EAGE NEWSLETTER

Issue 1 2014MIDDLE EAST

What's insidePassive seismic workshop in Lisbon 3Experience the Energy in Amsterdam 4Uncertainty short course 6Industry News 9

And more...

Gladys Gonzalez, EAGE president writes:

Having reached more than ‘half-time’ in

my term of office, I would like to look

back at the activities of the past months as well

as look forward. First I would like to thank the

team in our Dubai office for their service and

above all you, our members, for your engage-

ment and participation.

As we start 2014, I am delighted to report

that our Association has moved from strength

to strength during the past year. With more than

17,000 members we are well positioned for a very

successful 2014. We enjoy an enviable position as

part of the global geoscience and energy commu-

nity, and as a result EAGE is weathering well the

economic storms that continue to plague most of

Europe and many other parts of the world.

During my term of office I am dedicated to

channelling my energies into the leadership of

EAGE, with the theme of ‘Making a difference

on a global scale – narrowing the gap’. This re-

fers to the need to narrow the gap between geo-

science and engineering disciplines; professional

development across the regions; academic and

industry efforts to develop emerging technolo-

gies to address society’s needs; for young profes-

sionals and women in career development; pro-

fessional degrees and professional occupation;

and active and inactive members.

I also would like to continue to work with

sister and local societies to explore where our

Association can make a difference in narrow-

ing gaps. To that end, planned initiatives include

Looking forward to an eventful year in 2014

Read more on page 2 ➤

Read more on page 2 ➤

GEO 2014 will be best show in town

multi-disciplinary conferences, workshops and

programmes in partnership with other geosci-

ence and engineering societies. In the Middle

East, we return to our cooperation with AAPG

and SEG for GEO 2014 on 9-12 March 2014

in Manama; we will organize for the fourth

time the ‘Tar Mats Workshop’ with the SPE on

1-4 June 2014 in Dubai; we are again cooperat-

ing with AAPG and SPE for the ‘Second Shale

Gas Workshop’ on 21-14 September 2014 in

Dubai; and there is much more ‘the details of

which can be found in this newsletter.

My visit in 2013 started in UAE participating

in the opening ceremony of the Second Inter-

national Conference of Engineering Geophysics

held in Al Ain, a remarkable event for its soci-

etal impact. This is the second year which EAGE

has been an integral part in the organization of

the conference and we look forward to working

closely with the Al Ain Municipality and UAE Uni-

versity to further develop the concepts around

this international conference. I also visited other

impressive countries in the region including the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where I was honoured

to be the guest keynote speaker at the Dhahran

Geoscience Society monthly meeting.

In January, I returned to the Middle East for

the 7th IPTC (organized together with AAPG,

SEG and the SPE) in Qatar and am planning to

be in Bahrain in March for the forthcoming GEO

event. All the locations I have had the privilege

to visit during my time in the Middle East have

exciting events and developments within the

geoscience and engineering community. Further-

more, we have a series of excellent conferences

in the year ahead. I look forward to seeing as

many of you as possible at our Annual Meeting

at the Amsterdam RAI in June. It will be the larg-

est multi-disciplinary geoscience and engineering

oriented event of its kind in the world. This is

There’s a lot to look forward to at this

year’s GEO 2014 event being held in

Manama on 9-12 March with the theme

‘Taking Geoscience Beyond the Conventional’.

Inaugurated in 1994, the GEO exhibition is the

premier showcase of oil and gas exploration

technology and services in the Middle East,

attracting NOCs, IOCs and major operating

companies.

The GEO conference offers industry profes-

sionals and students the largest geosciences

technical programme in the region. It is orga-

nized and developed by AAPG, EAGE and SEG.

Additional support comes from the Dhahran

Geoscience Society (DGS), the Bahrain Geosci-

ence Society (BGS), the Geological Society of

Oman (GSO), Emirates Society of Geoscientists

(ESG) and the Qatar Geological Society (QGS),

in cooperation with a committee of national

and international oil company representatives.

The diverse combination of local and in-

ternational expertise ensures that the pro-

gramme is highly technical, with leading edge

science brought together from around the

world and mixed with local knowledge from

the region’s leading geoscientists. Along-

side the conference programme will be the

Gladys Gonzalez

EAGE president

2013-2014

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 20142

EAGE UPDATE

GEO 2014 will be best show in town

EAGE Newsletter Middle East

Publications & Communications ManagerMarcel Van Loon (ml@eage.org)

Regional Manager Middle EastRaymond Cahill (rcl@eage.org)

Publications CoordinatorMarjolein van Kraanen (mws@eage.org)

Account Manager AdvertisingPeter Leitner (plr@eage.org)

ProductionCo Productions bv (contact@coproductions.nl)

EAGE Middle East OfficeEAGE Middle East FZ-LLCDubai Knowledge VillageBlock 13 Office F-25PO Box 501711Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel.: +971 4 369 3897Fax: +971 4 360 4702E-mail: middle_east@eage.orgWebsite: www.eage.org

Submission of articles(mws@eage.org)

Newsletter on the Web(www.eage.org)

exhibition showcasing a diverse collection of ex-

ploration products, services, technology and tech-

Continued from p.1.

Eventful year ahead in 2014

not only reflected in the scope of topics to be

covered in the technical programme, currently in

preparation, but in the tremendous interest once

again being shown by exhibitors.

As mentioned earlier we have some excellent

workshops coming up in the Middle East region.

In 2014 we will be offering more than 10 work-

shops over the course of the year. Popular work-

shops such as the Passive Seismic Workshop

and the Exploration Workshop will run again,

but also new workshops are on the schedule.

