About the Course

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Seismic data continues to be the main tool used in the hydrocarbon exploration and production cycle. Recent advances in seismic processing are resulting in significant imaging enhancement and are providing important geological insights in frontier and mature basins. Source rock presence, quality and maturity are key elements of the petroleum system and these can now be largely de-risked using seismic data processed through modern algorithms. For example, in the Malvinas basin offshore Argentina data quality of reprocessed 2D seismic data allowed a detailed interpretation below the Base Cretaceous unconformity, enabling interpretation of the Jurassic source rock section. Additionally, the distribution of shallow gas indicators was mapped within the basin using both traditional methods and a Machine Learning process providing further indications of a potential Jurassic syn-rift charge origin. By integrating the understanding from South African basins, where sea surface seep data identified from satellite data has been tied to enhanced seismic data, provides greater confidence on the presence of a potential dual source working petroleum system. In deeper water settings, BSRs (Bottom Simulating Reflectors) mostly interpreted to form at the base of shallow methane hydrate zones, can be used to calculate geothermal gradients, a very useful tool to de-risk source rock maturity in areas with little to no well control such as the forearc basins offshore Peru and the Gulf of Papua offshore PNG. Enhanced seismic datasets are providing an essential tool to de-risk source rock presence, quality and maturity enabling more efficient exploration results.