4th International Short Course on Applied Micropaleontology

March 28 - 31, 2007

Program Information

Applied micropaleontology and biostratigraphy are integral tools in the exploration for oil and gas. Provided that the global population and economy will continue to grow at the current rate, the demand for fossil fuel energy resources will remain at a high level for at least another 60 to 80 years. This provides the economic incentive to sustain and reinvigorate training programs in the university community to meet the future demand of stratigraphic (micro-)paleontologist in the next several decades. The course is designed to give the participants an introduction to, and an understanding of, the methods that have been developed to apply micropaleontology to the requirements of the hydrocarbon industry. A full description of the various stages of drilling a well will be given with discussion of how these processes affects the sample material recovery and quality. The various techniques employed by industrial micropaleontologists from collecting sample material to applying the analytical results will be discussed and demonstrated in practical exercises. It is hoped that the course will give the participants an insight into applied micropaleontological methods that will aid the understanding and application of analytical results when they are dealing with drilled material for academic or industrial purposes and in this respect it should be particularly useful for academic researchers who undertake work for oil companies and students contemplating working in oil exploration and production. The course "Applied Micropaleontology" is intended for geology/paleontology students at advanced, undergraduate or early postgraduate level who have a keen interest, but little experience, in industrial and applied micropaleontology.