Basin Modeling: Thermal History, Maturation & Hydrocarbon Migration

Duration: 5 Days
Target Audience: Exploration Geologists, Geochemists, Basin Modelers, Petroleum System Analysts
Delivery Mode: Classroom / Virtual with Modeling Exercises and Case Studies
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Course Overview

This course provides hands-on skills in basin and petroleum system modeling, focusing on reconstructing thermal evolution, organic matter maturation, and hydrocarbon generation-migration processes. Participants will learn to integrate geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data to model the burial history and predict prospective zones for exploration.

Day-by-Day Outline

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Basin Analysis

Basin types: extensional, compressional, strike-slip, passive margins
Stratigraphic frameworks for basin modeling
Subsidence mechanisms and tectonic settings
Key inputs for basin models: lithologies, depositional age, thicknesses
Exercise: Build a burial history diagram for a simplified basin

Day 2 – Heat Flow and Thermal Modeling

Heat flow mechanisms in basins (conductive, convective, radiogenic)
Paleotemperature indicators (vitrinite reflectance, apatite fission track)
Calibrating heat flow histories
Thermal conductivity and heat capacity of rocks
Workshop: Model a basin’s thermal history with calibration points

Day 3 – Source Rock Maturation and Hydrocarbon Generation

Kerogen types and hydrocarbon potential
Kinetic models for maturation (Easy%Ro, Arrhenius-based models)
Timing of oil and gas windows
1D modeling of maturation profiles
Exercise: Predict maturity levels for different source rock scenarios

Day 4 – Hydrocarbon Expulsion and Migration Modeling

Primary vs. secondary migration concepts
Pressure evolution and overpressure effects on expulsion
Darcy flow and buoyancy-driven migration pathways
Seal capacity and effectiveness
Workshop: Model migration pathways in a cross-sectional basin profile

Day 5 – Integrated Petroleum System Modeling

Building 2D/3D petroleum system models
Calibrating models with well, seismic, and geochemical data
Risk assessment and charge timing analysis
Case studies of successful exploration using basin modeling
Capstone Project: Build a 1D or 2D basin model and present predicted maturation and migration scenarios

Expected Learning Outcomes

Understand the geologic and thermal evolution of sedimentary basins
Perform source rock maturation modeling calibrated with geochemical data
Simulate hydrocarbon expulsion and migration pathways
Build integrated petroleum system models for exploration risk assessment
Apply basin modeling to reduce uncertainty in frontier and mature basins

Customizable Add-ons
Tailored content for local geology (e.g. Nile Delta, Western Desert)
Lab visit or simulation hands-on demo
Integration with economics or production courses

Special Customization for Regional NOCs

- Includes legal and fiscal case examples from MENA (Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Algeria)
- Arabic-English bilingual delivery available
- Tailored licensing round simulation exercises
- Optional site visits to local oilfields or regulatory agencies

Trainer Profile

- Senior reservoir and exploration engineers from IOCs and NOCs
- Former advisors to government ministries
- Experts in petroleum contracts and economic modeling

Certification

Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and a performance report including assessment outcomes and instructor feedback.