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Applications of Organic Petrography in Petroleum Exploration

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Course Information

  • Course Content
  • Course Description
  • Course Objectives
  • Who Should Attend
  • CPD Unit

Course Content

Maceral and Palynofacies Analysis, Measurement, and Interpretation of Vitrinite Reflectance

Participants will learn about:
• The concepts of organic petrography, kerogen formation and Types
• Organic petrography equipment and methods
• Macerals groups and palynofacies analysis and paleoenvironment reconstruction
• The source rock maturity evaluation, using a range of techniques (vitrinite reflectance, thermal alteration index, spore coloration index, biomarkers etc.)

Day 1
Organic Petrography
• Introduction
• Definition and concepts
• Source rocks formation (kerogen)
a. Primary organic matter input
b. Depositional environment requirements
c. Favourable conditions of source rock formation (evaporitic basins, restricted marine basins, zones of upwelling currents)
d. Kerogen definition

Day 2
Organic Petrography
• Equipment and methods
• Fundamentals of microscopy
 Reflected light microscopy
 Transmitted white light microscopy
 Fluorescence microscopy
• Samples and samples preparation

Day 3
Organic Petrography
• Introduction
• Formation of macerals and Kerogen
• Maceral groups and Equivalent nomenclature
• Whole rock samples
 Examples of macerals under reflected and UV lights
 Examples of macerals under transmitted white and UV lights
 Examples of macerals under UV lights
• Isolated kerogen
 Examples of macerals under transmitted white and UV lights
 Examples of macerals under transmitted white light
• Point-counting analysis
• Exercises

Day 4
Organic Petrography
• Palynofacies Analysis
 Introduction
 Amorphous Organic Matter (AOM) Group
 Phytoclast Group
 Palynomorph Group
• Paleoenvironment reconstruction
• Exercises

Day 5
Maturity Evaluation – Methods, measurements, and Interpretation
• Introduction
• Samples, samples preparation, and standardisation
• Rock-Eval pyrolysis Tmax – Samples and preparation
a. Data interpretation and analytical pitfalls
b. Advantages and problems
• Vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) – Samples and preparation
a. What is vitrinite?
b. Recognition criteria
c. Analysis and interpretation
d. Vitrinite reflectance measurements in Paleozoic pre-Devonian strata – vitrinite reflectance equivalent
e. Advantages and problems
• Spore colour index (SCI)
a. Analysis and interpretation
b. SCI measurements in Paleozoic pre-Devonian strata – Acritarch colour index (ACI)
c. Advantages and problems
• Thermal alteration index (TAI)
a. Analysis and interpretation
b. TAI measurements in Paleozoic pre-Devonian strata – Acritarch colour index (ACI)
c. Advantages and problems
• Biomarkers
a. Alkane biomarker ratios
b. Aromatic biomarker ratios
c. Diamondoids
• Organic petrography versus geochemical maturity comparison
• Thermal maturity calibration
a. Maturity profiles in exploration wells
b. Identification of geological events (unconformities, normal faults, intrusions)
c. Calculation of: unconformity missing sediment thicknesses, normal fault displacement thicknesses, intrusions thicknesses)
• Exercises

Course Description

Applications of Organic Petrography in Petroleum Exploration Course

This course introduces the petrology and maturity evaluation of source rocks (kerogens) using different optical methods. This course focuses on methods and applications of organic petrology on source rocks and maturity evaluation. It is designed for junior petrologists, geochemists, geologists, exploration geologists and petroleum systems analysts but could also benefit project coordinators and managers. The lectures and exercises are designed to improve your understanding and improve your knowledge on the different techniques used in organic petrography to characterize source rocks and evaluate their maturities.

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are:
• to develop an understanding of the processes involved in the accumulation, preservation, and alteration of organic matter in sedimentary rocks.
• to be able to recognize organic components under the microscope in various light modes.
• to understand the implications of the presence/absence of components.
• to learn about standard petrographic techniques such as maceral analysis, palynofacies, and Paleoenvironment reconstruction
• to learn how to obtain, QC and interpret maturity data using vitrinite reflectance, spore color, and other maturity techniques such as thermal alteration index, biomarkers, etc.

Who Should Attend

The course is designed for petrologists, geochemists, geologists, exploration geologists and petroleum systems analysts but could also benefit project coordinators and managers. Participants should have knowledge of basic chemistry and geology. Experience in exploration will also be helpful.

CPD Unit

Continuing Professional Development

35 HOURS CPD

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