave phenomena, such as multiples,
of light is the diffractions, and surface waves, in the
path that can most complex media. Here, we show
be traversed
examples of wave propagation by solving
in the least
time. Fermat’s the acoustic, isotropic wave equation by
principle applies the FD method for simple models. (See
to sound and Introduction to Petroleum Seismology,
acoustic waves,
Ikelle and Amundsen, 2018, for more
too. Historically,
it has served as a examples.)
guiding principle
in the formulation Waves in Concentric Spheres
of physical laws
If someone drops a stone into a pond,
with the use of
variational calculus. a short disturbance occurs at the point
Variational principles of impact. The deformed area returns
are central to modern to equilibrium, but the disturbance
physics and mathematics.
spreads gradually as concentric circles
from the centre of impact. Since the
energy is constant as radius increases, the

depends on the physical properties of the
medium. For constant velocity, the wave
A B originating at the source expands in a
series of spherical wavefronts centred on
that source; a consequence of Fermat’s
principle: minimum traveltime implies
minimum travelled distance in any
direction. In Figure 2 (upper row) we
O show a 2D slice through the spherical
wavefront where spheres become circles.
One of the most important properties
C of the spherically expanding wave is
a decrease in intensity as the wave
propagates away from the source. The
pressure amplitude decays as 1/distance
away from the source. This is called
Figure 1: Fermat’s principle leads to Snell’s Law; when the sines of the angles in the different media spherical spreading loss.
are in the same proportion as the propagation velocities, the time to get from A to B (via the
interface), and from A to C, is minimised. A ray of sound going from A to C by any other path than Reflected and Refracted Waves
AO+OC will take longer.
We can observe reflection and
amplitude gets weaker and weaker, until wave equation by the FD method, we refraction in daily life. When you look
we can no longer see it. This phenomenon obtain the same interpretation. The in a mirror, you are looking at light that
is an example of wave propagation. exact acoustic velocity at which the has been reflected by a surface – the
When we solve the 3D acoustic wave moves from one point to another mirror. A good example of reflection
Figure 2: Snapshots of a wavefield spreading out in time and space in a homogeneous, isotropic medium (upper row), and medium composed of two
homogeneous acoustic half-spaces (lower row) with velocities V1 = V2/2 = 2,000 m/s. The model is 2 km x 2 km. The source location is denoted by the
white dot and the interface by the thin black line. In the homogeneous medium, the wave propagates away from its source at the same speed in every
direction. The wavefront is the leading edge of the disturbance. Rays (not shown) are normal to the wavefront, so at any given time, the wavefront is
spherical in 3D (circular in 2D) with its centre at the source. In the two-layer medium, the wave that propagates solely within the upper layer is called
the incident wave (i). After 200 ms, it has interacted with the interface. Part of the wave’s energy is reflected (r) back into the upper layer and part of
it is transmitted (t) into the lower medium but in a different direction (i.e., it is refracted). Notice that the wavefront defining the refracted wave is still
circular, but its radius is no longer centred on the source. We describe this as a change in the curvature of the wavefront, which implies that the raypaths
describing the direction of propagation of the wave change direction through the boundary in accordance with Snell’s Law.
100 ms 200 ms 300 ms
100 ms 200 ms 300 ms

i
r

Recent Advances in Technology
of sound is an echo. Refraction is a Figure 3:

slightly less intuitive concept, but it has
FD modelling
produces the head
375 ms
an effect on everyday life, too. Children wave (critically i
quickly notice that a straw in a glass of refracted wave) r
water looks (from certain angles) bent. when the velocity
of the lower
Consider a medium consisting of two layer is higher
joined acoustic halfspaces of different than the velocity
velocities V1 = V2/2 = 2,000 m/s. The of the upper
source lies in the upper halfspace, and layer. The head
wave connects
the wave that is emanated is called the the spherical
incident wavefield. At the interface transmitted wave
a reflected wave and a refracted (or and the spherical
transmitted) wave are formed. While reflected wave.
(Colour scale in
reflection is a change in direction of the comparison to
incident wave upon striking the interface, Figure 2 changed
refraction is the change in direction of for display t
the wave passing from one medium to the purposes.)
other caused by different velocities.
When we solve the acoustic wave
equation through finite differences, the
solution obeys the laws of reflection and
refraction, which arise as a consequence wave is incident on a plane boundary, with velocity V1 just above the
of continuity of the pressure field and and V2>V1, a ‘head wave’ is formed boundary. In this case, a part of the
the vertical component of displacement on the boundary in addition to the boundary between the onset points
across the interface. Again, the source reflected and refracted waves (see of the reflected and refracted waves
excites a spherical wave as seen in Figure 3). A head wave is a refracted is disturbed, and this disturbance is
Figure 2 (lower row). When the wave wave which enters and leaves a high- radiated to the upper layer in the form
reaches the interface between the two velocity medium at the critical angle, of a head wave with plane wavefront,
media, a portion of its energy returns to as determined from Snell’s Law leaving the interface at the critical
the upper medium. This is the reflected (sinθc = V1/V2). angle. The associated ray path makes
wavefield. The remaining energy enters When the incident spherical the angle θc from normal. The waveform
the lower medium. This is the refracted wavefront hits the interface at critical of the head wave is the time integral
or transmitted wavefield. angle, the refracted wave travels of the waveform of the incident wave,
horizontally in the second medium which implies that the head wave has a
The Head Wave with velocity V2, while the incident smoother waveform than the waveform
In the example above, where a spherical and reflected waves travel horizontally of the incident wave. In addition, it has
a longer tail and a faster rise (see Ikelle
and Amundsen, 2018).
Italian physicist and mathematician Francesco Maria Grimaldi (1618–1663), left, was the first Although the head wave travels
to describe the diffraction of light. The Grimaldi crater on the Moon is named after him. The
mathematics of diffraction is very complicated, and a detailed theory was not worked out further than the direct arrival (which
until 1818 by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827), right. travels from source to receiver without
hitting the interface below the two)
before it can be recorded at the top
of the upper layer, it travels along the
interface at a faster speed than the
speed of the direct arrival. Therefore,
the head wave at a sufficiently large
source-receiver offset can be recorded
prior to the time of arrival of the direct
wave.
Geophysicists study subsurface
velocity and layer interface structure
by analysing the first arrival times of
waves at the surface of the earth: the
seismic refraction method. Refraction
seismology is most easily understood
through the two-layer model described
above.

225 ms 300 ms 400 ms
i
d
r
Figure 4: Snapshots of diffraction of a wavefield by the edge of a reflector slab. The theory of diffraction explains how energy can propagate into
geometric shadow zones and the effect is verified by FD modelling.
The Diffracted Wave coming out the other side. We also frequencies audible to the human
Diffraction is when light passing an observe that the diffraction effect is ear (20 Hz–20 kHz) are between
obstacle is seen to penetrate into the greatest when the wavelength of the approximately 17 m and 17 mm. The
geometric shadow, and today refers to waves is similar in size to the gap. This middle C musical note at 264 Hz has
various phenomena that occur when a is a prominent result that follows from a wavelength of 1.3m, comparable to
wave encounters an obstacle or a slit. theory: the diffraction effect is normally room dimensions – so that the C sound
Water waves have the ability to apparent only when the obstacle’s size is from around a corner is audible.
travel around corners and obstacles close to the wavelength of the wave. The FD solution of the wave equation
and through openings. Sound waves Another example is audible sound produces diffractions. Figure 4 shows a
and acoustic waves do the same. For waves which easily diffract around wave pattern produced at the termination
example, when a set of plane waves common objects in our surroundings. of a reflector slab. Observe how the
passes through a gap in a barrier, The speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, diffraction wavefront, denoted by d,
diffraction is seen as curved waves so that the wavelengths of sound develops.
INCLUDING
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GEO Tourism
Australia’s
A group of Australian
geologists takes a trip down
memory lane – through
a stunning and beautiful
Big Outdoor Museum national landscape region,

steeped in rich natural and
ANGUS M. ROBINSON, Leisure Solutions®
cultural heritage.
The magnificent Flinders Ranges, which is an Australian Hill tourism attractions, the 2018 trip was followed by a tour
National Landscape and is now looking at World Heritage of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary of the North Flinders
status, comprises a number of serial sites within a Ranges, Wilpena Pound, the Brachina Gorge Geotrail, the
topographically and environmentally varied geographic Ediacara Biota, and a visit to a heritage vineyard in the Clare
region of South Australia, which contains outstanding scenic, Valley en route to Adelaide. It concluded with a memorable
environmental, cultural, historical and, above all, scientific reunion dinner at the historic Adelaide Club.
value. The area was described as ‘one great big outdoor The geologists, including their partners, were led by
museum’ by Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, one of Angus M. Robinson, and in this article he shares a few of the
Australia’s most distinguished geologists. highlights of their trip.
A Reunion Geotour Broken Hill

