Analysis of Structural Traps in Extensional Settings (ESS)
Select Other "city & date"
Analysis of Structural Traps in Extensional Settings (ESS) Course
Introduction:
Extensional terranes provide some of the world's largest known and most prolific oil provinces and are the fundamental underpinning of most continental and Deepwater margins. As one of the most common structural styles, they are present on all continents and form most continental shelves. The advent of 3D seismic technologies has revolutionized structural mapping, but the most realistic geologic interpretation of these structures is only as good as our ability to recognize and exploit the fundamental characteristics of the forms that are possible. This is the aim and purpose of this course.
Course Objectives:
- Recognize the characteristics of extensional and trans-tensional deformation for both basement-involved and thin-skinned styles
- Apply mechanical stratigraphic principles and restoration/balance thinking in the interpretation of seismic and other data for extensional structures
- Predict structural geometry from sparse or inconsistent data using kinematic principles
- Critically evaluate interpretations and cross-sections for extensional structural environments
- Develop prospects from trapping geometries in extensional structures
Who Should Attend?
Exploration and development geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and managers responsible for the interpretation and drilling of extensional environments.
Course Outlines:
- Variety of extensional structural styles and their habitats of development; relationships to other structural styles
- Fundamental processes of the growth and coalescence of extensional structures, the evolution of a rift basin to a passive margin
- Elements of extensional systems in both 2D and 3D views: fault linkage, relay ramps, highs, and lows in basins, etc.
- Relationships of full and half grabens and their associated features
- Relief in extensional systems, e.g. footwall uplifts, and their relationships to depositional systems, terrestrial and marine systems
- Basics of restoration and validation; restoration algorithms for extensional systems
- Basics of fracture mechanics in connection with rifts and fracture systems in extensional environments
- Examples and expression of these features in the sample Fields
