DEVEX 2017: Innovative method to optimize drilling programmes

DEVEX 2017 will feature a strong technical programme of presentations and masterclasses focussed on reservoir discovery, evaluation, development and recovery in the UK.

Following this year’s theme of ‘Building Resilience, Driving Growth’, the conference will include a presentation from Repsol Sinopec on MACRO – an innovative method to characterise Main Area Claymore remaining oil.

Paul Cattermole, Senior Geophysicist at Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited, discusses what delegates can expect to learn from their presentation:

“Repsol Sinopec’s presentation will show how an innovative method, utilizing static and dynamic modelling and forecasting techniques, can rigorously interrogate a field’s remaining hydrocarbon potential and derive the building blocks to optimize a development drilling programme.

“Infill drilling on a mature field is a component of maximising economic recovery.  The presentation will describe an innovative sub-surface model based approach to identify and rank opportunities and alternative development options to grow the Main Area Claymore production and resource base. These concepts, and the approach, may be applicable to other fields at all stages of the development cycle.”

For the full programme, and to book your place at DEVEX 2017, visit our website. Places are limited – book now to avoid disappointment!

Keynote speakers announced for DEVEX – 9&10 May, AECC

We are very lucky to have three very distinguished leaders opening this year’s DEVEX Conference.  Mike Backus, VP Operations, Nexen; Wayne Fletcher, UK Operations Manager, ConocoPhillips and Fraser Weir, Director of Centrica E&P North Sea Assets will talk on the theme building resilience and driving growth.  The opening session will take place at 09.00 on 9^th May and limited places are still available for the Conference, with over 600 delegates booked over the two days.

We have some last minute sponsorship opportunities available at a reduced rate.  For £900 plus VAT, your brand will be exposed to a high profile audience and opportunities include the Delegate Bags – your logo will be included on each bag; Networking Reception and Young Professionals Event.

Collaboration Lunch – Day 1

Our 8 Operator partners, Oil and Gas Authority, Oil and Gas UK and our expert trainer Norton Bertram Smith will explore the specific challenges we see for leaders attempting to improve collaboration in oil and gas.  This is a training opportunity not to be missed.  You must register for the conference before securing a place.  Book via the devex website on www.devex-conference.org  01224 646311 or suzanne.robertson@mearns-gill.com

This year, the technical programme is particularly strong with over 20 Operator papers.  DEVEX will also feature expert-led Masterclasses, BP’s Clair Core will be on display, an evening networking reception will take place and PESGB are running a Young Professionals Event.  Don’t miss out!

Seismic2017 – only a few delegate passes remain – 11 May at Aker Solutions

It’s not too late to book your place at Seismic2017 – the first conference of its kind in Aberdeen to focus on seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation.

The Conference, organised by SPE Aberdeen and supported by the Oil and Gas Authority, Shell and Centrica, will showcase the impact of new seismic technology on exploration and development projects in the North Sea.  Gunther Newcombe from the Oil and Gas Authority will give the keynote address and we have an excellent technical programme featuring case histories from 9 Operators.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear from industry leaders and explore everything you need to know about the seismic industry.  We only have a few delegate passes left.

We have limited exhibition spaces available and sponsorship opportunities including the delegate bags.

Click to find out more or call 01224 646311.

Young Professionals thrive at DEVEX

The DEVEX Conference welcomes a diverse range of delegates from all areas of the industry, and all experience levels.

DEVEX is proud to support Young Professionals within the industry by providing a strong technical program, masterclasses on a variety of industry topics, and a Young Professional event, specifically geared towards educating and inspiring the next generation of industry leaders.

Marianne McKevitt, Petroleum Engineer at BP, spoke at last year’s conference and saw, first-hand, the benefit to YPs.

“I encourage every young professional to take the opportunity to present at, or attend, DEVEX. I presented during the 2016 conference and found it to be a very rewarding and worthwhile experience.

“Firstly, it provided a platform for me to showcase my work to the wider subsurface community. Following my presentation, I was approached by numerous attendees from various companies to provide further insight into my project and application in their companies. This allowed me to not only demonstrate my competency as a junior Engineer but establish myself as valuable resource in an era when industry collaboration is key.

“Secondly, it provides a fantastic opportunity for young professionals to build a strong network. DEVEX is a highly regarded conference that attracts many individuals from industry leading companies and groups. I found the networking opportunities valuable as it allowed me to connect with a diverse group of business and technical experts.

“Thirdly, DEVEX is a learning experience that broadens technical knowledge of new technologies and innovative techniques to address industry challenges. By applying this knowledge, I feel empowered to make a real impact on some of the challenges my business face and can add value in my role.”

There’s still time to sign up for DEVEX 2017! For the full program, and to book your place, visit http://www.devex-conference.org. Places are limited – book now to avoid disappointment!

