Events & Courses

Course overview

The subsurface is a hugely valuable resource in terms of both 'extractive' industries and in the Energy Transition including its impact on ground model building for engineers. Biostratigraphy is a critical tool in understanding and characterising the subsurface and plays a pivotal role at all scales from global, through regionally and basin-scales, prospects and even down to individual assets.

The course will introduce the fundamental concepts that biostratigraphy brings to this understanding – principally dating, correlation and environmental determination – and how these are integrated, at all scales, under the umbrella of Sequence Stratigraphy. The predictive power of the latter is emphasised and demonstrated.

Similar principles are also demonstrated in operational (i.e. drilling/engineering) situations such as casing-point/TD determinations and bio-/geo-steering.

The course follows a pathway involving an explanation of the theory of each component, followed by a practical exercise that demonstrates the principle using mostly 'real world' examples. Gradually the exercises become more-and-more integrational with two larger-scale exercises culminating in predictive outcomes using actual situations from Middle East carbonates and Gulf of Mexico clastics.

For operational demonstrations, delegates will 'role play' the duties of a wellsite biostratigrapher and biosteer a horizontal well in 'real time'.

Who is this course aimed at?

Anyone studying or working on the subsurface that requires an understanding of the way the subsurface develops over various geological time scales; Geoscientists/geoengineers at post-graduate level (MSc, PhD) and early/mid-career professionals e.g. can form part of CPD training for chartered geologists.

A general background in the broad geosciences is useful but not essential.

No prior knowledge of biostratigraphy (or palaeontology) is required.

Learning objectives

1. Informed user/buyer of biostratigraphical services/data/reports
2. Biostratigraphical correlation from large to small scale
3. Understanding use of real-time biostratigraphical data when drilling wells
4. Palaeoenvironmental interpretations
5. Sequence (bio)stratigraphy
6. An introduction to biostratigraphical uses in the energy transition/engineering applications

Programme

This two-day in-person course will take place from 26 – 27 February 2025, from 09:00 to 17:00 GMT.

Speakers

Dr Mike Simmons, FGS

Dr Mike Simmons has been involved in the energy industry for 40 years. Following his PhD on the micropalaeontology and sedimentology of Cretaceous carbonates from Oman, he worked for an operator (BP), in academia (at Aberdeen and Cambridge universities), and in the service sector (co-director of Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd, and in his current role at Halliburton). His research interests are applied stratigraphy, the geology of the Tethyan region, and the energy transition. His current focus is the characterisation of the subsurface for all aspects of the energy transition. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of London and a Research Associate of the Natural History Museum, London.

Dr Matt Wakefield, FGS

Dr Matt Wakefield has been involved in the energy industry for over 30 years following his PhD on marginal marine Jurassic rocks from Scotland. He worked for British Gas/BG Group, and set up his own consultancy in 2017. Initially retrained as an exploration geologist/geochemist and basin modeller, Matt helped to develop a biostratigraphy team within BG Group. He has worked on Devonian through Pleistocene rocks globally. Matt is the Industrial Liaison Officer for the Micropaleontological Society and is a member of the Stratigraphy Commission at the Geological Society. Matt has lectured/given courses on Applied Biostratigraphy for Wellesley Petroleum, Harbour Energy, GESGB, NERC-CDT and on the University of Birmingham Micropalaeontology Masters course.

Location

This two-day in-person course will be held at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. Lunch and refreshments will be provided on both days.

Spaces are limited on this course, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Fees (including early-bird rate)

* Early-bird discount applicable for all registrations until 26 December 2024. Simply select your delegate type on the registration form and the discount will be applied and reflected in the payment section at the bottom of the registration form.*

Group Discounts

We offer competitive group discounts on all Training Courses:
5 – 9 delegates: 20% off
10 – 14 delegates: 25% off
15 delegates or more: 30% off

For more information on how to access the Group Discount, please email [email protected]

Concessions

We offer students a generous discount. Please verify your student status by either registering with your student email address, or uploading a photograph of your student identification/acceptance letter.

The Society offers a limited number of concessionary rates for those in financial hardship. Contact [email protected] (Please note you may be required to provide details/evidence to support your application for this.)

If you require an invoice to register for this course, please email [email protected]

Registration will close 24 hours before the event takes place.

GSL reserves the right to postpone or cancel a Training Course in the event of low interest. In this instance, a full refund will be offered for registration fees.