I would like to highlight the High Performance

Computing for Upstream Workshop, the Bore-

hole Geology Workshop and the Basin and Pe-

troleum System Modeling Workshop.

The EET 8 tour by Enru Liu was launched dur-

ing the Annual Meeting in London in 2013 and

will continue in 2014 taking in the Middle East as

part of the schedule. Also in the education area

we have the Education Days, one week filled with

courses. At the moment we offer them in Lon-

don, Aberdeen, Moscow, Stavanger, Abu Dhabi

and Dhahran.

In 2013, EAGE entered the world of 2.0

and started to communicate via social media.

We see that more and more members com-

municate through social media, and we wish

to interact with them in creating, sharing and/

or exchanging information and ideas. Also the

Middle East region has its own LinkedIn group,

where you can discuss topics and ask questions

– so if you haven’t already, join this group right

away!

May I just finish by wishing our members

in the Middle East Region and the many oth-

ers who participate in our local events, or take

an interest in our geoscience and engineering

community, all the best for 2014. I hope to see

you at one of our events either in the Middle

East or somewhere else in the world.

Continued from p.1. niques; senior level panel discussions; extensive

poster presentations; workshops, and field trips.

Four post-event field trips and eight pre-event

short courses are scheduled. EAGE will be offering

two short courses, one on Explorational Rock Phys-

ics and Seismic Reservoir Prediction presented by

Dr Per Avseth and Prof Dr Tor Arne Johansen, the

other on Fundamentals of Seismic Acquisition and

Processing presented by Jeffrey D. Johnson.

At the prestigious EAGE Geo-Quiz students can

put their geoscience knowledge to the test against

fellow students. The winning team will receive a

travel grant to EAGE’s Annual Conference in Am-

sterdam, The Netherlands, to compete in the EAGE

Geo-Quiz finals. More information and registration

available soon on www.eage.org/students!

The GEO Steering Committee will again be col-

laborating with universities and students for the

Young Professionals and Student Activities Pro-

gram (YPSS). This includes a short course on the

EAGE president Gladys Gonzalez with Aiman Bakhorji,

DGS president 2013-2014, and Ibrahim Assa’adan,

executive director exploration, Saudi Aramco.

EAGE invites you to register prior to the GEO 2014 Conference & Exhibition for one of

the EAGE short courses on offer! Both courses take place at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain, on

8-9 March 2014, 09:00 – 17:00 hrs. Please visit www.geo2014.com for more information.

Short Course: Explorational Rock Physics and Seismic Reservoir Prediction

Instructors: Per Avseth, Tullow Oil, and Tor Arne Johansen, University of Oslo

Short Course: Fundamentals of Seismic Acquisition and Processing

Instructor: Jeffrey D. Johnson, NExT/Schlumberger

Fundamentals of Oil & Gas covering upstream,

mid-stream and downstream sectors of the indus-

try aimed at non-technical people within E&P, refin-

ing and service companies, as well as professional

advisers. Participants will gain insight into current

issues, industry terminology, how money flows

through the entire business chain, how different

parts of the business interact with each other and

other companies, as well as with external investors.

The risks involved and the magnitude of financial

exposure versus rewards will also be discussed.

There will be a CV writing workshop where at-

tendees will learn how to evaluate their own skills

and achievements and use this information to

write an effective CV, as well as learn the key skills

for successful job interviews. The YPSS programme

will end with a networking ‘Meet and Greet’ cock-

tail reception where participants can engage with

the industry community and meet with like-mind-

ed students and young professionals.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 2014 3

EAGE UPDATE

grained dasyclad algae, foraminiferal packstone-

wackestones; caprotinid and caprinid rudists and

oysters, as well as abundant Lithocodium-Bacinella

algae, foraminifera and shell debris.

For further information on the EAGE Borehole

Geology Workshop please visit the event website

at www.eage.org.

Latest passive seismic workshop to meet in Lisbon

Field trip will be a highlight of Borehole Geology Workshop in Dubai

of seismic scale. The outcrops provide excellent

opportunities for observations to be made of

field-scale cross-sections that can help to refine

sequence stratigraphic and facies models. This in

turn aids in the interpretation of reservoir geom-

etry distribution and continuity in the subsurface.

Outcrops in Wadi Rahabah are time equivalent

to the Lower Cretaceous, Upper Thamama Group.

Here an understanding and appreciation of reser-

voir heterogeneity (sedimentary and structural

controls) and the scale of bedding, stylolites, litho-

facies and fauna can be observed and discussed.

At Wadi Dhayah outcrops of Shuaiba Formation

are observed in the wadi floor, which are overlain

by shales, marls and carbonates in the Nahr Umr

and Mauddud Formations. The Nahr Umr and

Mauddud are repeated by thrust faulting, with

the entire Lower Cretaceous section overlain by

an overthrusted Jurassic carbonate sequence. The

Shuaiba Formation is similar to that observed in

the subsurface with facies characterized by fine-

Plans to include a fascinating field trip are

well underway for the EAGE Borehole Geol-

ogy Workshop ‘Optimising the Use of Your

Borehole Image Data’ which will be held in Dubai

this October.

The workshop will open with a field trip, on

Monday 13 October 2014, to Ras Al Khaimah

in the Abu Dhabi region, which has some of the

most prolific onshore and offshore oil and gas

producing zones. The objective will be to gain an

understanding of the field scale stratigraphy, sedi-

mentology, sequence stratigraphy and structure. It

will also be an opportunity to make direct compar-

isons between borehole image logs and outcrop

to get a better understanding of the interpreta-

tion of image log features, their lateral continuity

and influence away from the borehole on reservoir

heterogeneity and quality.