In 1968 the geology graduates of The University of Melbourne In 2015, Broken Hill Heritage City, New South Wales, was
necessarily made career decisions that determined the recognised as Australia’s first heritage listed city, having
direction of the next phase of their lives, but most responded been included on the National Heritage List alongside the
to the lure of the mining resources boom of that time and Australian War Memorial, the Sydney Opera House and the
became exploration geologists. Great Barrier Reef. This listing was in recognition of the city’s
In September 2018, 50 years on, a seven-day, 50th significant mining history and contribution to the Australian
anniversary geotour was organised, commencing in the and international mining and resources industry. With what
heritage mining site of Broken Hill, in western New South was once the world’s largest silver/lead/zinc ore body slowly
Wales, to commemorate the class excursion to attend the coming to the end of its mining life, the population has had to
Annual Conference of The Australasian Institute of Mining rely on other means of employment, such as nature-based and
and Metallurgy in 1968. As well as a visit to current Broken cultural tourism, to stimulate its economy.
South Australian Tourism Commission/Adam Bruzzone
Wilpena Pound geological landform, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

For the short time that was available to spend
in Broken Hill on the second day, we selected
the world-famous Pro Hart Gallery, the Silver
Arkaroola
City Mint and Art Centre (which features the Protection
Big Picture – an enormous diorama of the Area
Lyndhurst
Broken Hill region), as well as the Albert Kersten
Mining Museum Geo Centre – as the pick of Vulkathunha-
the attractions to visit. We also travelled to Gammon Ranges
NP
the remnant Line of Lode Gossan, the heritage
Leigh
Browne’s Mine Shaft, the Living Desert Sanctuary Creek
Park, and the Sculptures in the Desert display.
Ediacara CP
Arkaroola: Geological Hot Spot

The next day we travelled all day on outback
roads to arrive at the Arkaroola Wilderness Approximate location
Nilpena of Nilpena National
Sanctuary situated some 600 km north of Pastoral Heritage Area
Adelaide in the Northern Flinders Ranges. Lease
Blinman
The Sanctuary was established in 1968 by the
Parachilna
eminent Australian geologist Dr Reginald
Sprigg AO, who in 1946 had discovered the
Ediacara biota, an assemblage of some of the Ikara-
most ancient animal fossils known. Dr Sprigg Flinders Ranges
NP
was also involved in uranium and petroleum
exploration with the Geological Survey of South
Australia and with various companies which
he helped establish, including SANTOS, Beach
Petroleum and Geosurveys of Australia. He Broken
South Hill DEW Reserves
acquired Arkaroola, a derelict pastoral lease, Australia
and transformed it into a wildlife sanctuary and Arkaroola Protection Area
wilderness reserve, now an outstanding world- Hawker Nilpena Pastoral Lease 0 N 25

class ecotourism attraction. Nilpena National Heritage Area Kms
Arkaroola is one of Australia’s outstanding

geological ‘hot spots’ and is an outdoor museum
Map of the Flinders Ranges area with location of places named in the text. Map courtesy
of nationally and internationally significant of Protected Areas Unit of the South Australian Department for Environment and Water
geological phenomena and a window into (Flinders Ranges World Heritage Nomination).
Australia’s deep geological time. We enjoyed
Arkaroola’s unforgettable encounter with the timeless terrain peaks of Mt Painter and Mt Gee) and golden spinifex-covered
– and the unique natural beauty of the Arkaroola Wilderness hillsides give way to a breath-taking view across the Freeling
Sanctuary. On day four, travelling in specially modified open-top Heights, Lake Frome and the desert beyond. For night sky
4WD vehicles, we were taken on a half-day, guided ridgetop watchers, Arkaroola features three fully equipped astronomical
tour of the spectacularly rugged country. Inspiring images observatories that are available to professional and amateur
of red granite mountains (such as the uranium ore-bearing astronomers and visiting astronomical societies and clubs.
Panoramic view of Mt Painter (left) and Mt Gee (right) from a lookout along the Arkaroola Ridgetop.

GEO Tourism
Blinman Heritage Mine

and Ediacara Fossils
Departing on day five, we
travelled south through the
Flinders Ranges to visit the
Blinman Heritage Mine located
at the small village of Blinman.
This is situated within the
Blinman Diapir, which covers
an area of approximately 44
km2 and consists of a mass
of brecciated and crumpled
sedimentary rock. The ore body
at the Blinman Mine comprises
dolomite impregnated with
copper minerals. In the oxidised
zone, over 90m thick, the main
supergene copper minerals are
Inspecting the world-famous Ediacara fauna fossil site at Nilpena Station.
cuprite and malachite. Below
this level the ore consists of the sulphides chalcopyrite, fossil sites in the world, representing the earliest evidence
bornite and chalcocite. Underground mining to a depth of of complex life on Earth. The Ediacaran Period is a globally
165m was undertaken intermittently between 1862 and 1908. recognised geological era between 635 and 545 million years
The Blinman mine represents one of the early Australian ago and named after the Ediacara Hills of the Flinders Ranges.
copper deposits worked by Cornish miners.
Arriving that evening at the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna, Wilpena Pound and the Brachina Gorge
an oasis on the cusp of the rugged Flinders Ranges to the In the afternoon, we travelled along the 20 km-long
east and desert plains sweeping toward Lake Torrens on the Brachina Gorge Geotrail. Highlights were the ‘hieroglyph’
west, we enjoyed the cuisine of the hotel restaurant, which is stromatolites described by Sir Douglas Mawson; the GSSP
renowned for innovative dishes with Australian native and golden spike at the Ediacaran basal boundary; the post-
‘Flinders Feral Food’ twists, and with a focus on local and glacial carbonate and iron-rich sediments; and a chance
South Australian produce. to straddle the Eon boundary between the Proterozoic
Day six featured a fascinating visit to the Ediacara fauna (Neoproterozoic) and Phanerozoic (Cambrian). We were also
fossil site at Nilpena Station. This is one of the most important thrilled to glimpse the beautiful yellow-footed rock-wallaby.
A visit through the famous Wilpena
The shy yellow-footed rock-wallaby is only found in western New South Wales, eastern South Pound embraced by the Ikara-Flinders
Australia and isolated parts of Queensland.
Ranges National Park included
admiring the spectacular geological
Jason Irving/SA Department for Environment and Water
landscapes, sighting emus and a wide

range of other bird species, red and
western grey kangaroos, and the stately
river red eucalypt trees (Eucalyptus
camaldulensis). We also visited
the historic ‘Old Wilpena’ Station
(homestead) before arriving to stay the
night at the nearby Rawnsley Park Station
resort and enjoy a very pleasent dinner in
the Woolshed Restaurant.
Southern Flinders Ranges

and Clare Valley
On our final day we travelled to the
township of Hawker, the gateway to the
Flinders Ranges featuring the impressive
Jeff Morgan Gallery, home to a number
of spectacular, painted panoramas of
the Flinders Ranges and an extensive
minerals collection.
From Hawker, we then travelled along

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Geology of the Flinders Ranges

The geology of the Flinders Ranges comprises a single,
depositional system that has existed for more than 300
million years; this system has been described as the
‘Adelaide Rift Complex’. These sedimentary rocks are the
repository of a record of Earth and life history from the
Neoproterozoic to the Cambrian (approximately 830–500
million years ago) that includes major changes in the
Earth’s physical environment and key evolutionary events
in the emergence of animal life.
The geological heritage includes the Global Stratotype
Section and Point (GSSP) for the Geological Ediacaran
System and Period, the period during which the first large
soft-bodied animals evolved, leaving fossil impressions
on sandstone beds of the Pound Subgroup geological
formation of the Flinders Ranges. Ediacara fauna species, Nilpena Station.
the R M Williams Way through Cradock, Orroro, and Jamestown Grand Finale – Adelaide Club
to the Sevenhill Cellars south of the township of Clare. Sevenhill Founded in 1863, and located in the heart of Adelaide’s arts
was settled by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1851 to produce and cultural precinct, the historic Adelaide Club proved the
sacramental wine. While this tradition continues today, Sevenhill perfect venue for a splendid farewell dinner for the Geology
is also highly regarded for its premium table wines, which are Tour Alumni members and partners, who reflected on their
recognised for the regional qualities that have put the Clare enjoyable journey from the heritage mining locale of Broken
Valley wineries, including Kilikanoon, on the world stage. Hill, travelling together through a stunning and beautiful
national landscape region
A view of a group of River Red Eucalypt trees toward the Wilpena Pound Landscape.
of Australia, steeped in
rich natural and cultural
heritage.
References available online.
Acknowledgments
The author thanks the tour
group for their support:
Bruce and Barbara Pertzel,
Colin Hallenstein and Lois
Revie, Andy and Jeanette Hill,
Fred Cook and Jan Kilsby,
David and Jane Tucker, Griff
and Sheila Weste, Chris and
Sue Middleton.

