NEWS

GeoResources has recently received a contract from E.ON Ruhrgas E&P Algeria GmbH for source rock characterisation in its Rhourde Yacoub concession in eastern Algeria. The project will focus on palynostratigraphy, organic maturation analysis and source rock potential assessment.

It adds to the large record of projects in reservoir & source rock characterisation, basin & HC systems analysis and nuemrical modeling, which Georesources has performed in North Africa over the last years for various clients.23

GeoResources will attend the AAPG 2012 Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 22-25 in Long Beach. The convention is dedicated to “Directing the Future of E&P: Starring Creative Ideas and New Technology”.

Two oral presentations will be given:

Inverse Flexural Basin and Forward Stratigraphic Modeling of the Brazilian Continental Margin (Campos, Santos, and Pelotas Basins)
by Rainer Zühlke, Jorham Contreras & Scott Bowman
Theme 6: Petroleum System of the Western Hemisphere (AAPG)
Tuesday, April 24th, 16:25-16:45 h
Location 104 B

Quantitative Tarfaya Basin Development, Morocco
by Axel Wenke, Rainer Zuehlke, Haddou Jabour, Oliver Kluth, Torge Schümann
Theme 6: Petroleum System of the Eastern Hemisphere (AAPG)
Wednesday, April 25, 11:10-11:30 h
Location 102

The German Federal Ministery for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU, Berlin) has granted GeoResources´directors Rainer Zählke and Thilo Bechstädt a three-year research project: “Characterization and numerical modeling of structural and sedimentary geothermal reservoirs”.

The project includes two parts, with part I focused on facies, seismic calibration & prediction and Part II on diagenetic analysis. The main rationale is to adapt and further develop existing techniques applied in hydrocarbon exploration for future geothermal exploration. The research area is located in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany.

Key approaches include terrestrial LIDAR scanning and spectral Gamma Ray logging in outcrops, reservoir modeling of outcrop analogues and subsurface reservoirs as well as PSDM seismic simulation. Diagenetic analyses are based on petrographic microscopy including cold and hot cathodoluminescence, Xray diffractometry, isotope geochemistry and microthermometry.

Both projects are part of the research program AuGE – “Outcrop-reservoir analogue studies and their application to geothermal exploration”. Cooperating organisations and companies include the Universities of Heidelberg, Erlangen and Göttingen, GeoThermal Engineering GmbH (Karlsruhe) and GeoEnergy GmbH (Karlsruhe).

AuGE has been initiated and is coordinated by Geothermal Engineering GmbH (Dipl.-Geol. A. Wenke). The research group includes more than 20 scientists covering sedimentary geology, structural geology, reservoir analysis, hydrocarbon and geothermal exploration. All results from AuGE will be published in international peer-reviewed magazines.

Three PhD students are conducting research at the University of Heidelberg supervised by Rainer Zählke and Thilo Bechstädt. The project is located at the Institute of Geosciences.

Axel Wenke, Rainer Zählke (both GeoResources, Univ. of Heidelberg), Haddou Jabour (OMHYM) and Oliver Kluth (RWE Dea AG) have published the paper “High‐resolution sequence stratigraphy in basin reconnaissance: example from the Tarfaya Basin, Morocco” in First Break (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers), vol. 29, November 2011.

The paper shows the role and advanced techniques of quantitative high-resolution sequence stratigraphy in basin reconnaissance, e.g. at an early stage of new venture exploration. It forms part of the results from the Atlantic Margin Project (AMP), a joint collaboration between RWE Dea AG, ONHYM, GeoResources and the Universities of Heidelberg, Aachen and Kiel.

GeoResources and Univ. of Heidelberg would like to thank ONHYM, Rabat, and RWE Dea AG, Hamburg, who have provided the seismic and well data and have given permission to publish this paper. The paper is derived from the PhD project of the Axel Wenke at the University of Heidelberg, which has been supported by RWE Dea AG.

GeoResources will attend the Saudi Aramco Workshop on “Challenges for Carbonate Reservoir Quality Prediction”, November 19-21 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. GeoResources´directors Rainer Zählke and Thilo Bechstädt will give two oral presentations on the workshop with ten invited specialists.

Numerical Modeling of Outcrop‐Reservoir Analogues ‐ Triassic Carbonate Platforms, Southern Alps, Italy
by Rainer Zählke
Saturday, November 19th

From a Tight Carbonate to a Porous Potential Reservoir: Hydrothermal Dolomites in the Paleozoic of Northern Spain
by Thilo Bechstädt
Sunday, November 20th29

GeoResources co-authors an oral presentation at the European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Sustainable Earth Sciences (SES) conference on November 08-10 in Valencia, Spain. The conference is dedicated to “Technologies for Sustainable Use of the Deep Sub-surface”.