This fieldtrip will visit Wadi Rahabah and Wadi

Dhayah in Ras Al Khaimah where time equivalents

of these zones are found in spectacular outcrops

Portugal’s magnificent capital city of Lisbon

is due to host the Fifth EAGE Workshop on

Passive Seismic being held from 28 Sep-

tember to 1 October 2014. It will be an oppor-

tunity to see how far this increasingly significant

reservoir monitoring technology has evolved in

its value to E&P decision-makers.

Workshop organizers say that there will be

some positive changes to the format in this year’s

event. The idea is to stimulate discussion in for-

mal and informal settings but also to generate

tangible outcomes by taking the opportunity of

having so many experts on passive seismic data

issues in one venue. The challenge will be to find

answers and identify knowledge gaps in areas

such as induced seismicity, fracture generation

and mechanics, and integrated interpretation.

After an introduction to the topic of the day

by invited speakers, participants will split up into

different workgroups to discuss specific ques-

tions related to the topic. The results of these

discussions will be summarized and distributed

to all participants. It is hoped that this format will

provide some detailed suggestions to research-

ers, operators, service companies and regulators

on how to advance the responsible application

of passive seismic technology.

Questions to be considered during the event

will include:

• Induced seismicity: how to serve public and

company interests?

• What measurements are necessary to gain a

more reliable picture?

• Fracture generation and fracture mechanics:

how is microseismic data integrated into

fracture models?

• What does microseismic data tell us about

qualitative and quantitative changes of

permeability?

• Integrated interpretation: What data is

necessary/valuable to validate and constrain

certain interpretations of microseismic data?

What decision should be driven by microseis-

mic data?

Alongside the invited speakers and discussion

sessions there will be extended poster sessions.

In the Call for Papers, the technical commit-

tee invites 300 word abstracts focusing on the

key topics of the workshop; Induced Seismicity,

Fracture Generation and Mechanics, and Inte-

grated Interpretation via the EAGE website by

31 March 2014. Authors are encouraged to ad-

dress the impact of their work on the perceived

value to the end user of passive seismic tech-

nologies.

We look forward to seeing you in Lisbon.

Tramcar in Lisbon.

Outcrops to be visited.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 20144

EAGE UPDATE

Make sure you experience the energy at Amsterdam ’14

How can the broad experience of geosci-

entists help the world to meet its future

energy needs? The answer lies in the

theme of this year’s 76th EAGE Conference and

Exhibition in Amsterdam from 16-19 June 2014:

‘Experiencing the Energy’ or, how the multi-dis-

ciplinary approach to oil and gas exploration and

production fostered by EAGE can contribute to

meeting future energy needs.

Fossil fuels are set to continue having a major

role to play in the global energy mix for decades

to come simply by virtue of the enormous invest-

ment needed for any alternatives to scale up to

meet the demand. ‘Experience’ will play an es-

sential role in providing the solutions. A major

priority is to build on the experience of our cur-

rent workforce and share this experience with

new generations of professionals who need to

be brought up to speed as rapidly as possible.

It is already very clear that skills shortages could

be a major issue in the years to come, which is

why we put such an emphasis on the Student

Programme and associated activities to encour-

age new recruits into the industry.

Amsterdam ‘14 is the largest and most com-

prehensive geoscience event of its kind in the

world. The six-day programme includes a large

conference, technical exhibition, workshops,

short courses and field trips presenting the latest

developments in geophysics, geology and reser-

voir/petroleum engineering. In addition there is

an extensive programme for students.

One highlight at the annual meetings is

the EAGE Forum, in which a panel of distin-

guished experts from industry, academia and

international agencies in the energy field will

hold an open discussion on ‘Doing More With

Less’. Other highlights include the Executive

Sessions on ‘Exploration Frontiers – Where

Next for Exploration?’ on vertical movements of

the crust and exploration significance and ‘Can

Resource Plays Be Sweet Spotted? Expert speak-

ers from oil companies, service companies, uni-

versities and institutes will participate in discus-

sions which are open to all conference delegates.

Following last year’s success, EAGE will again

offer a special session for ‘Women in Geosci-

ence and Engineering’. The session will feature

a thought-provoking speaker followed by open

discussions. For the first time this year EAGE will

organize a session specially focused on Young

Professionals. We invite all young professionals

to attend the session, which will have an invited

speaker and discussions. For both sessions please

refer for more detailed information to the web-

site, which will be updated regularly.

‘Create your Energy’ is the theme of this year’s

extensive Student Programme. The highlights in-

clude activities and contests in the Student Court,

an area dedicated for students, as well as student

short courses, workshops, poster presentations,

trial interviews, exhibition tours, and much more.

Student delegates can expect to meet two mo-

tivational speakers in the Student Court. Roel

Snieder, Center for Wave Phenomena, Colorado

School of Mines, will speak on ‘Leading the add-

ed-value life’, and Salomon Kroonenberg, pro-

fessor emeritus, Department of Geotechnology,

Delft University of Technology, will talk on ‘Trust

your guts as you trust your model’ explaining why

you should always stay alert at the outcomes of

your models. Once again the Geo-Quiz will be a

highlight, this is the occasion when students from

around the world’s geoscience education centres

pit their wits against each other to win some

fabulous prizes!