To Boldly Go Where No
Interpreter Has Gone Before
The last frontier in seismic interpretation, the automatic detection of faults, is getting a step closer.
SVEN PHILIT, FABIEN PAUGET, SEBASTIEN LACAZE, Eliis; CAROLINE GUION; Eliis Inc.
In order to build an
Eliis
accurate geological
model of the earth,
it is essential for the
seismic interpreter
to understand
clearly the structural
network of the seismic
dataset. This has
been traditionally
achieved by
manually picking
the faults identified
on seismic images,
which is both a tedious
and time-consuming
task. Great efforts have
therefore been made over
the last two decades to accelerate and
automate the detection of faults. Several The Exmouth Basin block HCA2000A imaged as a merged
seismic attributes such as coherency, composite of the seismic data on the left and the Fault Plane attribute on the right.
variance and chaos have been used to
capture the fault locations, but with Towards the Automatisation together to form fault patches. Those
limited success due to the impact on of Fault Extraction patches, based on several customisable
the attribute values of seismic signal In the first step, a new attribute parameters such as the value of the
heterogeneities in the vicinity of the called Fault Plane is derived from voxels, the dimension of the groups
faults. the optimised variance of the seismic and their planarity, are sorted to keep
The methods that have to date volume. The variance of each voxel is only the most significant ones, which
delivered the best results are based computed from the average vector field are transformed into elementary fault
on the structure-oriented semblance and the maximum variance along a planes. These elementary fault planes are
attribute, with the Fault Likelihood scanning disk in the three dimensions made up of fault sticks along the inline
method developed by Dave Hale in 2013 of the volume is detected for the best and crossline directions closest to the
at the Colorado School of Mines being combination of strike value (0°–360° perpendicular of the fault plane azimuth.
one of the best-known techniques. More horizontally) and of dip value (0° Once the elementary fault planes are
recently, machine learning approaches and 90° vertically). The result of this automatically generated, the challenge
have sparked a lot of interest, but they computation, which does not require the is to reduce and simplify the structural
require a large amount of data to train calculation of full dip and strike volumes, framework by quickly sorting, organising
the software. Hence, without sharing is the Fault Plane attribute volume. and merging the resulting objects. The
huge datasets amongst the oil and gas In the second step, the extrema of technology allows the user to sort the
community, quickly obtaining accurate the Fault Plane attribute are extracted faults by dip, azimuth and size, the
results through machine learning through a thinning process, whereby values of which are filtered by means of
methods may remain a considerable the maxima of the gradient vector an interactive stereonet. The resulting
challenge for the foreseeable future. are detected. The thinned Fault Plane objects are distinct fault sets sorted
However, alongside these efforts a volume thus created highlights the by fault types: regional/local, fault/
simple innovative three-step design skeleton structure of the fault network. fractures, azimuth range, dip range,
method has become available for In the third step, groups of voxels reverse/normal faults. Additionally, a
detecting and creating faults following a are created from the skeleton of the semi-automatic fault-merging assistant
semi-automatic workflow. thinned Fault Plane volume and linked is available to solve the jigsaw puzzle of

structurally consistent geometries.
Eliis
Ready for Take-off
The semi-automatic fault extraction
presented here is now ready to be
implemented in industrial seismic
interpretation workflows. The method
presents the benefit of a simple workflow
and avoids falling into the classic pitfall
of cumbersome computation. As a
consequence, the speed of the Fault Plane
workflow is comparable to that of the
Fault Likelihood method, and significantly
faster than manual picking. Contrary to
machine learning approaches, the method
Fault Plane attribute in time-slice and fault orientation filtering tool. Deformation artifacts at the
also does not require a large training
top of the block linked to seismic acquisition caused the generation of faults that are not filtered in dataset, giving it the great advantage
(a) and filtered in (b). of being independent of third-party
information. Moreover, the workflow
elementary fault planes. The tool detects closer observation, it can be noted is customisable and can use attributes
which elementary planes are the most that the geometry of the fault planes other than the variance as input to the
likely to be part of a single fault plane fairly captures the geometry of the computation of the Fault Plane. After
and merges them together into a brand deformation and fault relays. By applying fault extraction, the elementary fault
new fault. The merging proposal is the automatic fault extraction workflow planes are combined quickly thanks to
performed as a function of the vicinity, to the 650 km2 Exmouth seismic dataset, the orientation filtering tool and the fault
azimuth and dip of the fault planes and more than 2,200 elementary fault planes merge assistant. The interpreter keeps
reduces the number of fault objects, were created in a few hours. Obviously, control of every step of the workflow and
thereby cleaning the output of the the structural interpretation time has can adapt it to the structural style of the
automatic fault extraction with a rapid been drastically reduced by delivering investigated seismic.
hands-on solution. fault sets in a fraction of the time needed
to manually pick the faults, even when Acknowledgements:
Application in Marine Seismic factoring in the time spent in sorting The examples presented in this article
The method described above was tested and merging the elementary fault planes were obtained using PaleoScan™, software
on the Exmouth sub-basin, located in that were automatically picked. After developed by Eliis. The authors would like
the Carnarvon Basin, offshore North applying the filtering and merging to thank Geoscience Australia for their
West Australia, which has proven oil- tools, the elementary fault planes were permission to publish the data from block
bearing reservoirs in fluvio-deltaic sands combined into a set of 1,500 faults with HCA2000A (Exmouth).
of the Mungaroo Formation (Middle
to Late Triassic) and deltaic sediments Final fault sets after global management (fault orientation filtering and merging of the elementary
of the Barrow group (base of the Early fault planes).
Cretaceous). The basin is made of
complex faulted Permian, Triassic and Eliis
Jurassic intervals related to the Late

Triassic to Late Jurassic rifting of
the Exmouth Plateau. The main
fault set of the studied zone is
essentially striking north-
north-east.
The result of the
Fault Plane highlights
the contrast in
deformation in the
different stratigraphic
intervals of the basin:
the interpreter can
easily observe a dense
fault network in the Triassic
and Jurassic intervals. With

Exploration
New Views of
Eastern Indonesia
Subduction has driven change but the PROF. ROBERT HALL
South East Asia Research Group,
implications for hydrocarbons are different Royal Holloway,
from those previously interpreted. University of London
Anyone scientifically familiar with

eastern Indonesia will know of
two things: that it is crossed by the
Wallace Line, a famous biogeographic
boundary between Asia and Australia,
and secondly, that the geology is very
complex. The biological diversity,
including strange endemic species such
as tarsiers, babirusa and marsupial
bear cuscus, and unusual fossils such
as pygmy elephants, has often been
attributed to long isolation of the region,
but recent studies suggest it is very
young. The diversity is, in fact, linked
to geological change, as Alfred Russel
Wallace realised more than 150 years
ago, although at that time continents
were thought to be fixed. Plate tectonics
explained change as the result of the
collision of South East Asia with the
Australian continent due to convergence
between the Eurasian, Australian and
Pacific plates, but recent work has shown
that the results are different from those
previously suggested. Rapid and recent
tectonic processes causing emergence
Geography of eastern Indonesia with principal tectonic features.
View looking west towards the mountains which bound the western side of the Palu valley
and Palu Bay, Sulawesi and follow the trace of the Palu-Koro Fault. This was the location of the
Robert Hall
earthquake in 28 September 2018. The tsunami that followed devastated the city situated on the
low-lying ground behind and south of the distinctive yellow bridge, which was also destroyed.

of land and subsidence of basins are
now interpreted as a result of extension Halmahera
driven by subduction, rather than Molucca Sea
multiple collisions. Bacan
Geological Exploration of
Eastern Indonesia
Although there is hydrocarbon
production in areas such as East
Sulawesi, Seram and the Bird’s Head Obi
of New Guinea, and the region is well
known for numerous active seeps and Sula Misool
mud volcanism, exploration has been Islands
limited. On land this reflects remoteness,
a relatively small population, lack of
infrastructure, and challenging terrain,
Robert Hall
vegetation and climate.

