Subsurface Geology and Reservoir Engineering Training Course

Course overview

A reservoir is geology and engineering meeting underground: the rock formed over millions of years now has to be understood, modeled, and produced efficiently. Subsurface geology explains what the rock is and how it holds and transmits fluids; reservoir engineering uses that understanding to plan how to extract the most from it. The two are inseparable, and the best decisions come from connecting them.

This course bridges both. It runs from the fundamentals of subsurface geology through reservoir rock and fluid properties, data acquisition and interpretation, reservoir characterization and modeling, and reservoir engineering and recovery strategies. It is built for geoscientists and engineers who want to understand the reservoir as a whole rather than only their own discipline.

Why this matters

Misjudging a reservoir leads to wells in the wrong place, recovery far below potential, and large sums wasted. The geology and the engineering each hold part of the picture, and gaps between the two are where costly mistakes happen.

Bridging geology and engineering matters because reservoir decisions depend on both: how the rock behaves and how to produce it. Professionals who can see across the disciplines make sounder development decisions and recover more. This course builds that connected understanding.

What you will be able to do afterwards

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Explain the geology that controls a reservoir.
• Describe reservoir rock and fluid properties.
• Acquire and interpret subsurface data.
• Characterize and model a reservoir.
• Relate recovery strategies to reservoir behavior.

Course outline

Unit 1: Fundamentals of subsurface geology

The course opens with the rock itself.

• Depositional environments and rock types.
• Structural geology and traps.
• Stratigraphy and correlation.
• Geology that controls reservoirs.

Unit 2: Reservoir rock and fluid properties

This unit covers what makes a reservoir work.

• Porosity and permeability.
• Fluid properties and saturation.
• Rock-fluid interactions.
• Measuring key properties.

Unit 3: Data acquisition and interpretation

This unit covers gathering the evidence.

• Core, log, and seismic data.
• Well testing.
• Integrating data sources.
• Interpreting the subsurface.

Unit 4: Reservoir characterization and modeling

This unit covers describing the reservoir.

• Building a reservoir description.
• Static and dynamic models.
• Handling heterogeneity.
• Uncertainty in models.

Unit 5: Reservoir engineering and recovery strategies

The final unit covers producing the reservoir.

• Drive mechanisms and recovery factors.
• Primary, secondary, and enhanced recovery.
• Production and depletion planning.
• Optimizing recovery.

How the course is delivered

The course is led through structured explanation, worked technical examples, documented case studies, and group discussion. Participants examine rock and fluid data, reservoir models, and recovery decisions and work through how geology and engineering connect. For the wider exploration picture, it connects to Reservoir Engineering and Enhanced Recovery Techniques.

Who should attend

This course suits geoscientists and reservoir engineers, petroleum and production staff, and technical professionals in upstream oil and gas. It works for those who want to bridge geology and engineering and for experienced staff broadening beyond their own discipline. A scientific or technical background helps.

About EuroQuest International Training

EuroQuest International Training was founded in 2015 by a team with more than 25 years of combined experience in professional training. The institute has delivered over 1,000 courses to more than 15,000 participants, and is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, with training hubs in Dubai, London, Barcelona, Istanbul, Vienna, Paris, and Geneva. Courses are designed and reviewed by practitioners and updated to reflect current practice in each field.

Frequently asked questions

Is this course for geologists or engineers?

Both. It deliberately bridges subsurface geology and reservoir engineering, since reservoir decisions depend on understanding the rock and how to produce it together.

Do I need a strong technical background?

A scientific or technical background helps, but the course builds the concepts as it goes, connecting geology and engineering for staff from either side.

Does it cover enhanced recovery?

Yes. The final unit covers drive mechanisms and primary, secondary, and enhanced recovery, relating recovery strategies to how the reservoir behaves.

Related courses

• Petroleum Reservoir Characterization and Modeling
• Petroleum Geosciences and Hydrocarbon Exploration
• Reservoir Simulation and Performance Evaluation
• Upstream Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

Register for this course

To reserve a place or ask about scheduling and city options for the Subsurface Geology and Reservoir Engineering course, use the registration and enquiry options on this page and the EuroQuest team will follow up with the details you need.