Amsterdam ‘14 will be a perfect opportunity

to catch up with the latest science and technol-

ogy developments in relevant disciplines, but

also an opportunity to meet colleagues from

around the world in a superb setting. Please visit

www.eage.org/events/amsterdam-2014 to reg-

ister and keep informed about this key event.

ACROSS 4. a metamorphic rock used for tiles

and roofs5. an organic metamorphic rock8. limestone is the parent rock of this10. an agent of metamorphism result-

ingfrom the weight of rocks above11. an agent of metamorphism

related to temperature12. a foliated dense rock that has light

and dark colored banding14. metamorphic rocks having a

banded or striped appearance

DOWN 1. comes from metamorphosed quart sandstone2. ............ techtonics is the movement of parts of the earth’s crust3. change form6. ............ solution is gases and water vapor escaping from magma7. ............ metamorphism is a localized low grade metamorphism9. ............ metamorphism is associated with mountain building.13. the name comes from a Greek word meaning “to split”

1 2

3 4

5 6 7

8

9

10

11

12 13

14

See answer p. 7

Metamorphic Rocks

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CC00529-MA157.indd 1 16-01-14 14:40

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 20146

EAGE UPDATE

Last chance to present a paper at the ‘High Performance Computing for Upstream’ workshop in Crete

For the first time EAGE is hosting

a workshop on ‘High Performance

Computing for Upstream’ from

7-10 September 2014, on the beautiful

island of Crete.

The objective of the workshop is to

present current advancements, and dis-

cuss future developments, in high per-

formance computing as its relates to

applications in the upstream oil and gas

industry.

There are approximately two months

left to make your abstract submissions

via the EAGE website www.eage.org as

the Call for Papers closes on 31 March

2014.

Abstracts of two to four pages, with

the option of including one figure to

support the work, are invited in relation

to the following topics:

• Seismic imaging and inversion

(RTM, FWI, acoustic, elastic)

• Seismic processing and modeling

(acoustic, elastic)

• Electromagnetic modeling and

inversion

• Joint inversion of geophysical and

engineering data

Short course on uncertainty will start second Dubai integrated reservoir modelling conference

A short course on ‘Uncertainty Quantifica-

tion’ will kick off the Second Integrated

Reservoir Modelling Conference on

16 November 2014 in Dubai. This course ties in

perfectly with the underlying theme of the con-

ference which is ‘Uncertainty Management: Are

we Doing it Right?’.

The short course will take place on Sunday, 16

November 2014; 08:00–17:00 hrs. Registration

will open on the event website on 1 July 2014;

please register early as space is limited.

Uncertainty is a topic experiencing a great

deal of interest within the E&P industry borne

out by the number of publications and confer-

ences being held on the subject. It is a complex

subject, with various companies adopting differ-

ent approaches, often depending upon the in-

ternal company culture.

The short course will present some integrated

reservoir modelling workflows demonstrating a

set of techniques to create three-dimensional

numerical earth models in terms of elastic, pet-

rophysical and dynamic properties of the rocks

at different time steps during exploration and

production. The course focuses on the quantifi-

cation of uncertainty in the data, in the physical

models and in the predictions in reservoir mod-

elling workflows. Uncertainty propagation from

the measured data, through the physical models,

to the model predictions, will be studied with re-

views of seismic data inversion, static reservoir

characterization, structural modelling, dynamic

fluid simulation, time-lapse monitoring and his-

tory matching. Topics covered include uncer-

tainty in the spatial and time domain, structure,

complexity and dimensionality. The link between

uncertainty quantification and decision-making

will be introduced through decision-making the-

ory. Lectures will include demonstrations of the

methodologies on real case applications.

The course will be led by Dario Grana, as-

sistant professor of rock physics and reservoir

characterization in the Department of Geol-

ogy and Geophysics at University of Wyoming,

Grana graduated in mathematics at University

of Pavia (Italy) in 2005 and in applied math-

ematics at University of Milano Bicocca (Italy)

in 2006. He worked four years on reservoir

characterization at Eni Exploration and Produc-

tion in Milan. He then completed his PhD in

Geophysics at Stanford University during the

summer 2013. His main research interests are

rock physics, seismic reservoir characterization,

geostatistics and inverse problems for reservoir

modelling.

The conference will be held on 16−19 No-

vember 2014 at The Address, Dubai Marina,

Dubai. There are four main issues to address

when discussing uncertainties in the context of

Integrated reservoir modelling: their identifica-

tion, evaluation, impact and management.

The Call for Papers is currently open with a

closing date of 1 May 2014. To submit an ab-

stract, please visit www.eage.org.

• Reservoir modeling and simulation

• Finite difference and finite elements

algorithms

• HPC case histories and field studies

• System architectures for exascale

computing

• Bottlenecks in applications when

anticipating exascale computing

• Data intensive computing (high

performance I/O and file systems)

• Next generation programming models and

languages

• Performance analysis and optimization

• Upstream data visualization (distributed and

remote visualization)

• Fabrics for upstream HPC

• Energy efficient computing

For any further information please write to

our email address middle_east@eage.org.

We hope to see you in Crete as a presenter or

as an interested participant!

Dario Grana of Wyoming University will present the

short course.

Ancient Crete view.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 2014 7

EAGE UPDATE

Second EAGE Forum for Students and Young Professionals, all set for Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat

Students and young professionals in the

Middle East have a lot to look forward to

this year as the successful EAGE Forum

for Students and Young Professionals returns.

The forum entitled, ‘Empowering & Developing

Young Talents,’ will be held at the prestigious

Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat.

