Abstract & Bio.

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Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022

Topic: Mixed deepwater systems from the North Slope to offshore

Speaker: J. R. Rotzien, President of Basin Dynamics and Adjunct Professor at University of Houston
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Abstract:
Download PDF Abstract with Graphics - pdf
​Mixed deepwater systems from the North Slope to offshore
Since the Pikka-Horseshoe and Willow discoveries, oil and gas explorers have been encouraged to think: “What are the sedimentary processes controlling the abundance of anomalously thick sandstone reservoirs on the North Slope – from shelf to deepwater basin plain?” While these discoveries contain somewhat unusual deposits that explorers were unable to comfortably fit into the preexisting 21st century marine sedimentology paradigm, these discoveries highlight that marine sedimentary successions are more complex than originally interpreted and can be placed along a spectrum of sedimentary processes derived from fluid turbulence to matrix strength, and from along slope to downslope (Fig. 1, Verma et al., 2022).

Prior to the last 5-10 years, the search for deepwater conventional turbidite reservoirs promoted a singular focus on sediment transport and depositional models dominated by downslope processes. Turbidites, debrites and transitional flow deposits were interpreted to be responsible for diverse submarine fan depositional systems comprised of elegantly interconnected canyon, channel, levee, splay and overbank environments. Today, along-slope as well as downslope (i.e., turbidity current) processes are interpreted to sculpt the modern deepwater seafloor (Fig. 2, Rotzien et al., 2022; Hernández-Molina et al., 2022). Ancient stratigraphic successions in revered outcrops such as the Annot Sandstone (Grès d’Annot) in France also reveal evidence of along-slope sediment transport and deposition. In response, wildcatters and academic researchers alike have refreshed interpretations and depositional models to communicate new observations on mixed deepwater sedimentary systems to scientific and industry communities as oil price remains high in the near term.

This presentation focuses on deepwater sedimentary processes and deposits, their predictive attributes and their 3D heterogeneity. While much of the global knowledge on deepwater has been generated through decades of oil and gas drilling (Fremin et al., 2022), a firm understanding of deepwater sedimentary processes is essential for many scientific and business endeavors that take place in the water column, at the seabed, and into the subsurface, as well as onshore projects that involve deepwater sedimentary intervals (Sears et al., 2022). Professionals and students in the fields of oil and gas exploration and production, carbon capture, use and sequestration, geothermal, wind, solar, aquaculture, mining, military, insurance and government are invited to participate in this discussion on the past, present and future of deepwater.
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Speaker Bio:  

Jon Rotzien is President of Basin Dynamics and Adjunct Professor at University of Houston.  He specializes in reservoir presence and quality forecasting in conventional and unconventional drilling programs.  Prior to his present posts, he served BP and other supermajor and independent operators in a variety of basins and petroleum reservoir technical training programs.  As a business owner and scientist, Rotzien has participated in oil and gas exploratory to development drilling, mapping expeditions, technical competency training and consulting and has served as lead geologist in about one-third of those ventures.  He is currently serving as Chair of the Houston Explorers Club.  Rotzien received a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Stanford University and a B.A. degree in Geology from Colorado College.  

In-Person or Virtual Meeting Online

TIME: Virtual doors open at 11:30 am (Alaska Time), Announcements start at 11:45, Talk is 12 - 1 pm

LOCATION for In-Person: Birch Room, BP Energy Center​

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COST: Free. Bring your lunch to the lecture or your computer.

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