The majority of the islands have Seram
been geologically mapped at a
reconnaissance level, but most remain Part of eastern Indonesia: SRTM topography on land and satellite gravity as background, northern
under-investigated. Timor, with a part of the offshore region, with detailed multibeam bathymetry for most of southern offshore area.
The image shows strands of the Sorong fault, the southern end of a deformed sediment wedge in
long dry season and relatively limited the Molucca Sea, subsided carbonate reefs south of Misool and the western end of the Seram Trough
vegetation cover, is the best studied, but north of Seram.
the rainforest islands from Sulawesi to
the Moluccas in the Banda Sea are much exploration meant that major features, slicer’. The Sorong Fault crosses the
less well-known. Until recently, for such as the troughs that surround the northern Bird’s Head and was traced
example, the most extensive surveys of Banda Arc, were traced and interpreted westwards, based on very limited
Seram, the largest island of the northern in different ways, with considerable offshore data, and interpreted to link
Banda Arc, were those of the Dutch in disagreement between tectonic models. to major faults in Sulawesi. However,
the early 20th century. the distribution of microcontinental
Offshore, exploration was limited by New Data Improves Tectonic Models fragments in eastern Indonesia is
similar factors, with a small number of Widely accepted models interpreted difficult to explain by strike-slip
scientific cruises, few seismic surveys and fragments of continental crust to movements and it was observed in the
little drilling due to high costs. Larger have been sliced off the Bird’s Head of 1980s that Australian continental crust
basins were crossed by only a few regional New Guinea by strike-slip faulting as in the Outer Banda Arc islands must
seismic lines. So although evidence of Australia moved north, and carried west have been within the arc before collision
hydrocarbons and Australian continental to collide in Sulawesi. This concept was with the Australian margin. There were
crust may be attractive, the geological proposed by Warren Hamilton in the major disagreements about the ages of
complexity is challenging. The lack of 1970s and was given the name ‘bacon the ocean basins within the Banda Arc,

Exploration
which some suggested to be Mesozoic size). They were undertaken to
Robert Hall
while others interpreted as Cenozoic. aid sampling of sea floor seeps,
These controversies reflected the but also revealed structural
quality of information. On land, mapping features in great detail. Thus, the
was dependent on inaccurate paper interpretation of high resolution
maps, limited air photo coverage and seafloor images can be linked
a few airborne radar surveys. There to structures imaged on land.
was little dating of rocks and minerals: This has made it possible, for
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic example, to trace the troughs
– most radiometric ages were acquired by around the Banda Arc to within
the problematical K-Ar technique. Both a few tens of metres, and link
on land and offshore, 2D seismic data onshore and offshore faults.
was sparse, and traces of major structural
features were often speculative. Dating Uplift and Subsidence
From the 1980s, satellite-derived Although there are still few
marine gravity measurements improved wells and little sampling
mapping of offshore bathymetry. In the offshore, mapping of structures
late 1990s, academic marine geophysical from land to offshore provides
Massive granite body and granite dykes cutting metamorphic
surveys and dredging showed the ages the basis for interpretation and rocks in Sulawesi Neck. The granites are 3 Ma old.
of Banda oceanic basins were Neogene, indirect dating of features on
and a new phase of seismic acquisition seismic lines and multibeam maps by implying major extension.
began offshore, initially with widely- dating rocks on land. Offshore, common features in
spaced regional lines. In the last few years studies between many areas on multibeam images
On land, from the early 2000s, new Sulawesi and the Bird’s Head by the are spectacular reefs, with features
public domain images from Shuttle South East Asia Research Group at including rimmed platforms and
Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Royal Holloway have yielded major pinnacles, but now at depths up to 2 km.
and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal surprises. Radiometric dating, Close to Sulawesi subsidence of reefs
Emission and Reflection Radiometer particularly using the Ar-Ar method is clearly very young and is interpreted
(ASTER) provided views through and U-Pb dating of zircons, and low to be synchronous with exhumation
clouds, forest cover and mountains. temperature thermochronology, and elevation of metamorphic core
They showed structural detail, and have shown that previously undated complexes and granites on land which
combined with GPS dramatically metamorphic and igneous rocks are 3 Ma or younger.
improved our ability to locate, sample, considered to be Palaeozoic to Mesozoic On the north side of the Seram
map and interpret the geology. are very much younger, commonly Trough reef carbonates record
Offshore, multi-client surveys Miocene and Pliocene. The youngest multiple episodes of rapid late Pliocene
undertaken in the last 20 years have metamorphic rocks recently dated in and younger subsidence linked to
acquired seismic data that has steadily the North Moluccas have ages of less northward thrusting of the Seram fold
improved in abundance and quality. than 1 Ma. Many of these rocks, visible and thrust belt. Mapping of major fault
Recent multibeam marine bathymetric on the high resolution imagery, are systems shows how the Sorong Fault
surveys now provide better resolution parts of metamorphic core complexes system breaks up after crossing the
than SRTM (initially 90m, now 30m pixel or exhumed in strike-slip fault zones, Bird’s Head into multiple splays at its
Interpreted seismic line crossing north-western Gorontalo Bay beneath the lines of pinnacle reefs seen at the top of the blue unit. In the centre of the
line there is about 5,000 ms TWT of sediment interpreted to be of Neogene age. The basin is undrilled. On land about 50 km to the west are exhumed
granites 3 million years old. Subsidence of reefs, and uplift and exhumation of granites and metamorphic rocks, are interpreted to be approximately
synchronous and driven by major north-north-west to south-south-east extension.

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+44 (0) 20 3178 5334
Exploration
Tectonic reconstructions of the Banda Arc development at 15 Ma, 10 Ma and 3 Ma showing rollback of the Banda subduction zone into the former
Banda Embayment with extension of the upper plate leading to extreme extension of the former Sula Spur and formation of North and South Banda
Basins, floored by oceanic crust. Rollback of the North Sulawesi subduction zone began in the last few million years and resulted in extension, uplift of
metamorphic core complexes and subsidence of reefs.
western end, which are not linked Implications for Hydrocarbons developed in other tectonic settings,
to strike-slip faults on Sulawesi. It is Our tectonic model for eastern Indonesia such as older Atlantic-type passive
now clear that faults shown on many continues to develop as, for example, new margins, need to be used with caution
older geological maps are commonly dating is carried out and interpretation since in eastern Indonesia extension-
speculations or non-existent and owe of SRTM, multibeam and seismic related processes have been very much
their continued appearance to repetition data proceeds. Studies using seismic faster.
and recycling rather than evidence. tomography, which images the mantle, Geological observations from
provide an important independent way eastern Indonesia support molecular
A New Picture to test and evaluate different tectonic biological studies showing the speed
The geological interpretation of the models. Thus, they can be used with and young age of change and the
region in terms of multiple collisions of greater confidence to identify areas resulting spectacular consequences on
tectonic slices moving from the east has that are more likely to be successful palaeogeography and life.
been significantly modified. There was in exploration, potentially explaining
certainly a collision in the Early Miocene intervals of faulting and subsidence. New Acknowledgments:
of an Australian continental promontory, sources and major inputs of sediment The author would like to thank all the
the Sula Spur, with the North Sulawesi were mainly not related to collision, but companies who have helped SEARG with
volcanic arc and parts of the Eurasian to uplift driven by extension. Numerical its eastern Indonesia projects, particularly
those who have provided data: CGG,
margin in western Sulawesi. This was the modelling will provide estimates of
Fugro, GDV, Niko, PGS, Searcher and TGS.
first contact of the Australian continent heatflow which can be used to assess
with South East Asia. Subsequently, a few basin histories and implications Additional figures and references available
fragments of continental crust became for maturity. It is clear that models online.
mixed in the Sorong strike-slip fault zone
with arc and ophiolitic fragments from the 3D cartoon showing the highly extended Weber Deep above the subducted Banda slab. This marks
the final stage of subduction rollback into the Banda Embayment, which is probably ongoing today.
Philippine Sea plate at the northern margin
Metamorphic rocks in nearby islands around the arc have Pliocene radiometric ages. The 7 km
of the Australian continent between the Weber Deep in the eastern Banda Arc, south-east of Seram, is the Earth’s deepest forearc basin.
Bird’s Head and the Sula islands.
However, during the Neogene most
fragmentation was due to extension,
related first to subduction rollback into
the Banda Embayment, which continues
today, and younger rollback-related
extension related to subduction of
the Celebes Sea at the North Sulawesi
trench. Extension has been extreme:
the middle and lower crust have been
exhumed in core complexes, and
rocks from the base of the crust and
sub-continental lithospheric mantle
are found in strike-slip fault zones.
The very young age and high rates of
Neogene extension which formed the
high mountains and deep basins are
becoming clearer as our work proceeds.