Dr Hesham El-Kaliouby, assistant professor,

Earth Sciences Department is a Co-Chair in the

steering committee for the event. When asked

about the inaugural forum, he said: ‘The stu-

dents’ experience was amazing as they were

given the opportunity to interact with their

peers from different universities in the GCC

countries. Students learned a lot from oil indus-

try experts and young professionals who shared

their successful stories through panel discus-

sions, and from the lectures presented by key-

note speakers which were about skill and career

development.’

This year the forum in its second edition

(7−9 December 2014) will involve sessions

which apply to both students and young pro-

fessionals in the first five years of their career.

Here is a sneak peek of a few of our planned

sessions.

‘Mentoring Young Talents’ − The professional

world in general, oil and gas in particular, can

be tough to navigate. A mentoring programme

can make it easier only if mentoring is applied

properly with a clear mentor/mentee relation-

ship. This session will explore the often misun-

derstood process of mentoring and the value a

good mentoring programme can provide to both

individuals and their employers. The session will

outline realistic outcome expectations for the

mentor and the mentee by presenting real-life

mentoring stories whilst discussing the challeng-

es and successes.

‘Building Bridges between Academia & Industry

to better adapt the development of Young

Talents‘ − The objective of this session is to hold

a discussion with, and hear the opinions of, aca-

demia, industry, students and young profession-

als on subjects such as:

• The industry’s needs from academia as well as

academia’s needs from industry

• Is the Gulf Region co-operating enough with

academia?

• Is the industry too sensitive with data when it

is asked to release purely for academic use?

• Are there enough internship opportunities in

the Gulf region?

• Do teaching methods need to be adapted

to allow students and young professionals

to meet the expectations of the oil and gas

industry?

Through this session we can see how academia

and industry collaborate to come up with the

best approach to diminish the gap between the

two entities.

‘Executive Managers Panel: Staff Retention’ −

The increasing number of young professional

applicants to join oil and gas companies around

the world creates significant challenges for those

companies to integrate and train the new gen-

eration of oil and gas professionals.  On top of

that, rapid change in the industry requires young

professionals to have wider technical and soft

skill-sets to perform the complex tasks required

of them every day. To excel in the industry and

distinguish themselves among their peers, young

professionals must take charge of their own de-

velopment and always be prepared for future

opportunities and challenges. 

‘How do we manage the sometimes tricky task

of getting people both to where they want to be

and where their employer needs them to be?’

– This panel discussion will include top regional

executives from the full spectrum of oil and gas

companies and will focus on the processes they

feel are important in ensuring the adequate de-

velopment of their staff, including the concepts

of employee and employer responsibility, perfor-

mance evaluation, fairness, diversity and mobility. 

The panel will also examine the increasing im-

portance of career self-guidance and the internal

and external factors young professionals need to

consider when looking at their long-term career

path. More details on the other planned sessions

are available online.

Finally, we are calling for posters for the Best

Poster Competition. The theme is ‘Geoscience!’

The abstract submission deadline is 1 August

2014 and the call is for both students and young

professionals’ work. Please visit the event web-

site for further information www.eage.org.

Crossword solution

ACROSS

DOWN

4 Slate 1 Quartzite

5 Anthracite 2 Plate

8 Marble 3 Metamorphic

10 Pressure 6 Hydrothermal

11 Heat 7 Contact

12 Gneiss 9 Regional

14 Foliated 13 Schist

Al Jalali Fort, Muscat.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 20148

EAGE UPDATE

A lot to talk about at this year’s Third EAGE Exploration Workshop

Dhahran 2013 Education Days excelled as an unconventional learning experience

The EAGE Exploration Workshop which

was launched five years ago continues to

feature in the EAGE Middle East calen-

dar. This year, the third workshop in the series

will be held from 6-9 April under the intriguing

theme of ‘Moving Forward by Exploring Differ-

ently’.

Abu Dhabi will be the host for this established

event and welcomes experts from oil companies,

service companies and academia to interact and

debate on the technical challenges facing explo-

rationists in the Gulf region ranging from data

integration, play and prospect evaluation, explo-

ration technology and integration as well as new

frontiers, creativity and innovation.

Exploration geologists, specialist geologists,

data managers, geomaticians, geophysicists,

seismic interpreters and related disciplines are

are all invited to attend this workshop where

there will be plenty of dedicated time for discus-

sions, debates and to brainstorm issues present-

ed during each session. The objective is to give

everyone the opportunity to interact, exchange

ideas and to engage in finding practical solu-

tions to issues in the field of exploration.

Registration is now open, closing on

31 March 2014. Don’t miss out on what prom-

ises to be a stimulating workshop! Sign up and

find out more at: www.eage.org/events/explora-

tion-2014.

EAGE, in its continued successful partner-

ship with the Dhahran Geoscience Soci-

ety (DGS), jointly hosted a two-day short

course in Saudi Arabia on ‘Shale Gas Geome-

chanics: The key to successful production from

shale’.

The event was held on 10−11 November at

the Carlton Al Moaibed Hotel in Al Khobar. This

was a perfect location for the needs of our Edu-

cation Days with the right mix of facilities and

Middle Eastern hospitality. DGS president Aiman

Bakhorji was instrumental in organizing this

learning event with a focus on unconventionals,

with short courses by DGS, EAGE, AAPG and

SEG. He has been leading the way in encour-

aging new and exciting engagements for DGS

during his term as president.

