Course leaders: Dr Phil Richards and Dr Gary Kirby

The course leaders are both experienced BGS geologists with a long experience of basin analysis, with particular skills in seismic section and geophysical downhole tool interpretation in addition to sedimentology and sequence stratigraphic techniques. They have run the course since 1993, initially on an ad hoc basis, but recently there have been 1 to 2 courses per year, either as an internal BGS course, but also to oil companies and to representatives of the Falkland Islands Government.

The venue

The field course falls into two parts. Part One involves study of the classic sequence stratigraphic localities of the Book Cliffs. Part Two of the course is in the salt-tectonically affected Paradox Basin of south central Utah.

The first part of the course is based from a motel in Green River, which provides a central location for access to the Book Cliffs. The course will relocate to a motel in Moab, to gain access to the second training area. Overnight hotel stops are required in Denver following arrival and at Grand Junction prior to departure from the USA. Travel during the course is by three 4x4 hire cars.

Duration and number of participants:

The course lasts 7 days, with a maximum of 10 participants.

Course objectives:

• Gain an overview of sequence stratigraphy and facies architecture on a 'ramp type' basin margin in the field.
• Compare lithostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic approaches to the division of rock successions.
• Gain experience of the sedimentology of the well-exposed, Cretaceous alluvial to marine siliciclastic rocks.
• Gain experience of the sedimentology of alluvial, red bed successions, including palaeosols and of Aeolian/lacustrine successions of Permian to Cretaceous rocks of the Paradox Basin (an analogue to the southern and central North Sea).
• Gain experience of extensional and salt tectonics, at an outcrop scale, as analogues to North Sea hydrocarbon traps and pathways.

Specific objectives:

• Develop an understanding and appreciation of the role of sedimentology studies in building genetic models and defining parasequences; this is essential to understanding the complexities of the sequence stratigraphic concept. The course is, therefore, designed to allow participants to work through the process of depositional model building and parasequence/sequence boundary recognition, in order that they may critically evaluate the sequence stratigraphic concept.
• Particular attention will be paid to the difficulties of applying the sequence stratigraphic concept even in the classic, type locality, and emphasis will be placed on the inherent difficulties of applying the techniques in the sub-surface.
• The red bed successions of the Paradox Basin provide the opportunity to extend the sequence stratigraphic concept to fully non-marine strata.
• Although all of the sedimentological studies made on the course can be placed into a sequence stratigraphic context, t here are also valuable lessons to be learnt in the field concerning many other aspects of petroleum basin studies. Consequently, the course covers a broader spectrum of interest that sequence stratigraphy alone.

Contact Training for course fees, scheduling and availability