Offshore Exploration
The Mediterranean Ridge and its backstop constitute a huge structural feature Map showing
several hundred kilometres long. The structural style is not homogeneous along the location
of the seismic
strike. The region was affected by thrust and strike-slip faults, activated after the line below in
relation to
in collision of the African and Eurasian plates, and the resulting complex tectonics major structural
Greece
features in the
make 2D seismic interpretation difficult and often questionable. region.
However, the new PSDM high quality seismic data acquired by PGS show that the
tectonic complexity in the region is manifested by three
different pull-apart basins, which have been created
since the early Miocene. These basins were filled with
Deepwater exploration and drilling mixed siliciclastic (flysch sediments) and slope carbonate
deposits, both of which could be excellent reservoirs.
Interpreted 2D PSDM seismic line showing the key identified unconformities, which correspond to main tectonostratigraphic events.
0 0
TVDTVD NW
NW Ptolemy Pliny Strabo SESE
m m Trough Trough Trough
3000
3000 Neogene
Neogene
Clastic
Clastic
andand
Evaporites
Evaporites
Mesozoic
Mesozoic
Carbonate
Carbonate
6000
6000
?? Platform
Platform
??
9000
9000 ??
Seamount
Seamount
12000
12000 Legend
Legend
Seabed
Seabed Top Top
Oligocene
Oligocene MidMid
Jurassic
Jurassic
?? ??
MSCMSC Top Top
Cretaceous
Cretaceous Basement
Basement
Top Top
Miocene
Miocene IntraIntra
Cretaceous
Cretaceous Faults
Faults 20 20
kmkm
15000
15000
64 GEOExPro March 2019 GEOExPro March 2019 66

Catching the Deep Sea Wave
The underexplored deep waters of the east Mediterranean
are ready to be investigated.
Until recent years, technological constraints have series present there. Abundant carbonate build-ups and
limited the possibility of exploring in frontier deepwater calci-turbidites are the main potential drilling targets for
environments, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. the oil and gas companies active in these blocks.
However, the petroleum industry has now begun to On the other hand, the offshore areas covering the
show considerably more interest in investigating these west of Crete and blocks south-west of the island, as
waters, particularly following recent discoveries in the well as the open acreage south of Crete, are frontier
Eastern Mediterranean, such as Zohr, Leviathan, Tamar, regions with very little exploration history. Zohr
Aphrodite and Calypso. analogues seem to be the main target for the companies
active here.
Exploration History in Greece
Hydrocarbon exploration in Greece dates back to the Advantageous Timing
beginning of the 20th century, but activities were As a result of the active compressional tectonics, Greece
carried out in a rather sporadic and unsystematic way is primarily a mountainous country, with more than
until the 1960s and were mainly focused on onshore 300 mountains, about 40 of which exceed elevations
areas, characterised by surface oil shows, especially in of 2,000m. It is also characterised by deep sea waters,
western Greece. It was not until the 1970s that things which reach depths of over 3,500m. The blocks offered
changed with the discovery of the Prinos and South for offshore exploration lie in areas with water depths
Kavala fields, which remain the only currently producing ranging from a few hundred metres to 3,500m.
fields in the country. However, very little was done with Clearly, this is not an easy environment for oil
regard to exploration activity offshore, even following companies to work in. However, the industry’s deep sea
the discovery of the Katakolon field in the western technology is already well developed and successfully
Peloponnese in the early 1980s, until 2012 when an Open tested; an exploration well in very deep water (3,400m,
Door invitation was launched. Total’s Raya-1 well in Uruguay) is a part of the drilling
Since then, Greek E&P potential has attracted trend in worldwide exploration.
growing interest, with a number of major companies The Greek E&P industry timing could be considered
being awarded licences in 2018,
including Total, Exxon-Mobil, Repsol Greece’s blocks and wells.
and Edison.
Geological Provinces
With the exception of hydrocarbon
production in the northern Aegean
Sea from the Prinos and South Kavala
fields, exploration activity today is
focused on the Ionian Sea and the
offshore frontier areas south of Crete,
as well as a number of onshore areas
in western Greece.
The Thrust-Fold-Belt (TBT)
province of western Greece is believed
to be an analogue of the proven
hydrocarbon provinces in Albania
and Italy. Block Ioannina (on the
border with Albania), in particular,
lies on trend with the Shpirag
discovery in Albania.
The hydrocarbon potential targeted
in the Ionian Sea geological province
is mainly contained within carbonate
reservoirs, as well as in the clastic

quite advantageous, as the
initial wells in the country in
these ultra-deepwater settings
are likely to be spudded at the
end of the first or the second
exploration phase in the majority
of the concessions. That should
result in drilling activity some
time around 2024–2025, which
should coincide perfectly with
the technological advancements.
Therefore, besides the economic
benefits, Greece will be placed
in the centre of deep sea
drilling innovation, and will
provide an environment for new
technologies to be applied.
Equally important is the
fact that regulations governing Carbonate build-up near Gavdos Island, which lies about 30 km south of Crete.
deepwater activities will be
in place at the same time. At the moment legislation transport 10 Bcm a year.
throughout the world does not really cover such Greece’s state oil and gas company, HHRM SA (Hellenic
environments, but it is also true that the majority of law- Hydrocarbon Resources Management SA), to date has
making bodies worldwide are currently working intensely on evaluated and approved over 100,000 km2 of exploration
issues such as the safety of offshore installations. acreage. Given that E&P activities require long-term
investments in order to contribute to a country’s economic
Major Midstream Projects growth and competitiveness, the company has already
Greece is located in the south-eastern part of Europe and acknowledged the fact that, in the near future, Greece will
this location works in its favour. The country already has a require a specialised and highly skilled workforce able to
number of local pipelines in place but, most importantly, operate in the manner of international oil companies.
major projects are currently either under construction or in Will Greece ride this wave of innovation successfully?
the pre-development stage. Well, only time will tell, but things surely look very
The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is being built promising right now…
at the moment, will run
The major pipeline projects in the area are the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (red), the Trans- Anatolian Pipeline
across northern Greece (orange) and the East Med pipeline (red arrows), this last currently under discussion.
and Albania to connect
with the Italian pipeline
network. To the east it
will be connected at the
Greece-Turkey border
with the Trans-Anatolian
Pipeline (TANAP). Its
purpose is to bring gas
from the Caspian area to
western Europe, forming
part of the Southern Gas
Corridor.
The second major
pipeline project is the
East Med pipeline,
which is currently under
discussion. It will connect
the offshore gas reserves
from Cyprus and Israel
in the Levantine Basin to
Greece and on into Italy
via an interconnector.
It is designed to initially