The course, attended by 33 professionals and

three students, was led by Dr Hamed Soroush

He is an internationally recognized geomechan-

ics expert with more than 16 years’ experience

in different applications of rock mechanics who

has conducted more than 100 consulting and

research projects worldwide.

Over the two days participants were able to

gain an introduction to geomechanics, look at

the theories and background to geomechani-

cal modelling, and then move onto the specific

geomechanic applications for shale gas, includ-

ing wellbore stability, hydraulic fracturing, maxi-

mizing production from natural fractures, com-

pacting and subsidence, to name just a few key

areas. There was certainly plenty of enthusiasm

and animated discussion with the course par-

ticipants having many questions and scenarios

ready for Dr Soroush’s expert opinion.

Dr Soroush said: ‘I have no doubt that Educa-

tion Days is a brilliant idea for transferring neat

and cutting edge knowledge from one side of

the world to another and from one company to

another. It helps to spread knowledge and expe-

rience through the auspices of a huge technical

association like EAGE where members have such

a variety of backgrounds and expertise.’

With such a big attendance, DGS had its work

cut out to ensure everything ran smoothly. How-

ever, the team worked seamlessly in arranging all

the necessities to make it one of the best courses

run as part of the Education Days Dhahran.

Watch out for more exciting short courses

that will be made available thanks to the contin-

ued partnership of DGS and EAGE in the com-

ing months by visiting our Education website

www.learninggeoscience.org.

Abu Dhabi skyline.

Participants focus on unconventionals.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 2014 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

Oryx Petroleum has updated its drilling

activities at Banan and Demir Dagh in

the Hawler licence area in the Kurdis-

tan Region of Iraq.

BAN-1 well, the company’s fourth explora-

tion well in the Banan Prospect is targeting

light oil potential in the Lower Jurassic and

Triassic, and medium oil potential in the Creta-

ceous and Upper Jurassic. Netherland, Sewell

& Associates (NSAI) estimates that the Banan

Prospect contains 196 mmbbl of best estimate

unrisked gross (100%) prospective resources.

NSAI`s estimate excludes a significant portion

of the Banan Prospect that was outside the

Hawler license area boundaries prior a bound-

ary extension.

Logging data, core analysis and observa-

tions during drilling in the Cretaceous confirm

the presence of hydrocarbons and similar res-

ervoir properties as observed at Demir Dagh.

Logging data and observations during drilling,

including free oil on the shakers and cuttings,

also confirm the presence of hydrocarbons in

the Upper and Lower Jurassic.

The first well in the Demir Dagh appraisal

programme (DD-3) was spudded in mid-No-

vember and is expected to reach a total depth

of 4115 m in Q2 2014. The well is being drilled

down flank of the anticline approximately three

km to the southeast of the DD-2 discovery well

and will test the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Trias-

sic reservoirs. The DD-3 well is on schedule, hav-

ing reached a depth of approximately 1600 m

in the uppermost Cretaceous. Drilling experi-

ence to date with DD-3 has been consistent

with the drilling of the DD-2 discovery well. 

Oryx Petroleum is the operator and has a

65% participating and working interest in the

Hawler license area. 

Oryx reports on Kurdistan drilling Aramco establishes Boston research centre

The inauguration of a new Aramco Research

Centere in Cambridge, Mass., near Boston,

has marks another step in the company’s

strategic commitment to build a global research

and development presence, and to expand its

worldwide research network and capabilities.

Saudi Aramco president and CEO Khalid A. Al-

Falih at the launch said: ‘To provide the energy

the world needs our challenge is not simply to

develop more energy supplies, but also to make

them cleaner, more cost-effective and more effi-

cient. That means revolutionary, game-changing

technologies. We see innovation and increasing

knowledge intensity as the next opportunity for

transformative growth and prosperity, since it will

unlock new possibilities and affect every human

endeavour. ‘

In the past 18 months, the company has made

substantial progress in its global R&D programme,

opening new research centres at the King Abdul-

lah University of Science and Technology in Thu-

wal, Saudi Arabia; and internationally in Delft,

The Netherlands; Paris; Daejeon, Korea; and, in

the near future, Beijing. The two other US-based

centres will be officially inaugurated next year in

Houston and Detroit

Map of Oryx licence area.

Adnoc reviews options as super major partnership agreements expire

The day 11 January may go down as an his-

toric moment for the Abu Dhabi National

Oil Company (Adnoc). This was the day

when the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil

Operations (Adco) oil concession came to an end

closing out its longstanding partnerships with

some of the world’s biggest oil companies.

Adnoc previously held a 60% controlling

stake in Adco, with ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch

Shell, Total, BP and Partex Oil and Gas sharing

the remainder. Now Adnoc owns 100% of the

interests in the concession leaving the industry

wondering about future operations. One sce-

nario may be that Adnoc decides to invite some

of its major Asian customers to participate in

running the fields in the decades to come. This

makes sense in that most of the oil produced

is destined for Asia. However the western super

majors will also be bidding for the new conces-

sion with history, experience and technical ex-

pertise on their side.

Abu Dhabi signed the 75-year agreements

with western oil companies in January 1939. The

government acquired a 60% in the early 1970s

and Adco was formed in 1978.

Collectively, the Adco fields produce around

1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), with most of

the output coming from five fields: Asab, Bab,

Bu Hasa, Sahil and Shah. All fields are linked

to the storage and shipping facilities located at

Jabel Dhana, where tankers load Murban crude

for export. The old partners still receive an eq-

uity share of Murban from the fields. Adnoc has

decided to sell these volumes through one-year

term contracts with the oil majors while it de-

cides which companies will become its partners

in the Adco concession.

