Understanding the "upstream" part of the business will provide new staff with the necessary tools to do their tasks in this complex working environment. This course provides a full overview of exploration for hydrocarbons, field development, on- and offshore operations, processing and transportation of oil and gas. The history of the business, project economics and global issues are also discussed.
Who should attend
New technical (non PE) staff, geologists and geophysicists in the "upstream" oil and gas business.
Course content
History of the oil industry, current issues. geological concepts, global distribution of hydrocarbons, nature and geometry of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Methods and tools used for hydrocarbon exploration, including drilling. Reservoir properties, well log evaluation, static and dynamic models of reservoirs, assessment of hydrocarbons-in-place, reserves and its uncertainties. Field appraisal and development, flow models, production forecasts, surface engineering and field operations. Project - life cycle -economics. Environmental issues.
Learning, methods and tools
At the end of the course participants will have a good but general understanding of the 'upstream' oil and gas business: how hydrocarbons are found, developed, produced and treated prior to sales.
Participants will work in teams on an actual offshore field case, and will go through all steps that lead to an economic development.
Although the program is similar to that of the E&P Introduction course, the content of the sessions is more in-depth and designed for staff with a technical background.
Day by day programme
Day 1, Focus on the energy business, geology principles
Introduction of participants and trainer, course program
Scope of the energy / oil & gas business
History of the oil & gas business, technology breakthroughs
Major players in the industry
Activities in E&P
Global energy resources
Oil price review and scenario's
Global issues, PR and environment
General process of oil & gas development projects, project life cycles
Team exercise "The Texel Development Project" 1: Commercial, Environmental and PR issues, Exploration bid proposal. Given a description of the project activities and the geographical environment, make an outline of a bid proposal, environmental and PR plan.
Petroleum geology principles: Global geology, cycles, sedimentology, structures and traps
Day 2, Focus on exploration, drilling, subsurface data collection and interpretation.
Recap day 1
Exploration, finding hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbon basins, plays, the origin of hydrocarbons.
Seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation
The Texel Development Project 2: Volumetric uncertainty. Given the results of the exploration well and 3D seismic, estimate maximum and minimum volumes.
Basic drilling technology
Day 3, Focus on petrophysics, reservoir appraisal and volumetrics, reservoir engineering
Recap day 2.
Reservoir data gathering: well logging, petrophysical analysis, well testing
Static models introduction, volumetrics, uncertainty and appraisal
The Texel Development Project 3: Appraisal. Given the results of the exploration well and 3D seismic, make an appraisal plan.
Day 4, Focus on surface development options, production technology
Recap day 3
Well completion technology, horizontal wells, artificial lift, fracking
Development planning: team exercise subsurface development options
The Texel Development Project 4: Given the static reservoir model and well performance, select development scenario's. A production forecast will be prepared based on one of these scenario's.
Surface facilities and engineering: Oil & gas processing
Film: Troll Field, "The last of the giants"
Day 5, Focus on surface development options, project economics
Recap day 4
Surface facilities and engineering: Production facilities, Field operations
The Texel Development Project 5: Select surface development options. Given the production profile and facilities costs, prepare basic facilities design and a project schedule, and calculate the phased costs.
Basic project economics and financial performance indicators.
The Texel Development Project 6: Given phased project costs, production forecast and commercial and tax terms, calculate project economics and sensitivities using an Excel economics spreadsheet.