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SINGAPORE
PGSEA: 4 Days PGSEA Course Ian Longley 16:55 West Malita Graben – The Ugly Duckling or Another Phoenix? 9:50 Depositional Architecture, Sequence Stratigraphy and the Quantification of
0900-1700 From Saturday 30 March to Monday 1 April 2019 - Julian Mather (Spectrum) Hydrodynamic Fractionation as a Tool for the Prediction of Reservoir Quality
0900-1300 Tuesday 2 April 2019 Evening Quiz Night - Sponsored by MCG, ION, WesternGeco in a Deep Marine System: An example from the Miocene Moki Formation in the
Conference Thumb Drives Sponsored by DrillingInfo Thursday 4 April 2019 Maari/Manaia Field Area, Southern Taranaki Basin, New Zealand -
Lanyard Sponsored by Ocean Reach Advisory Alex Wunderlich (OMV)
Session 5: Australia NW Shelf 10:15 Application of Machine Learning to Facies Classification of Carbonate Core
Tuesday 2 April 2019 8:30 New Triassic Tectonostratigraphic Observations over the Central NW Shelf- Images - Sharinia Kanagandran (Imperial College)
Internet Sponsored by RISC Advisory Tom Bernecke (Geoscience Australia) 10:40 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV
Registration Desk Sponsored by JX, TGS, AGS, Leap Energy 8:55 Dorado. An Overview of the Largest Oil Discovery on the NW Shelf in the last Session 10: Myanmar and Bangladesh: Success and Potential
1300 Registration Open - Delegate Badges Sponsored by Total E&P 30 years - Ian Cockerill (RISC)
11:15 New Perspectives and Learnings from Three Years of Successful Drilling in
onwards - Mini Guide Sponsored by IHS Markit 9:20 Exploring the Triassic oil potential on the North West Shelf - Myanmar - Tony Almond (Woodside)
1030-1300 Asia Pacific Scout Check Claudia Valenti (Carnarvon Petroleum)
11:40 Where Did They Come From, Where Did They Go? Oligocene Fluvio-deltaic
1430-1700 Farmout Forum and NOC Presentations 9:45 Exmouth Sub-Basin: New Data, New Insights - Alex Karvelas (WesternGeco) Sediments of the Salin sub-basin, Myanmar -
FarmOut Forum Signage Sponsored by Fugro 10:10 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV Amy Gough (SE Asia Research Group, RHUL)
1800-2100 Ice Breaker Session 6: Indonesia Revisited #1 - Sumatra 12:05 The Hydrocarbon Potential of the Channel Sands and Basin Floor Fans of Block
Sponsored by Searcher Seismic, DUG, Ikon, PGS 10:45 Extended Carbonate Play Revealed by High Quality New 3D data, Deep Water SS-11, Hatia Trough, Offshore Bengal Basin - Edwin Bowles (KrisEnergy)
Offshore North Sumatra Basin - Alit Ascaria (Repsol) 12:30 Lunch - Sponsor Opportunity
Wednesday 3 April 2019 11:10 A Fresh Perspective: Dual Petroleum System Operation in the Central Session 11: Vietnam and Gulf of Thailand
08:15 Introduction and Welcome Sponsored by SEAPEX Palembang Sub-Basin, South Sumatera, Indonesia -
Welly Ramadan (Mandala) 13:30 Sand Body Characterisation in Tidal Marine Settings – Examples from the Malay
Session 1: Commercial Environment Basin - Melissa Johanssen (Geode)
08:30 Global Energy Landscape - Jarand Rystad (Rystad Energy) 11:35 Uncover The Overlooked Gumai Play Potential At Jabung Betara Complex –
Indonesia: A Best Case Study Of Gas While Drilling Classification In Finding 13:55 Cambodia's Hydrocarbon Prospectivity - An Insight from Block A -
08:45 Exploration Update and Global Fiscal Terms - Katherine Kho (KrisEnergy)
Andrew Latham (Wood Mackenzie) The New Pays - I Gusti Agung Aditya Surya Wibawa (PetroChina)
12:00 Sumatra Deep Basin Gas and Meeting Indonesia's Growing Gas Demand - 14:20 A Revised Chronostratigraphy for the Cuu Long Basin, Based on the Interpretation
09:10 Host Government Contracts Disincentives - Chris Moyes (Moyes & Co) of Climate-driven Depositional Cycles during the Late Eocene/Oligocene, and
09:35 Where do Producer Governments in Asia go Next? Jerry Sykora (Canadian Int Energy)
VIM Depositional Cycles during the Mio-Pliocene -
- Rachel Calvert (IHS Markit) 12:25 Lunch - Sponsor Opportunity Bob Morley (Palynova / Murphy / VPI)
10:00 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV Session 7: Indonesia Revisited #2 - Offshore Heartlands 14:45 Hydrocarbon Potential Offshore Vietnam, Opportunity and Challenges -
Session 2: Regional Frameworks 13:30 Creative Exploration in a Mature Basin: Jangkrik and Merakes Discoveries Dr Phan Tien Vien (PetroVietnam)
10:30 Plate Tectonic Reconstructions of SE Asia: Bacon, (Kutei Basin, Indonesia) - Lorenzo Meciani (ENI) 15:20 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV
Salami or Baloney? - Robert Hall (SE Asia Research Group, RHUL) 13:55 The Next Big Discovery in West Natuna, Indonesia - Amir Mahmud (Conrad) Session 12: NW Borneo and Philippines
10:55 Integrating Basin Evolution and Plate Tectonics in SE Asia - 14:20 New Data Brings New and Deeper Play Insight for North Madura, Indonesia 16:00 Real Time Isotope Logging in Central Luconia Province, Offshore Sarawak:
Jon Teasdale (Geognostics) - Mazin Farouki (PGS) Assessing Seal Competency using Contrasting Results from Two Recent
11:20 Final Separation of Eastern Gondwana - Implications for Frontier 14:55 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV Exploration Wells - Bob Davis (Mubadala)
Exploration - Jamie Higton (Halliburton) Session 8: New Frontiers 16:25 Philippines SC 49 - From Exploration to Exploitation - Ed Cutiongco (Polyard)
11:45 A New Direction for Asian Stratigraphy - Peter Lunt (Petronas University) 15:30 Frontier Exploration in Mongolia - The Search for Oil-Stained Marmots - 16:50 Frontier Sabah Unveiled - Latest Regional 3D Seismic Reveals the Petroleum
12:10 Lunch - Sponsor Opportunity Mike Buck (Petro Matad) Potential of Offshore Sabah - Tad Choi (PGS / WesternGeco)
Session 3: Papua New Guinea 15:55 Insights from New Geophysical Data in the North South China Sea - Evening Closing Drinks
13:15 Papua New Guinea Exploration - Nigel Wilson (Oil Search) Patrick Ravaut (TOTAL)
Tennis Tournament will be organised on Tuesday 2 April 2019, for more information, please email
13:40 Results of Muruk Drilling – Muruk Discovery in Western Foldbelt of PNG 16:20 An Active Petroleum System in the New Ireland Basin: Papua New Guinea’s Vijay Krishnan [email protected]
- Jonathan Giddings (ExxonMobil) New Frontier - Brent McInnes (PeakOil)
Golf Tournament will be organised at the end of the conference. It may be on Batam or in Singapore
14:05 Total Exploration in PNG, Exploration Optimization through Technology 16:55 The Hydrocarbon Potential of the Frontier Cape Vogel Basin, Papua New – TBA. For more information, please email David Anderson [email protected]
and Innovation - Damien Deveaux (TOTAL) Guinea - Andrew Weller (Searcher) Singapore Airlines
14:30 Tectonics and Basin Development in Papua New Guinea - 17:20 New Zealand’s Canterbury Great South Basin - An Emerging Deepwater SEAPEX is collaborating with Singapore Airlines to provide preferential discounts on selected flights
Rob Holm (Frogtech) Province in a Frontier Basin? - Alex Wunderlich (OMV) and destinations for passengers travelling to Singapore, check more on the website www.seapexconf.org
14:55 Coffee - Sponsored by OMV Evening Pub Crawl - Sponsor Opportunity Conference Hotel Room Special Rates for Delegates, check more on the website www.seapexconf.org
Session 4: East Indonesia and Timor Sea Friday 5 April 2019 General Sponsors:
15:30 East Indonesia - Title TBA - Bryan Ritchie (BP) Session 9: Showcasing G&G Techniques in SE Asia Meeting Rooms Sponsored by Spatial Monkey, GIS Pax
15:55 The Seram fold belt: an Emerging High Impact Play in Eastern 9:00 Reservoir Characterisation with Ocean Bottom Seismic: A South East Asia Delegate Listing Sponsored by Mubadala Petroleum
Indonesia - Kim Morrison (Lion Energy) Case Study - Rob Ross (Q-Eye / Petronas) CGG, Murphy, ShearWater, ExxonMobil, Premier Oil, Rystad Energy, Spectrum,
16:20 Geological Development and Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of the Southern 9:25 SE-Asian Fault Seal Case Studies - Polarcus, NSAI, Sharpreflections
Banda Arc- Peter Baillie (CGG) Titus Murray (Southern Highlands Struct Geol) *This program is preliminary and subject to change

