The Art of Core Description

A 2-Day Hands-on Training in Siliciclastic & Carbonate Core Description for Reservoir
Characterization

Course Description: This is a 2-Day course in which participants will learn the technical
specifics of core-description evenly distributed between siliciclastic and carbonate
environments. The primary objective of this hands-on core workshop will be to help
participants learn how to identify facies and depositional environments from core-
interpretation, and predict reservoir geometry and connectivity. The training will be
accomplished through a combination of class-room lectures and hands-on core description
sessions. Participants will learn the best practices/workflows for tying core-derived
stratigraphic data with porosity-permeability, fluid properties, XRD and other relevant data
for comprehensive reservoir characterization.

Course Objectives: At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• Determine grain-size, lithology, sedimentary structures, biogenic structures and trace
fossils in siliciclastic and carbonate rocks to define lithofacies.
• Apply Walther’s law and siliciclastic sequence stratigraphic concepts to link lithofacies
to facies architecture and depositional facies/Environments of Deposition (EOD).
• Apply concepts of carbonate depositional cycles and carbonate sequence stratigraphy to
understand facies architecture and Environments of Deposition (EOD) in carbonate
rocks.
• Relate depositional facies to modern and ancient analogs in order to predict reservoir
geometries, width-thickness ratios and other reservoir parameters.
• Improve stratigraphic correlation skills by the use of appropriate correlation lengths
inferred from core description.
• Use core data with geophysical data to better constrain reservoir properties and reduce
uncertainties.
Day 1

Before lunch:

• Introduction
• Lecture: Role of Core-description in the Petroleum Business
• Lecture: Grain-size, Roundness and Sorting in Siliciclastic Rocks
• Lecture: Primary and Secondary Sedimentary Structures
• Lecture: Introduction to Walther’s Law and Facies Models
• Lecture: Trace fossils and Depositional Environments
• Lecture: Estimating reservoir dimensions from core-data

After Lunch:
• How to Approach Siliciclastic Cores
• Cores :
• Shoreface deposits
• Deltaic systems
• Incised valley-fill

Day 2

Before lunch:

• Lecture: Introduction to Carbonate Platforms and Facies Belts

• Core: Bakken and Three Forks – examples from an Epeiric Ramp
• Lecture: Carbonate Factories and Classification
• Core: Comparing the T-Factory with the M-Factory examples from the Niobrara and
Lake Valley

After Lunch:

• Lecture: Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy

• Core: Shoaling Cycles, Subaerial Unconformities, Hardgrounds and Drowning
Unconformities examples from the Paradox and Williston Basin
• Lecture: Fractures and Bioturbation
• Core: Biogenically enhanced reservoir quality, natural fracture examples from the
Permian Basin