Petroleum Geoscience Thematic Set: Fault and Top Seals

Introduction by David N. Dewhurst and Graham Yielding

The 4th EAGE Conference on Fault and Top Seals was held in Almeria in SE Spain from 20 to 24 September 2015. A total of 118 delegates attended (78 from industry, 21 from academia and 19 students). The conference provided the opportunity to learn about the latest advances in seal evaluation and the increased scientific rigour behind the technologies employed as we begin to understand more about the basin- to pore-scale processes that trap hydrocarbons. The same workflows are also readily adapted to studies for geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nuclear waste.

Overall, the conference was dominated by research on fault seals ranging from micro to macro scale, with close attention on the role of microfabrics, flow properties and capillary properties. In addition, fault-zone architecture was discussed at length, with numerous presentations from both outcrop and 3D seismic scales. Predominantly, the presentations focused on faults in siliciclastic systems, with just a handful addressing the volumetrically important carbonate reservoirs. Top-seal evaluation included contributions from the Clay Club, and more integrated industry workflows on overall seal analysis, with a couple of presentations on laboratory testing of mechanical and flow properties. The application area of the majority of the conference presentations was to petroleum systems, but a number also related to geological storage of carbon dioxide and the nuclear waste industry. Following the 3 day conference of talks and posters, there was a whole-day field trip to the well-exposed and extensively studied Carboneras Fault Zone, led by Dan Faulkner and Ernie Rutter. The fault gouges here are probably the best exposures in the world and reach thicknesses of 20 – 30 m in places. The trip was extremely instructive for understanding fault gouge development and its variation in petroleum systems.

This thematic set comprises 12 papers, which either were given at the conference or present related studies. They are divided into four subject themes:

• geomechanical and geophysical aspects;
• methods in conventional (sand–shale) fault seal;
• fault seal in carbonate reservoirs;
• case studies and issues in field development.

Despite continuing innovation and refinement over the last few decades, unresolved challenges remain in the characterization and prediction of both top seals and fault seals. Presentations at the conference highlighted a number of continuing questions, a selection of which follow below:

• How do top seals fail? Is capillarity really the best explanation? Can we predict how faults and fractures work in shaly seals?
• How do we bridge the gap between the fault-zone detail we see at outcrop and the large-scale structures mapped on seismic data?
• Are we any closer to a predictive method of fault seal in carbonate reservoirs?
• How well do we understand uncertainty in our seal predictions?

Read the full introduction in the Lyell Collection [http://pg.lyellcollection.org/content/23/1/1.full]

View the contents of the Fault and Top Seals thematic set [http://pg.lyellcollection.org/content/23/1.toc]

PESGB members can subscribe to Petroleum Geoscience online-only for £25 for 2017, or £45 for print + online.
Please contact barbara@pesgb.org.uk if you are interested in subscribing.

Brittle Deformation, Hydrocarbon Generation And Fluid Migration, Triassic-Lower Jurassic, North Somerset

This field trip will make observations from superbly exposed outcrops along the north Somerset coast (inverted southern margin of the Bristol Channel Basin) that reveal interactions between hydrocarbon generation, elevated pore pressures and resultantly enhanced deformation. We will infer the migration of overpressured fluids through the crust from a diversity of phenomena including sandstone dykes, reduction zones and mineralized hydrofractures (see photo), mud volcanoes (see photo), and low-angle faulting. Understanding links between maturation of organic matter and brittle deformation is of wide interest because it is increasingly clear that hydrocarbon generation and expulsion is a central process in creating the pathways that allow fluids to migrate from source to reservoir.

 

The north Somerset coast is one of the best places in the world to examine brittle deformation processes and many generations of MSc students have been there. Like a 3D seismic survey, it combines a continuous cliff line (‘vertical seismic profile’) and extensive foreshore (‘time slice’). We will stay in a traditional hotel-pub in the small market town of Dunster, in the shadow of the Quantock hills, with all the outcrops to be visited located within a 40-minute drive from the hotel. Distances to be walked are no more than a few kilometres but the foreshore can be uneven and slippery in places. Dunster is famous for its imposing Norman castle with ruined tower and impressive medieval gateway, now owned by the National Trust and with opportunities to visit in the evenings.

 

26th – 28th May 2017,  from £200

Led by Jonathan Turner, Radioactive Waste Management Ltd.

Find out more at http://www.pesgb.org.uk/events/event-388/

 

DEVEX: Register now and join over 600 delegates at this valuable training and networking opportunity!

Whether you’re just starting out in your career in the energy industry, or you’re looking to brush up on the latest technologies and case studies, DEVEX offers a wide range of training opportunities for all levels of experience. The 2017 conference will feature:

• Technical presentations from a wide variety of industry speakers, including 20 operator papers
• Interactive masterclasses covering a range of topics, including Chartership
• The opportunity to discuss ideas one-on-one with industry representatives at our exhibition and networking sessions
• Exclusive Collaboration and Leadership networking lunch

At just £95 plus VAT per day, or £185 plus VAT for both days, you can join over 600 delegates at this valuable training and networking opportunity.

We have 6 exhibitor spaces available at £750 plus VAT and includes free attendance.  This is an excellent way to showcase your capabilities to major Operators and service companies.