GEO Media
Great Geologists JANE WHALEY
A history of some of the greatest geological minds introduces us to important geological controversies.
As Mike Simmons says in the progression of the science of geology. of each person and their work in the
introduction to this book: “The history We hear about brilliant lecturer development of the earth sciences.
of geoscience is marked by the work Adam Sedgwick (his dictum “I cannot The great geologists described
of exemplary scientists, who through promise to teach you all geology; I can in this book come from very varied
their endeavours, changed the way only fire your imaginations” clearly backgrounds. There are Victorian
we think about the Earth, its history, worked for one of his students, a certain gentlemen scientists and polymaths;
processes and resources.” Having Charles Darwin), who had a long dedicated academic researchers;
discovered that no one had attempted running battle with his equally eminent inspiring teachers; professional
to collate the life stories of such erstwhile friend, Roderick Murchison, mineral and oil explorers; and
scientists, Mike decided to compile a about the boundary between the enthusiastic amateurs who made
collection of short biographies – and Silurian and the Cambrian. This was breakthroughs often initially derided
this eminently readable and fascinating ultimately solved by Charles Lapworth by the professionals. Mike brings his
book is the result. with the introduction of the Ordovician. chosen subjects to life in brief potted
Two men, Ben Peach and John Horne, biographies, each only a few pages
A Journey of Ideas long but full of information,
Mike selected 36 eminent summarising their lives
scientists to represent the many and how their ideas fit into
people who have influenced and helped develop the
the earth sciences, and in bigger picture of geological
telling their stories, starting knowledge. It is very well
with Nicolas Steno in the illustrated, not just with
mid-17th century and ending pictures of the subjects and
with several geologists still their work, but of important
with us today, he also takes places in their lives. Each
us on a journey through the great geologist comes with a
development of thinking and short list of references, which
ideas in geology. There were demonstrates the extensive
the ongoing tussles throughout reading and research Mike has
the 18th and 19th centuries put into learning about each
between those who believed of his subjects.
in a creationist 6,000-year-
old Earth and those who Free Gift to Geoscientists
realised that much deeper This excellent book is a
time was needed to explain free gift to the geoscience
most geological phenomena. community from Mike and
There were verbal battles and his employers, Halliburton. It
spats between those who believed in have their stories told together, because is available as a downloadable e-book
Uniformitarianism, such as Hutton and their work unravelling the complex from the address below. There are
Lyell, and advocates of Catastrophism, geology of the Scottish Highlands, and limited hard copies available via Mike.
proposed by Cuvier and others. In later thus the theory of thrust tectonics, was It is also available for loan via the
years, similar ideological arguments so intertwined. Geological Society Library and British
centred on Wegener’s theory of There are well known names in the Lending Library and will be raffled by
continental drift, which led to the story of geology: William Smith, the GEO ExPro at upcoming conferences.
concept of plate tectonics, as shown maker of the first geological map of As the author explains, this is a
by the maps of seafloor spreading England and Wales; Mary Anning, personal selection, and also inevitably
produced by Marie Tharp. She is one of fossil-hunter extraordinaire; and Peter UK-centric and biased towards
only four women included in the book, Vail, who was instrumental in the stratigraphy, Mike’s area of expertise.
since for many years geology was not development of the theory of sequence So who would you add to the list?
considered a suitable subject for females stratigraphy. Others are, to me at
to study. Other ideas, such as James least, less well known – Henry Sorby, Great Geologists
Dwight Dana’s synclinal theory, may Alexander Karpinsky and Maureen By M. D. Simmons. Halliburton
now be largely disproved and forgotten, Raymo, for example – but Mike very https://joom.ag/ggLa
but they played their part in the succinctly identifies the significance [email protected]

14-15 MAY 2019
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Exploration Update
Egypt: Western Desert Confirmation

In November 2018 TransGlobe Energy announced a potential
TransGlobe Energy
light oil discovery with its SGZ-6X exploration well on the
South Alamein
South Ghazalat concession in Egypt’s Western Desert,
about 300 km west of Cairo. The company has now confirmed
this to be a major discovery, having announced that on test
the well flowed a combined 3,840 bopd of light (35–38° API)
oil from three intervals in the Cenomanian Upper and Lower CAIRO
Bahariya Formations. Based on these positive results, it will
begin preparing a development plan for the field. South Ghazalat
Since 2012 TransGlobe has steadily built up its acreage
position in the Western Desert and now has approximately NW Sitra
4,625 km2 covering three concessions: South Alamein, North Legend
West Sitra and South Ghazalat, operator in all three. The 100
TransGlobe Concessions
company committed to a work programme of US$8 million km
at South Ghazalat in the first phase, consisting of 3D seismic

and two wells. It acquired about 400 km2 of 3D seismic The 1,414 km2 South Ghazalat PSC is located in the prolific
during 2015 and with the completion of SGZ-6X has met the Abu Gharadig Basin, a deep east–west trending asymmetric
financial commitments for the current exploration phase. graben, about 300 km wide and 60 km north–south.
South Africa: Play Opener

In early February Total announced a significant gas-condensate The prospects lie in the south-west corner of the block.
discovery in the deepwater Outeniqua Basin, 175 km off the Total initially tried to drill the well in 2014, but the attempt
southern coast of South Africa. The Brulpadda well discovered had to be abandoned due to harsh weather conditions,
57m of net pay in Lower Cretaceous post-rift reservoirs, and which will undoubtedly be an important issue to consider
drilling continued to find further reserves in the Brulpadda in development plans. The Odfjell Deepsea Stavanger semi-
Deep prospect before reaching TD at 3,633m. The well is a submersible rig re-entered the well, which is in 1,431m of
play opener in this underexplored area, where several other water, in December 2018,
prospects have been identified in a deep marine fan sandstone Following the success of Brulpadda and confirmation of the
system within combined stratigraphic/structural traps. play potential, Total and its partners Qatar Petroleum (25%),
Potential for a multi-billion barrel resource has been suggested. CNR international (20%) and Main Street, a South African
Brulpadda is in Block 11B/12B, which covers an area of consortium (10%), plan to acquire 3D seismic this year,
19,000 km2, with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800m. followed by up to four exploration wells on the licence.
UK: Largest Discovery Since 2008

A major new gas find is the largest discovery in the UK
offshore for eight years. Glengorm, announced by operator
CNOOC in late January 2019, is reported to hold recoverable
resources of 250 MMboe. It is located in Licence P2215 in
the Central North Sea in waters of approximately 80m and
was drilled to a total depth of 5,056m. The well encountered
net gas and condensate pay zones with a total thickness of
37m in a high quality Upper Jurassic reservoir.
CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, is the operator of Licence P2215,
holding 50% interest, while Total and Euroil both hold 25%.
Source: OGA, Rystad Energy UCube
According to Total, Glengorm lies close to existing

infrastructure operated by the company, suggesting tie-back
possibilities, such as to the Elgin-Franklin platform or the
Culzean project, which was discovered in 2008 and scheduled to
start production this year. It also presents some upside potential
with several other prospects already identified on the same block.
This discovery in the mature UK Central North Sea province
has caused great excitement, confirming the considerable as the gas is reservoired in a complex high-pressure, high-
remaining potential in the region, especially since Glengorm temperature environment, further evaluation and development
was first mapped as a prospect around 20 years ago. However, could prove both technically challenging and expensive.

