CORPORATE HIGH-RESOLUTION STRATIGRAPHY (HRS) FIELD EDUCATION: PRACTICE AND RESULTS IN PETROBRAS HYDROCARBON RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT

HRS is one of the main challenges in Stratigraphy and a powerful tool to HC reservoir characterization and modeling. Since 1997 Petrobras HRS Field Education has proposed detailed methodological work in four South-American field laboratories, for geoscientists and engineers. This effort is integrated with the Company’s goals in achieving an oil production growth from Pre-Salt section and its stabilization in other plays. Methodology was conceived and developed by a production geology team coordinated by Petrobras University and Production Geology Area. The program has supported four PhD and six MSc programs in last four years.

The key of the methodology is to work in different-scale concepts, tools and observations. The selection of an area depends on its potential of providing outcrops up to fulfill the requirements to generate working hypotheses (encompassing changes of scale) that can be turned on useful working thesis.

Preparing laboratories –Stacking patterns and surfaces are defined in exploratory scale (3^rd order/seismic/inter-depositional systems) - SS methodology recommended - to evaluate general trend of accommodation and supply. At HRS (4^th/5^th order/sub-seismic/intra-depositional architectural elements), systems tract and stratigraphic surface concepts are revisited, now stressing mapability of diachronic surfaces and vertical repeatability of geo-bodies, what matches operational reservoir production management requirements.

Educational process – During 5-7 days field and office work, students describe an average 40 m- thick section/day supported by regional geological information and previously processed field data. Fine correlations are critically established, the reasoning to achieve this task and the essential of HR geological information (“portable elements”) being summarized. Rather than a model, students build a coherent HRS mental process useful to face their real HC field challenges. Enhancing their ability in the thinking process over the model concept, they realize the fundamental is to organize the sedimentary record in an orderly manner complying with respect to scale of observation and respective interpretation. Goal is achieved with case studies presentation where criteria from present field practice supported management decisions in Company’s HC fields.