Book your place online now to avoid disappointment or contact our events team on 01224 646311.

Go on a journey from Late Palaeozoic reservoirs in the Southern North Sea and through to the youngest Tertiary plays of the Central and Northern North Sea.

The course reviews the structural, stratigraphic and sedimentological components of the North Sea petroleum system and provides an overview of their respective role in hydrocarbon generation, migration and trapping in the various sub-basins. It also focuses on reservoir geology, development history and exploitation of the remaining reserves.

Whilst the course covers all the elements of the petroleum system in the mature basin, its content is foundered on the basin’s structural and stratigraphic history and takes delegates on a journey from Late Palaeozoic reservoirs in the Southern North Sea and through to the youngest Tertiary plays of the Central and Northern North Sea.

The PESGB acknowledge Nautilus for their continued support in producing the course manual. Nautilus, an international training group is recognised as a valuable provider of Geoscience training in North America and Europe by the companies affiliated to the Geoscience Training Alliance (GTA). The PESGB are able to draw on the skills and experience Nautilus provides, to ensure delegates receive a valuable learning opportunity.

North Sea Petroleum Geology Course

Controls on the Geological Development and Evolution of the North Sea Petroleum Province

9th-11th May 2017, PESGB Training Centre Croydon

 Find out more at http://www.pesgb.org.uk/events/event-389/

Africa Conference – Early Bird Registration Open Now!

Early bird registration rates will be available from the start of April until the 30th June. Get your place at the PESGB website 
Please note that standard & onsite rates are subject to availability and may be more expensive so please pre-register to make sure you don’t miss out!

This conference series, which has been alternating annually between London and Houston since 2002, has evolved into the premier event for technical discussions and networking on exploration and geosciences in Africa. With attendances in recent years reaching over 600; including operators, consultants, governments and academia, there is a large poster programme in addition to the oral programme of over 25 high quality talks covering E&P in all regions of Africa. This is complemented by a lively exhibition floor which boasts over 60 exhibitors.

 

The 16th PESGB / HGS Conference on African E&P

New Thinking, New Technology, New Hydrocarbons . . . . 

31st Aug – 1st Sept 2017, Business Design Centre London

Register Now!

 

 

Petroleum Systems of North Africa & The Mediterranean Course

The Tamar, Leviathan and Zohr discoveries have revitalised interest in North Africa and the Mediterranean. This course is an abbreviated version of the original 3 day PESGB North Africa course and is designed to provide participants with a regional overview to back up their own block and prospect-specific interpretations. Discussions are focussed round a series of paleotectonic reconstructions, paleogeographic maps, play cross-sections and chronostratigraphic charts over the region (provided in a manual), with particular attention given to the newer petroleum systems such as biogenic gas plays. Countries covered include Algeria, Tunisia, Malta, Sicily, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel and Lebanon. Two regional exercises focus on crystallising the learnings of the course for fairway and prospect evaluations.

30 August 2017 • London Art House, Islington

Find out more at http://www.pesgb.org.uk/events/event-400/

SURVIVING THE DOWNTURN: ATTEND THE FINAL FREE WORKSHOP IN ABERDEEN TOMORROW

The Copthorne Hotel,
Tuesday 28 March 2017, 10.30-12.30
Refreshments will be provided

These free events are open to all PESGB members regardless of age and experience 

Andrea Pearce is an experienced Business Psychologist who has worked with many people who want to find work, or change careers. She is delivering a series of FREE 2 hour workshops for PESGB to inspire and motivate through the current downturn, covering helpful areas such as influencing mindset and self-belief; recognising personal values and transferable skills; developing networks and accessing/influencing the unseen job market; empowering to tell and sell influential stories, including through social media; making an impact at interviews; and keeping motivated through set-backs.

Each workshop covers one or two of these areas, using a mixture of individual, pair and group activities to keep things interesting and fun. Even more importantly will be the opportunity to get to know each other better, networking and building a stronger support group. All the activities and tools are proven to work, both through research studies, and more meaningfully, people who use these tools go on to find work or more fulfilling careers. You will be challenged to think differently, will go away with new tools and ways of thinking to try out, and will also have fun!

All the workshops will build on the previous ones, but can also be attended as stand-alone sessions.

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Coming up tomorrow…

Come along for this final workshop, where you can connect with other people, plus share experiences and ideas towards getting back into work, building back up your self-esteem and motivation. Andrea will be leading discussions and activities around exploring career options, overcoming barriers and creating your future story.

Click Here to Register now! 

Welcome to the PESGB Blog…

The PESGB Blog has been designed to complement the PESGB website, and bridge the gap between the PESGB Magazine and social media, whilst providing a forum for discussion for the PESGB community.

Post your comments, or contact blog@pesgb.org.uk to write a feature, share your anecdotes, pearls of wisdom or musings on the industry. This blog is for the members, shaped by the members. If there is anything you would like to see here, please get in touch.

Get involved, we would love to hear from you!

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