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Q&A
The Importance of Mentoring

Geoscientist Paola Tello Guerrero explains why she thinks mentoring
is important – for both sides of the relationship.
At what stage in your career did you family, your colleagues, or your friends. • Kindness: most of the time the
first find a mentor? It is a special relationship because they mentee is full of doubts and
At a crucial moment, when I moved want the best for you, but they don’t mentoring can be either a good or bad
continents for work. I applied to the get involved. It helps to have clear experience, depending on whether the
EAGE mentoring programme after communication, and lot of honesty and mentor is able to get the best out of
moving from Colombia to England with clarity. You can have more than one the mentee.
just five years of work experience. I can mentor, it all depends on your projects
proudly say I have a fantastic mentor; and your dreams. When do you expect to take on the role
she is not just an excellent senior yourself?
professional in the same area in which What do you think mentors get out of I am already mentoring a younger
I work, with plenty of experience; she the experience? professional, and that’s the value of a
is a really good person, with a sense of This can be an intergenerational and mentoring programme – it multiplies.
humour and is very committed to social sometimes multicultural experience, You support one person and that person
causes. and we all know that these things make will support somebody else. Mentoring
us grow as a person. I hope my mentor means reviving your earlier career
What does your mentor do for you? understands a little bit more about steps while helping others to be more
Listen and guide. She has a bigger Latin culture, has revived her interest effective.
picture of the issues I present to her and in climate change and enjoys grappling
guides my ideas to progress when I feel I with my ideas and challenges.
cannot. She also joins me in celebrating
my professional victories. What qualities make a good mentor?
• An open mind: a mentor must
What do you think is the best way to be willing to propose creative
find a mentor? approaches to the mentee;
Firstly, have clarity: understand both • Generosity: a mentor wants
where you are and where you want to to share their experience,
be. If you don’t have a clear landscape, their time and their advice;
then write down the options that you
know you don’t want, so at least you will Paola Tello Guerrero was born
know where you don’t want to end up. and educated in Colombia and is
Secondly, decide on the profile of your a physicist at ALS Petrophysics in
mentor. Ideally you want somebody Guildford, UK. She participated
in Homeward Bound 2018, an
working in the same area of work but at all-female-scientist Antarctic
a higher level. You can also choose your expedition, and is part of a
hero – the professional you want to be global initiative of women
in a few years. working for climate action.
She founded ‘Antarctica for
Finally, research your prospective the Brave’, an educational
mentor before contacting them. There project for children that
are many mentoring programmes combines climate
where the organisers do the profile change and
equality.
matching for you, otherwise you will
need to choose someone yourself. Try
to understand how to introduce and
create the link with your mentor. It
always helps to think what you can
bring to your mentor, because this is not
a one-way relationship and there should
be benefit to both sides.
What is the most import aspect of

being mentored?
It is neutral input – they are not your

Total Survey: 16,563 km
Regional Grid: 11,913 km
Trinidad Detailed Grid: 2,074 km
Grenada Detailed Grid: 2,576 km
Final km will be based on actual acquisition on the survey.
CARIBBEAN ATLANTIC
MARGIN DEEP IMAGING
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Deep Imaging survey (CAMDI).
The 16,563 km survey will be targeting this highly prospective and underexplored basin
along the Southeastern Caribbean and Western Atlantic margin of Northeast South America.
High quality pre stack time, pre stack depth, gravity and magnetic data will be made
available upon completion.
Learn more at www.mcg.no & www.geoexltd.com

Global Resource Management
Will US Oil Take Over Conversion Factors
the World? Crude oil

1 m3 = 6.29 barrels
Is the continuing rise in production from unconventional 1 barrel = 0.159 m3
sources in the US financially viable? 1 tonne = 7.49 barrels
“In a major shift, the United States is set to produce more oil and liquids than
Russia and Saudi Arabia combined by 2025.” This is the conclusion of a forecast by Natural gas
Rystad Energy, which states that, using its base case oil price scenario, US liquids 1 m3 = 35.3 ft3
production is forecast to surpass 24 MMbopd over the next six years.
1 ft3 = 0.028 m3
The US, Russia and Saudi Arabia have regularly swapped places in the list of
top producers, but this would be the first time since 1970 that the US market
share has been greater than the sum of the production of the other two. The Energy
scenario assumes that average oil prices stay above $50. This rise in production is, 1000 m3 gas = 1 m3 o.e
of course, driven by tight oil from major US shale basins such as the Permian in 1 tonne NGL = 1.9 m3 o.e.
East Texas and New Mexico.
Other commentators, however, point to the high decline rate of tight oil wells,
Numbers
which means that more and more have to be drilled to keep up this production
rate. Energy specialist Art Berman stated recently that only 33% of tight oil Million = 1 x 106
companies had positive cash flow in Q3 2018 and that capital expenses have Billion = 1 x 109
exceeded cash from operations in almost every quarter for the last decade. Trillion = 1 x 1012
While drilling costs have dropped significantly, tight oil still remains a marginal
business, and several analysts have pointed out that US producers are finding it Supergiant field
hard to generate cashflow at present prices, as operators have to drill yet more
Recoverable reserves > 5 billion
wells to meet growth targets.
In addition, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal in January suggests that barrels (800 million Sm3) of oil
“thousands of shale wells drilled in the last five years are pumping less oil and gas equivalents
than their owners forecast to investors”. The journalists analysed 16,000 wells
operated by 29 of the biggest producers and compared well productivity estimates Giant field
made by shale oil companies to projections from third parties, based on public Recoverable reserves > 500 million
data performance. They found that two-thirds of projections made by companies
barrels (80 million Sm3)
between 2014 and 2017 in America’s four hottest drilling regions appeared to have
been overly optimistic. Several companies, it should be added, disputed these of oil equivalents
findings, partly because few organisations actually disclose how they come to the
figures in their forecasts. Major field
Rystad, however, believes that US shale oil production will continue to increase Recoverable reserves > 100 million
for some time to come, because about 70% of the economically recoverable barrels (16 million Sm3)
resources in its base case oil price scenario have yet to be developed.
of oil equivalents
Jane Whaley
Year-over-year change in production from key US tight oil regions.

Oil production
thousand barrels/day
February 2018 February 2019

6,000
EIA Drilling Productivity Report
5,000 Historic oil price

Crude Oil Prices Since 1861
Nominal Real (2014 dollar)
4,000 140
120
3,000
US Dollars per barrel
100
80
2,000 60
1,000
40
20
0 140
1870
1900
1861
1880
1890
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2016
Anadarko Appalachia Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Niobrara Permian

multi-client seismic
AUSTRALIA
Australia: Otway Basin

Multi-Client 3D and 2D Broadband Reprocessed Seismic Data
Arbitrary line from the PSTM volume traversing six input
EW
datasets – can you spot the joins?
Legend
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Spectrum have recently completed the Multi-Client Australia
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The Otway Basin has all the right

ingredients to support this new
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PSTM deliverables available January 2019

PSDM deliverables available April 2019
spectrumgeo.com
[email protected] +618 6324 3900

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vol . 16, no.

GEOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED

North Madura West Timor

Broadband Data Available for Viewing

A Clearer Image | www.pgs.com/Indonesia

Field Trips in a Virtual World

GEOExPro March 2019 3

WA-525-P W18-5 WA-438-P

We have the Australian Bedout and

See the energy at TGS.com

© 2019 TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA. All rights reserved.

Increasing Demand in South East Asia GEOSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED

South East Asia holds only a relatively small www.geoexpro.com

Myanmar: Layout: Winslade Graphics

The Golden Print: Stephens & George, UK

Inset: Teachers learning about geology at G-Camp, a diverse and

© 2019 GeoPublishing Limited.

GEO ExPro March 2019 5

Australian Exploration ABBREVIATIONS

The year that was, and what will [may] be.

Source: Rystad Energy ECube

Exploration Spend (US$m)

120 4000 bopd: barrels (bbls) of oil per day

Several Successes LNG

6 GEOExPro March 2019

• DeRisk Leads &

Ready? Set? Go! Quaternary

Norwegian-Greenland Sea starts opening

North Sea rifting

Central Atlantic starts opening

*The Big Five Extinction Events

Gulf of Mexico rifting

These prospects are found in structural traps including 419

direct hydrocarbon indicators. Basin modelling shows potential

aspects. Interested companies will submit their prequalification

8 GEOExPro March 2019

CGG’s least-squares Q-migration solution delivers improved imaging by addressing

Exceptional People - Remarkable Technology - Outstanding Service

Your Upstream Connections into Africa

Evolution of Imaging in CNS

New 2D Offshore Sierra Leone

Four out of five exploration a subset of the data will be available

10 GEOExPro March 2019

Two Days About

GEOExPro March 2019 11

Devex: Learn and Be Inspired

Rory Raitt, c/o Devex conference

ACE Returns to San Antonio

time when compared with the traditional way of providing

12 GEOExPro March 2019

Bid Round Now Open

The Golden Land

Modified from Metcalfe, 2017

The volcanic plug Taung Kalat rises sharply to a height

14 GEOExPro March 2019

GEOExPro March 2019 15

After the official ‘discovery’ of the field in 1889, ‘Well

New Geological Understanding

16 GEOExPro March 2019