An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Geologic Cross-Sections & Subsurface Correlation
Cross-Sections and Subsurface Well Correlation
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,000
Starting From
18 Oct 2027
Home Geology and Geoscience Geologic Cross-Sections & Subsurface Correlation
Geologic Cross-Sections & Subsurface Correlation
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Geologic Cross-Sections & Subsurface Correlation - GG-XSEC-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GG-XSEC-PEA27 | 18 - 22 Oct 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours Per Day |
Online |
USD |
3000 |
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Geologic Cross-Sections & Subsurface Correlation
This training covers geological cross section construction and subsurface correlation. It works through correlation principles and evidence, log character and marker identification, chronostratigraphic against lithostratigraphic correlation, section line selection and construction, datum selection and flattening, structural and stratigraphic sections, correlating across faults, alternative correlations and their testing, section based diagnosis and the delivery of correlation and section products.
Description
Correlation is the most consequential interpretive act in subsurface geology, because every map, every model and every volume rests on it. It is also the one least often revisited: a correlation established early in a field's life tends to persist, and alternative correlations with materially different consequences are rarely tested. The cross section is where a correlation is displayed, tested and found wanting, which makes section construction a diagnostic skill rather than a presentation exercise.
This training covers correlation and sections together. Correlation principles and evidence are established first, covering what makes a correlation defensible. Log character and marker identification follow. Chronostratigraphic against lithostratigraphic correlation is then developed, since confusing the two is a common and consequential error. Section line selection and construction follow. Datum selection and flattening are then addressed, covering the different pictures different datums produce. Structural and stratigraphic sections follow. Correlating across faults is then developed. Alternative correlations and their testing follow. Section based diagnosis is addressed. The training closes with delivery.
Correlating sand to sand is lithostratigraphic and is frequently wrong. Two wells may each contain a sand at a similar depth with similar log character, and correlating them as the same unit is the natural response. In a system with shifting depositional loci, the two sands may be of different ages, deposited in different positions as the system moved, and the surfaces that are genuinely time equivalent are the mudstones between them. Correlating the time surfaces, and mapping the sands within that framework, gives a geometry that behaves correctly.
Flattening on different datums tells different stories and both are useful. A section hung on present day depth shows the structure as it is now; the same section flattened on a stratigraphic surface removes the later structure and reveals the geometry at the time that surface formed, including growth, differential subsidence and depositional thickening. Flattening on successive surfaces shows the structural evolution. Using only one datum discards most of the information the section contains.
Alternative correlations have materially different consequences and should be tested. Where two wells can be correlated either as a continuous sand or as two separate sands at the same level, the two interpretations give different connectivity, different volume and different well requirements. Both maps should be drawn and the difference quantified. The correlation is then tested against the pressure data, the fluid chemistry and the production behaviour, which often resolve it. Choosing one correlation without testing the alternative leaves the uncertainty unquantified.
Finally, a section drawn with no vertical exaggeration is usually the honest one and often the less useful one. Exaggerating the vertical scale makes stratigraphic relationships visible that a true scale section compresses to invisibility, and it also makes gentle dips look dramatic and can suggest structural complexity that does not exist. Both versions have a place, the exaggeration should always be stated, and a section used to argue for a structural interpretation should be shown at true scale as well.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Apply correlation principles and assess correlation evidence
- Identify markers and interpret log character for correlation
- Distinguish chronostratigraphic from lithostratigraphic correlation
- Select section lines appropriate to the question
- Construct cross sections to scale with stated exaggeration
- Select and apply datums and flattening
- Construct structural and stratigraphic sections
- Correlate across faults using throw and juxtaposition
- Construct and test alternative correlations
- Use sections to diagnose errors and deliver correlation products
The training is correlation and section construction practice on real well data sets. Participants correlate independently and compare results to see the range of defensible interpretations. Alternative correlations are constructed and their volume and connectivity consequences calculated, then tested against pressure and production data supplied afterwards.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Correlate within a chronostratigraphic framework
- Test alternative correlations rather than adopting one
- Use flattening to reveal structural and depositional history
- Diagnose errors through section construction
- Document correlation evidence and confidence
- Reduce the consequences of incorrect correlation
Participants will:
- Correlate wells with defensible evidence
- Distinguish time surfaces from lithological units
- Construct and flatten sections
- Correlate across faults
- Test alternative correlations
- Use sections diagnostically
- Development and production geologists
- Reservoir geologists establishing frameworks
- Exploration geologists correlating wells
- Petrophysicists working with correlations
- Reservoir modellers using frameworks
- Graduate geoscientists learning correlation
- Technical staff reviewing correlations
Module 1 - Correlation Principles
- Correlation objectives
- What makes a correlation defensible
- Evidence types for correlation
- Log character evidence
- Biostratigraphic evidence
- Chemostratigraphic evidence
- Seismic evidence
- Pressure and fluid evidence
- Correlation confidence levels
- Documenting correlation evidence
- Correlation as an interpretation
- Consequences of correlation error
Module 2 - Markers and Log Character
- Marker selection criteria
- Regionally extensive markers
- Distinctive log signatures
- Gamma ray marker beds
- Resistivity and density markers
- Coal and bentonite markers
- Log character patterns
- Pattern matching and its risks
- Normalisation between wells
- Vintage and tool differences
- Scale consistency for comparison
- Marker pick criteria documentation
Module 3 - Chronostratigraphic Correlation
- Lithostratigraphic correlation
- Sand to sand correlation and its risks
- Chronostratigraphic correlation
- Time surfaces and their identification
- Flooding surfaces as time lines
- Sequence boundaries
- Condensed sections
- Diachronous units
- Shifting depositional loci
- Framework first then bodies within
- Reconciling the two approaches
- Consequences for mapping and modelling
Module 4 - Section Construction
- Section line selection
- Dip and strike oriented sections
- Sections through the structure
- Sections along depositional trend
- Well projection onto the line
- Projection distance and its distortion
- Horizontal and vertical scale selection
- Vertical exaggeration and its statement
- Log display on sections
- Annotation and labelling
- Multiple panel correlation displays
- Digital and hand section construction
Module 5 - Datums and Flattening
- Present day depth datum
- Sea level and reference datums
- Flattening concept
- Flattening on a stratigraphic surface
- What flattening removes
- Revealing growth and thickening
- Differential subsidence expression
- Successive flattening for evolution
- Flattening on a modern surface
- Interpreting flattened sections
- Selecting the datum for the question
- Presenting multiple datums
Module 6 - Structural and Stratigraphic Sections
- Structural section purpose and construction
- Dip projection and its rules
- Fold geometry in section
- Thickness behaviour across structures
- Stratigraphic section purpose
- Facies and environment display
- Stacking pattern display
- Sequence stratigraphic sections
- Chronostratigraphic charts
- Fence diagrams
- Three dimensional section sets
- Section sets for a field
Module 7 - Correlating Across Faults
- Fault identification in wells
- Missing and repeated section
- Throw determination from wells
- Correlation across normal faults
- Correlation across reverse faults
- Juxtaposition analysis
- Allan diagram construction
- Fault cut and its placement
- Multiple fault crossings
- Consistency of throw along a fault
- Fault geometry from correlation
- Resolving ambiguous fault interpretations
Module 8 - Alternatives, Diagnosis and Delivery
- Identifying where alternatives exist
- Constructing alternative correlations
- Volume consequences of each
- Connectivity consequences of each
- Testing against pressure data
- Testing against fluid chemistry
- Testing against production behaviour
- Section based error diagnosis
- Horizon crossings and negative thickness
- Correlation revision with new wells
- Correlation deliverable content
- Documenting the framework and its confidence
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
