How data analysis and 1D models help understand messy vitrinite data
In my last column, I hinted at a case study, where I was able to interpret likely fluid migration based on temperature and vitrinite data in a single well. This…
Geology & Geophysics
Is it a true conjugate fracture set?
Conjugate faults or fractures are a set of shear fractures that formed simultaneously under the same stress conditions. According to Andersonian Fault Theory, this could involve a series of left-lateral…
How we become geologists
Q: How do you know if someone is from the Isle of Man? A: Because they insist on telling you every five minutes! Every geologist has a story as to…
Fault-valve behaviour of petroleum traps
When evaluating fault-bound traps, it is common practice to map around-the-fault pathways through diligent seismic interpretation, juxtaposition diagrams, and 3D structural framework construction. It is also common practice to address…
The geology of Bronze Age epics
A New Year brings new challenges, and for me, that means writing for GEO EXPRO. I am writing after the Xmas break which is traditionally eating, drinking and watching old…
A legacy of hyperpycnal flows
Illustration by: Marcos Asensio. The cretaceous U and T sandstones, key petroleum reservoirs in the Oriente Basin of Ecuador, have been the focus of a groundbreaking reinterpretation. Recent studies of…
From the shores of Lake Maracaibo to a paleontology museum in Europe
“I couldn’t get it over my heart to dispose of these cores,” says Evert van de Graaff in an email. It was at some point in the late 1990’s, during…
Make geomodelling grAIt again?
Not too long ago, reservoir modelling came at a time when the industry was relying on super capable draftsmen/women who could literally translate the mind of geologist into paper. Resources…
How new seismic and old core have shed new light on the Zechstein play along the Mid North Sea High
As part of the Aberdeen Energy Talk series, PhD student Thomas Houghton from Aberdeen University discusses his work on the Mid North Sea High area of the UK offshore. Using…
The structural risk of vertically exaggerated cross-sections
It is quite common for seismic lines to be displayed with high degrees of vertical exaggeration. However, vertically exaggerated sections can skew the true geometry of a basin and provide…
Devonian reefs – Canada
The Early to Middle Devonian was a period of global evolution of carbonate coral and stromatoporoid reef builders. Many carbonate build-ups of that age are observed around the world in…
Is there a coal exploration industry?
If oil and gas are dirty words when talking about energy, it is even more dangerous to mention the c*** word. However, despite the rapidly rising share of renewables in…