Course Description
The prime focus of this 2-day course is to use the Recent and Late Pleistocene - a classic high stand-low stand combination – to develop the basic clastic depositional models for all the various reservoir types we explore for and develop. This course will develop the depositional models for 19 clastic reservoirs, virtually all that you will ever explore for or develop as a field. For each reservoir, we will start by looking at the depositional processes, core and log signatures, and reservoir geometries in the recent and apply these observations to both outstanding outcrops and then the subsurface using logs, maps, and where available good seismic.
The course will summarize the vast amount of information available for each reservoir system and provide the “ground truth” that can be used in the subsurface. For each reservoir type we will:
- Review the PROCESSES that control sediment movement and deposition in that environment.
- Study the resulting DEPOSITIONAL RECORD from continuous cores through the reservoirs and GEOMETRIES characteristics of each unit.
- Document the LOG RESPONSES using the actual logs run in the modern sands.
- Establish the FACIES and SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC CONTEXT for each unit.
- Translate these observations to applications in the SUBSURFACE with emphasis on TRAP TYPES and SEISMIC SIGNATURES.
The reservoirs we will examine in detail are:
CONTINENTAL
Aeolian
Alluvial Fan
CHANNELS
Straight
Meandering
Braided (includes Incised Valleys)
Estuary
BARS
Coastal Regressive
Transgressive (coastal and offshore)
Shallow Marine Shelf
DELTAS
River Dominated
Wave Dominated
Tide Dominated
Special Case: Shelf Margin Deltas
DEEP WATER
Canyons
Submarine Fans
The course is not an academic course, but is meant to be practical and hard hitting – how to realistically use log, rock data, and seismic to make reasonable interpretations in the subsurface.
Biography
Larry Meckel is an oil and gas consultant in Denver, Colorado. He has over 50 years of exploration experience with Shell Oil Company, Shell Development Company, and his current consulting company.
He has worked unconventional tight petroleum systems (gas and oil) since 1974. In 1976 he was fortunate to be part of an exploration team that discovered the huge, unconventional Elmworth Field in western Canada. He has worked and is familiar with most the clastic reservoir units in Western Canada.
Early in his career he studied and documented modern depositional models in Recent environments for Shell Development. He has used this material virtually every day of his exploration career. This course, “Recent Sand Models”, brings all this material together for every major clastic reservoir we explore for (exploration level) and develop (production level).
He retired from Colorado School of Mines in May 2016 where he taught “Recent Sand Models” and “Unconventional Petroleum Systems” at the graduate level. He still teaches continuing education courses for OLLI at the University of Denver.
He received the AAPG’s highest award, the Sidney Powers Award, at the April 2017 Convention in Houston for his contributions to petroleum geology. Additionally, he received their Honorary Member Award in 2016 and their Distinguished Educator Award in 2011 for his teaching excellence.
He has a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Rice University.
