Structural Interpretation of Seismic Data
Consultant/Trainer: Tim Needham
The Petrogenium (in collaboration with EPTS) Structural Interpretation of Seismic Data course will benefit geoscientists and petroleum professionals who interpret and apply seismic data in exploration, appraisal, and production. It is particularly relevant for
geologists, geophysicists, reservoir engineers, and structural specialists seeking a comprehensive understanding of how tectonic structures are formed, imaged, and analyzed using seismic techniques. Participants involved in reservoir modeling, development planning, fault seal analysis, and fractured reservoir evaluation will gain valuable insights into building accurate structural frameworks and predicting reservoir distribution and quality.
Participants
This Petrogenium course aims at geologists, geophysicists and petroleum and reservoir engineers.
Learning Objectives
Participants will gain understanding of the workflows required for successful structural analysis and be able to apply the necessary techniques, and the data requirements for such studies. Participants will in addition gain an appreciation of the uncertainties
involved.
Day 1
Introduction
- Setting the scene
- The importance of structural geology in seismic interpretation for exploration and production
- Defining the structure
- Techniques of structural analysis
- Interpretation of seismic data: 2D, 3D & time-lapse
- Limitations of seismic
- Exercise: Alternative interpretations
Geomechanical analysis
- Mechanisms of fault and fracture formation
- Analysis of stress and strain and their applications
- How can geomechanical concepts be used in seismic interpretation?
- Exercise: Stress analysis and fault reactivation
Extensional tectonics 1
- Fault geometry, growth & linkage
- Interaction of faults
- Exercise: Fault mapping and use of displacement analysis
- Fault mapping and validation of interpretations
- Restoration in extensional settings: 2D & 3D
- Exercise: Fault geometry prediction
- Case study: Fault mapping from North Sea, Algeria & NW Shelf Australia
Day 2
Extensional tectonics 2
- Basin-scale faulting and uplift/subsidence analysis
- Interpretation of basin-scale structure
- Extension at continental margins
- Case study: Restoration and forward modelling – North Sea & NW European margin
- Relationship between seismic and sub-seismic scale deformation.
- Case study: Fault population analysis from two oilfields
Folds and folding mechanisms
- Fault-related folding
- Mechanics of folding
- Seismic interpretation of folds.
- Analysis of curvature: applications and limitations.
- Case study: Curvature on fold structures at subseismc and seismic scales
Day 3
Contractional tectonics:
- Thrust geometries
- Thrust-related folding
- Interpretation techniques
- Exercise: Section construction and thrust restoration
- Structural restoration & forward modelling: testing the interpretation.
- Traps and fields in contractional settings
- Case studies: Foreland fold-thrust belts examples and histories – Moine thrust, Andean thrust
belt & Zagros - Case studies: Deep water fold belt examples and histories – Namibia, Niger delta
Inversion tectonics
- Recognition of inversion on seismic
- Reactivation of normal faults
- Extensional collapse on thrust faults
- Implications for trap and seal integrity
- Case study: Inversion in NW Europe & French Alps
- Exercise: Inversion interpretation, SE Asiary of day 3
Day 4
- Teamc: Summary of day 3
- Magnetics JDF IV
- Exercise: Mag2dc Inv
- Local Magnetics
- Exercise: Magnetic Latitudes
- Videos: Magnetic Dangers, PGK Machine learning
- Exercise: Grav-Mag
- ML Keras, TensorFlow
- Exercise: Geomodel Inv
- Supervised, Unsupervised and Semi-Supervised learning
- Quiz 4
Programme
Day 1
Introduction
- Setting the scene
- The importance of structural geology in seismic interpretation for exploration and production
- Defining the structure
- Techniques of structural analysis
- Interpretation of seismic data: 2D, 3D & time-lapse
- Limitations of seismic
- Exercise: Alternative interpretations
Geomechanical analysis
- Mechanisms of fault and fracture formation
- Analysis of stress and strain and their applications
- How can geomechanical concepts be used in seismic interpretation?
- Exercise: Stress analysis and fault reactivation
Extensional tectonics 1
- Fault geometry, growth & linkage
- Interaction of faults
- Exercise: Fault mapping and use of displacement analysis
- Fault mapping and validation of interpretations
- Restoration in extensional settings: 2D & 3D
- Exercise: Fault geometry prediction
- Case study: Fault mapping from North Sea, Algeria & NW Shelf Australia
Day 2
Extensional tectonics 2
- Basin-scale faulting and uplift/subsidence analysis
- Interpretation of basin-scale structure
- Extension at continental margins
- Case study: Restoration and forward modelling – North Sea & NW European margin
- Relationship between seismic and sub-seismic scale deformation.
- Case study: Fault population analysis from two oilfields
Folds and folding mechanisms
- Fault-related folding
- Mechanics of folding
- Seismic interpretation of folds.
- Analysis of curvature: applications and limitations.
- Case study: Curvature on fold structures at subseismc and seismic scales
Day 3
Contractional tectonics:
- Thrust geometries
- Thrust-related folding
- Interpretation techniques
- Exercise: Section construction and thrust restoration
- Structural restoration & forward modelling: testing the interpretation.
- Traps and fields in contractional settings
- Case studies: Foreland fold-thrust belts examples and histories – Moine thrust, Andean thrust
belt & Zagros - Case studies: Deep water fold belt examples and histories – Namibia, Niger delta
Inversion tectonics
- Recognition of inversion on seismic
- Reactivation of normal faults
- Extensional collapse on thrust faults
- Implications for trap and seal integrity
- Case study: Inversion in NW Europe & French Alps
- Exercise: Inversion interpretation, SE Asiary of day 3
Day 4
- Teamc: Summary of day 3
- Magnetics JDF IV
- Exercise: Mag2dc Inv
- Local Magnetics
- Exercise: Magnetic Latitudes
- Videos: Magnetic Dangers, PGK Machine learning
- Exercise: Grav-Mag
- ML Keras, TensorFlow
- Exercise: Geomodel Inv
- Supervised, Unsupervised and Semi-Supervised learning
- Quiz 4