PESA WA: Introduction to Play Mapping

Objectives
This course is designed to introduce geological play mapping for oil and gas exploration. It is aimed at geoscientists who are interested in applying the concepts of hydrocarbon play mapping to identify areas of high and low prospectivity in terms of the key play elements –
reservoir, seal, trap and charge and using these to identify hydrocarbon potential across scales from permit to basin-wide assessments for quick-screening of new ventures opportunities through to detailed play assessments of core areas. Over two days participants will be shown:

• Methodologies for breaking a stratigraphic succession into a series of meaningful and manageable plays with emphasis on using sequence stratigraphic concepts
• What comprises the key play elements in a play and how to characterise them
• Post-Drill Assessment of petroleum wells for play mapping
• Mapping out Gross Depositional Environments across a play
• Various styles of play mapping from simple ‘Traffic Light’ mapping through to detailed split risk maps and the scenarios in which they are used
• Integration of play maps with Prospects and Leads and how to apply various risking schemes (e.g. 4-factor risking, 5-factor risking etc) to the play mapping
• Basin-wide assessment of multiple plays
• Discussion of examples of play mapping across several onshore and offshore Australian Basins and the benefits and pitfalls of a variety of play mapping methodologies

Content
The process of play mapping incorporates assimilating data from petroleum wells, seismic data, sequence stratigraphy, remoting sensing (magnetic and gravity) data and other sources and combining this data into a spatially meaningful and consistent set of maps that highlight areas of high, medium and low prospectivity as an aid for exploration. Play mapping can be used in a range of ways from screening large areas for new ventures or gazettal assessments, determination of areas with lower potential to relinquish in a permit renewal, or even to identify frontier areas with the high potential to acquire new data across. Participants will work through the core concepts in play mapping through presentations and a series of interactive activities and hands-on exercises in play mapping using data from Australian basins to create play and gross depositional environment maps.