At a close-out ceremony Abdul Munim Saif Al

Kindy, CEO of ADCO, thanked the international

consortium saying that it reflected a successful

partnership and cooperation despite the numer-

ous global challenges, including oil prices/sup-

plies fluctuations, through the years,

Abdul Munim Saif Al Kindy, CEO of ADCO

Integrated With Middle East E&PFor over four decadesSupporting the E&P value chain from exploration and asset evaluation to � eld development and production optimization, CGG offers industry-leading products and services combined with imaging expertise of the mature � elds and emerging plays in the Middle East. For over 40 years, we have developed relationships with National Oil Companies and strategic partners to create solutions to the unique imaging challenges of the region.

• Reservoir modeling technology and services from Robertson, Jason and Hampson-Russell

• Broadband seismic acquisition and imaging solutions such as UltraSeis™ and EmphaSeis™ for reservoir development and high-resolution reservoir modeling

• Local resources and technology centers with geophysicists and geologists that understand the area’s basins, � elds and speci� c reservoirs

• Integrated solutions from seismic and potential � elds data acquisition and advanced imaging to enhanced interpretation of geophysical and geological datasets

• Regional joint ventures and strategic partnerships with Argas, Ardiseis, Seabed Geosolutions and Baker Hughes to support conventional and unconventional resource development

cgg.com

Contact: middleeast@cgg.com

14AD-SV-62-V1 Integrated with Middle East EP_EAGE MER News 1st Qtr.indd 1 1/9/14 4:02 PMCC01024-MA122 CGG.indd 1 10-01-14 10:11

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 2014 11

Integrated With Middle East E&PFor over four decadesSupporting the E&P value chain from exploration and asset evaluation to � eld development and production optimization, CGG offers industry-leading products and services combined with imaging expertise of the mature � elds and emerging plays in the Middle East. For over 40 years, we have developed relationships with National Oil Companies and strategic partners to create solutions to the unique imaging challenges of the region.

• Reservoir modeling technology and services from Robertson, Jason and Hampson-Russell

• Broadband seismic acquisition and imaging solutions such as UltraSeis™ and EmphaSeis™ for reservoir development and high-resolution reservoir modeling

• Local resources and technology centers with geophysicists and geologists that understand the area’s basins, � elds and speci� c reservoirs

• Integrated solutions from seismic and potential � elds data acquisition and advanced imaging to enhanced interpretation of geophysical and geological datasets

• Regional joint ventures and strategic partnerships with Argas, Ardiseis, Seabed Geosolutions and Baker Hughes to support conventional and unconventional resource development

cgg.com

Contact: middleeast@cgg.com

14AD-SV-62-V1 Integrated with Middle East EP_EAGE MER News 1st Qtr.indd 1 1/9/14 4:02 PMCC01024-MA122 CGG.indd 1 10-01-14 10:11

Syria exploration deal with Russians reported

The Syrian Oil Ministry is said to have signed

a deal with Russian oil and gas company

Soyuzneftegaz to explore in the Mediter-

ranean Sea, according to Syria’s state

news agency. The report did not say where

the deal was signed, though it said the

exploration will take place off the Syrian

coast.

Earlier this year, Syrian Oil Minister Sulei-

man Abbas discussed with the ambassadors

of China and Russia the possibility of exploring

for oil and gas off Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

INDUSTRY NEWS

CGG to continue processing at Muscat centre

Halliburton’s reservoir research centre opens in Dhahran

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has

awarded CGG a continuing contract to

provide seismic imaging services at its

dedicated centre in Muscat, Oman.

CGG has been operating the PDO dedicated

centre since 1994 and the contract will run for

another four years from January 2014. The cen-

tre provides the full range of subsurface imaging

services for PDO’s onshore data and specializes in

large, high-density wide-azimuth projects. As part

Halliburton has opened its new

Unconventional and Reservoir

Productivity Technology Centre

at King Fahd University of Petroleum and

Minerals (KFUPM) located in Dhahran

Techno-Valley. The new centre is designed

to enable Halliburton to provide state-of-

the-art research and development solu-

tions for conventional and unconventional

reservoirs addressing challenges both in

the Kingdom and regionally. It also pro-

vides a base to build strong relationships

with local universities like KFUPM to devel-

op technology which is expected to lead to

employment and training opportunities for

Saudi technicians and university graduates.

Halliburton provides a wide range of

products and services to Saudi Aramco and

currently employs more than 3000 people

in the Kingdom.

of this contract CGG will also expand its on-

site training facilities and increase its support

to Sultan Qaboos University.

Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO, CGG, said:

‘CGG is delighted that PDO has confirmed

its confidence in our advanced subsurface

imaging technology, expertise and service

excellence by extending this contract on the

eve of the dedicated centre’s 20th anniversary.

Throughout this time we have consistently

shown our commitment to developing the

people and seismic industry of Oman and

have transformed the traditional contractor-

client relationship into a highly collaborative

and integrated partnership with PDO. The

renewal of this dedicated centre contract and

the success of our expanding open centre

operation confirm our leading position in the

Oman subsurface imaging market.’