The presentation will be given by Axel Wenke (University of Heidelberg / Geothermal Engineering GmbH) with GeoResources´director Rainer Zählke as one of the co-authors.

“Tectonic Evolution, Reservoir Distribution and Hydrothermal Potential of the Permian in the Northern Upper Rhine Graben”
by A. Wenke (University of Heidelberg / Geothermal Engineering GmbH), L. Rohrer (University of Heidelberg), R. Zählke (University of Heidelberg), H. Kreuter (Geothermal Engineering GmbH), F. Spath (ÃœWG GmbH), S. Bißmann (DMT GmbH & Co KG) & E. Zöllner (ISI GmbH)
Session: Geothermal Exploration I
Date 08.11.2011
Room 2

The presentation focuses on deep geothermal exploration in the northern Upper Rhine Graben, Germany. The project includes a PhD thesis at the University of Heidelberg by L. Rohrer, supervised by Rainer Zählke as part of his university affiliation.

GeoResources will attend the MAPG-AAPG 2nd International Convention, Conference and Exhibition on October 05-07 in Marrakech. The Conference is dedicated to “Northwest Africa building on past success to unlock future potential”.

GeoResources´director Rainer Zühlke will co-chair the session “Source to sink models: impact on reservoir prediction”. Three oral presentations will be given by Georesources´members.

The Atlantic Margin Project (AMP): Integrated Source-To-Sink Analysis of the Southern Moroccan Continental Margin (Tarfaya Basin)
by R. Zählke, H. Jabour, O. Kluth, M. Aquit, S. Ali, L. Boutib, U.A. Glasmacher, B. Heise, A. Holbourn, W. Kuhnt, S. Lahsini, R. Littke, A. Lmoubessime, V. Sachse, T. Schömann, M. Sehrt, K. Stattegger & A. Wenke
Friday, October 7, Ambassadeur Room, 9:30-9:50 h

Quantitative Tarfaya Basin Development, Morocco
by Axel Wenke, Rainer Zählke, Haddou Jabour, Oliver Kluth & Torge Schümann
Friday, October 7, Ambassadeur Room, 9:50-10:10 h

High-Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy of the Tarfaya Basin, Morocco
by Axel Wenke, Georg Miernik, Rainer Zählke, Haddou Jabour, Lahcen Boutib, Abdelouahed Lmoubessime, Oliver Kluth & Jürgen Schober
Friday, October 7, Ambassadeur Room, 10:10-10:30 h

The session is dedicated to the Atlantic Margin Project (AMP), supported by RWE Dea AG and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). The project has been performed jointly by GeoResources, University of Heidelberg, University of Kiel and RWTH University, Aachen.

GeoResources will attend the AAPG international Conference & Exhibition on October 23-26 in Milan. The Conference is dedicated to “Following Da Vinci´s footsteps to future energy resources: innovations from outcrops to assets”.

GeoResources´director Thilo Bechstädt will given an oral presentation on the conference and, together with GeoResources´member Maria Boni, will co-lead a post-conference field trip with wide international attendance.

Oral presentation –
From a tight carbonate to a porous potential reservoir: hydrothermal dolomites in the Paleozoic of northern Spain
by Thilo Bechstaedt, Natalia Muñoz-Quijano, Maria Boni, Gabriel Gutiérrez-Alonso
Tuesday, 25 October, 11:10-11:30h
Theme I: From outcrop to reservoir II

Post-conference Field Trip 5, 26-29 October, 2011 –
Late- to post-Variscan, large-scale “hydrothermal” dolomitization in the Iglesiente area, southwestern Sardinia: geologic/geodynamic setting, fluid flow and porosity evolution
by Alessandro Iannace, Maria Boni & Thilo Bechstaedt01

GeoResources will attend 10th PESGB/HGS Conference on African E & P on September 7-8 in London. The Conference is dedicated to “Africa – A Legacy of Exploration and Discovery”.

GeoResources member Hartmut Jäger will give a poster presentation on “Infra-Cambrian Petroleum Systems in South Africa – Preglacial vs. Postglacial Source Rocks in Namibia” (Authors: Hartmut Jäger & Thilo Bechstädt). The poster will be on display during the two days of the conference. It is focussed on source rock characterization of pre- and postglacial formations of the Otavi Group in the Otavi Mountains, northeastern Namibia.

GeoResources will attend the Geological Society Petroleum Group Conference on 12-13 September in London. The Conference is dedicated to “Source Rocks: Character, Prediction and Value”.

GeoResources member Hartmut Jäger will give a poster presentation on “Source rock potential of the Pre-Tertiary in the Upper Rhine Graben – a new approach”. The poster will be on display during the two days of the conference. It is focussed on optical methods for source rock characterization of pre-Tertiary units in the Upper Rhine Graben, Germany.