Petroleum GeosciencePetroleum Geology for Non Geologists
A commercial manager who cannot follow a geologist's argument about a prospect has no way to challenge the risk that sits behind a drilling budget. This programme gives non specialists that footing. Delegates start with rocks and minerals as an engineer or accountant meets them on a well report, move through how sediments are laid down and buried, and then follow organic matter as it turns into oil and gas. Traps, seals and the meaning of porosity and permeability come next, explained with field photographs, core samples and simple maps. The later sessions translate the vocabulary used in licence documents, well proposals and reserves statements into plain terms. Delegates leave able to read a basic geological cross section, ask sensible questions in technical meetings and judge where uncertainty in a subsurface story really lies.
Course objectives
- Describe the main rock types met in oil and gas wells
- Explain how sediments are deposited, buried and turned into rock
- Outline how organic matter generates oil and gas with heat and time
- Recognise the common trap types and the role of a seal
- Interpret porosity and permeability in plain commercial terms
- Read a simple geological map, cross section and well log display
- Question the main sources of uncertainty in a prospect presentation
Who should attend
- Commercial and business development managers
- Finance, legal and contracts staff in upstream companies
- Government regulators and licensing officers
- Drilling and facilities engineers new to subsurface work
- Administrative and human resources staff supporting technical teams
Course outline
- 01Why geology decides the value of an oil company
- 02Minerals, rocks and the rock cycle
- 03Deposition, burial and lithification
- 04From organic matter to oil and gas
- 05Traps, seals and migration paths
- 06Porosity, permeability and what they mean for flow
- 07Reading maps, cross sections and well logs
- 08Geological language in licences and reserves reports
- 09Judging subsurface uncertainty in business decisions
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 to 30 October 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 30 November to 4 December 2026 | Maputo, Mozambique | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 4 to 8 January 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 11 to 15 January 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 1 to 5 March 2027 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 22 to 26 March 2027 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate |
Petroleum Geology for Non Geologists
From R8,500