Marathon find in Kurdistan

 

Marathon Oil says its Mirawa-1 explo-

ration well has discovered multiple

stacked oil and natural gas producing

zones at the company’s operated Harir Block in

the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Approximately 40 miles northeast of Erbil, the

Mirawa-1 well was drilled to a total depth of ap-

proximately 14,000 ft. Oil and natural gas shows

were noted over an extensive gross interval of

both Jurassic and Triassic reservoirs from 5800 ft

to total depth. An extensive drill-stem testing pro-

gramme was conducted. Equipment-constrained

flow tests established from multiple zones in

the Jurassic of high quality oil (39º-45º API)

totalled in excess of 11,000 bpd. Addition-

ally, multiple non-associated gas zones in the

Triassic flowed at rates totalling approximately

72 mmcfd together with associated condensate

from one zone at a rate of 1700 bpd.

The Mirawa-1 well will be suspended for po-

tential future use as a producing well. Following

completion of operations, the drilling rig was due

to be moved to the Jisik-1 prospect nine miles

northwest of Mirawa-1. The Jisik-1 well will test a

similar prospective structure to Mirawa.

Marathon Oil is the operator with a 45%

working interest in the Harir block. Total holds

a 35% working interest, and the Kurdistan Re-

gional Government holds a 20% carried interest.

Exploration acreageaward in Egypt’sWestern Desert

Dana Petroleum has signed concession

agreements for the West Dakhla 1 and 2

areas in the Egyptian Western Desert.

The blocks were awarded through the GANOPE

Bid Round 2010. In the initial three year explora-

tion phase an aero-magnetic survey and 500 km

of 2D seismic are expected to be undertaken

Dana’s Egypt managing director Paul Barnett

said: ‘These two concessions in the Western

Desert are a welcome addition to the explora-

tion portfolio. This, along with the award of the

South Wadi Dara block in the Gulf of Suez we

announced at the end of 2013, will help us build

our exploration activities in Egypt.’

Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO of CGG.

EAGE NEWSLETTER MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 1 201412

First Oman well fails to locate commercial hydrocarbons

Masirah Oil a jointly-controlled entity of Lime Petroleum, has sus-

pended for safety reasons, its first exploration well, Masirah

North North #1 (MNN#1) in Block 50 Oman for further evalua-

tion. The MNN #1 well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 1000

m below mean sea level. Mud losses in two carbonate sections of the well

prevented the operator from reaching its planned target depth.

A comprehensive data acquisition, coring and logging programme of the

formations that were drilled was completed on 21 December 2013. Data

analysis indicated presence of non-commercial hydrocarbons.

Datasets acquired from the coring and logging programs are now being

utilized to refine the geological understanding of the area. In addition, the

information acquired has assisted all partners in the Oman Block 50 project

to identify the next drilling location.

Hibiscus Petroleum’s managing director, Dr Kenneth Pereira, said,

‘Whilst we are disappointed with the final result of the MNN #1 drilling

programme, we are proud that as a young company, with a small technical

team, we have demonstrated our ability to conduct a safe drilling opera-

tion, in a remote offshore area of a foreign country without HSE issues.’

Hibiscus Petroleum acquired a 35% stake in Lime for $55 million as its

qualifying acquisition in April 2012 due to its portfolio of assets and access

to RVD. The Block 50 Oman concession, in which Lime has a 64% partici-

pating interest, is estimated to have risked resources of almost 390 million

barrels of oil based on the Q4 2011 study by an independent petroleum

sub-surface consultant, Aker Geo of Norway. Masirah’s other shareholder is

Petroci Holding, the national oil company of Ivory Coast, which has a 36%

participating interest in Block 50 Oman. 

February 201416-19 February 2014EAGE/SPE • Workshop on Subsalt Imaging - The Challenges of Subsalt Exploration and Imaging in Deep Water of the Middle East and North AfricaLimassol, Cyprus | www.eage.org

March 20149-12 March 2014AAPG/EAGE/SEG • GEO 2014 - 11th Middle East Geosciences Conference and ExhibitionManama, Bahrain | www.geo2014.com

April 20146-9 April 2014EAGE • Third East Exploration Workshop - Moving Forward by Exploring DifferentlyAbu Dhabi, UAE | www.eage.org

May 201411-14 May 2014EAGE • Workshop on Geomechanics in the Oil & Gas Industry - Enhancing the Value of your Field Dubai, UAE | www.eage.org

June 20141-4 June 2014SPE/EAGE • Workshop on Tar Mats and Heavy OilDubai, UAE | www.eage.org

16-19 June 2014EAGE • 76th EAGE Conference & Exhibition 2014 – Amsterdam ‘14Experience the EnergyAmsterdam, the Netherlands | www.eage.org

September 20147-10 September 2014EAGE • Workshop on High Performance Computing for Upstream Crete, Greece | www.eage.org

21-24 September 2014EAGE/SPE/AAPG • Second Shale Gas Workshop in the Middle East - Moving forward to the next levelDubai, United Arab Emirates | www.eage.org

28 September - 1 October 2014EAGE • Fifth EAGE Passive Seismic Workshop - From Wish List to To-Do ListLisbon, Portugal | www.eage.org

October 201413-15 October 2014EAGE • Borehole Geology Workshop - Optimising the Use of Your Borehole Image DataDubai, UAE | www.eage.org

19-22 October 2014EAGE • First EAGE Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling Workshop - Advances in Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling in Risk & Resource AssessmentDubai, UAE | www.eage.org

November 201416-19 November 2014EAGE • Second EAGE Integrated Reservoir Modelling Conference - Uncertainty Management: Are we Doing it Right?Dubai, UAE | www.eage.org

December 20147-9 December 2014EAGE • Second EAGE Forum for Students & Young Professionals - Empowering & Developing Young TalentsMuscat, Oman | www.eage.org

INDUSTRY NEWS / CALENDAR

EAGE Middle East Event Calendar