Structural Geology and Tectonics in Hydrocarbon Exploration
📄 Course Description: This course delivers an in-depth understanding of structural geology and tectonics with direct application to hydrocarbon exploration and field development. Participants will learn to interpret structural features from seismic and outcrop data, evaluate tectonic settings, and assess …
Overview
📄 Course Description:
This course delivers an in-depth understanding of structural geology and tectonics with direct application to hydrocarbon exploration and field development. Participants will learn to interpret structural features from seismic and outcrop data, evaluate tectonic settings, and assess structural traps and reservoir compartmentalization. Emphasis is placed on practical case studies from extensional, compressional, and strike-slip systems globally.
👥 Who Should Attend:
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Exploration and development geologists
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Geophysicists working on structural interpretation
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Reservoir engineers and modelers
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Geoscientists involved in structural mapping and fault modeling
🛠️ Training Format:
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5-day interactive classroom or virtual course
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Includes theory, seismic and field case studies, hands-on interpretation
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Delivered by structural geology experts from Rockfrontiers
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Software-based structural interpretation demos optional (e.g., Petrel, MOVE)
📆 5-Day Agenda with Time Breakdown:
📘 Day 1 – Fundamentals of Structural Geology
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Welcome, Course Objectives & Introduction to Structural Geology |
| 09:30 – 10:30 | 🧱 Stress, Strain, and Rock Deformation Mechanisms |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | 🧭 Folds, Faults, and Fractures – Classification and Geometry |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | 🍽️ Lunch |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | 📐 Measuring and Mapping Structural Features in the Field and Subsurface |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | 🔍 Tools for Structural Interpretation – Maps, Cross-Sections, Seismic |
📗 Day 2 – Tectonic Settings and Structural Styles
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | 🌍 Plate Tectonics and Basin Types: Rift, Passive, and Foreland |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | 🏔️ Extensional Tectonics and Rift Basin Structures |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | 🍽️ Lunch |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | ⛰️ Compressional Structures: Thrusts and Folds in Orogenic Belts |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | ⚡ Strike-Slip Systems and Flower Structures – Case Studies |
📙 Day 3 – Structural Interpretation from Seismic and Outcrop
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | 🧾 Seismic Interpretation of Faults and Folds |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | 📉 Interpreting Growth Faults, Salt Structures, and Detachment Systems |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | 🍽️ Lunch |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | 🗺️ Field Analogues for Subsurface Interpretation |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | 🧭 Cross-section Balancing and Restorations (Manual and Software Tools) |
📒 Day 4 – Structural Traps, Fault Seals, and Fracture Systems
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | 🎯 Structural Traps in Different Tectonic Regimes |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | 🚧 Fault Seal Analysis and Trap Integrity |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | 🍽️ Lunch |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | 💥 Fracture Modeling and Prediction Techniques |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | 🔍 Case Study: Structural Compartmentalization in a Reservoir |
📕 Day 5 – Integrated Structural Workflows & Global Case Studies
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | 🛠️ Integrated Structural Interpretation Workflow for Exploration |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | 🌐 Case Studies: Rift Basins, Fold-Thrust Belts, and Passive Margins |
| 12:15 – 13:15 | 🍽️ Lunch |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | 🎓 Final Exercise: Interpretation of Complex Structure from Seismic |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | ☕ Coffee Break |
| 15:00 – 16:30 | 🗣️ Group Discussion, Q&A, Wrap-Up and Certificate Distribution |
Target audiences
- Reservoir Engineers, Geologists
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