PetroStrat will be attending and presenting at the 6th Edition: Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East, taking place 1st to 3rd December 2025 at the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwait City.
PetroStrat Presentation: Combined approach to identifying subsurface features and improving reservoir correlation in Bahrain
Presentation title: A revised understanding of the Awali Field: Employing combined palynology and chemostratigraphy to identify key unconformities and improve reservoir correlation in the Paleozoic rocks of the Awali Field, Bahrain.
Authors: Stephen Ingrams1, Elham Alsharif2, Ahmed Fateh2, Anindya Ghosh2, Abdulrakim Alali2, Ezdeen Ibrahim2, Clare Tansell1, Ross McCabe1, Jim Fenton1, Frederico Guimaraes1, Mike Stephenson3, Stewart Molyneux3 (1-PetroStrat, UK. 2-Bapco Upstream, Bahrain. 3-Stephenson Geoscience, UK)
Date: Monday 1st December
Time: 10.10-10.35
Session: Session 1: Stratigraphic Architecture and Depositional Characteristics of Clastic Systems
Exclusive summary by Clare Tansell
A revised stratigraphic framework for the Palaeozoic rocks of the Awali Field, Bahrain, has been developed based on combined biostratigraphy (palynology) and chemostratigraphy. In this framework, formations and members are differentiated by age as well as changes in sediment provenance, climate, and depositional environment, as interpreted from the elemental data. The combined results have facilitated substantial revisions to the chronostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic framework of the Awali Field, particularly the identification of the Fiy’adh, Subbat, and Qasr Members of the Devonian Jauf Formation, suggesting that the Jauf Formation is thicker than previously thought.
This revised framework has greatly improved understanding of the Bahraini subsurface and we look forward to sharing it at the conference.
Short bio of the PetroStrat authors
Clare Tansell (Presenting)
Clare Tansell obtained her BSc in Geology and MSc in Petroleum Reservoir Geoscience from the University of Liverpool, before joining Chemostrat in 2018. In 2023 she became a Geoscience Team Lead within the CGG Geology Group, which was then acquired by PetroStrat at the beginning of 2025. She is currently on secondment with PetroStrat’s joint venture company Future Geoscience Ltd, which provides integrated stratigraphic solutions to clients across the Eastern Hemisphere.
The majority of her work has focussed on developing chemostratigraphic frameworks in the Middle-East and North Africa, with work published on the chemostratigraphy of the Omani Haima Supergroup. She has also worked on both desktop and wellsite studies in the North Sea, sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.
Stephen Ingrams
Stephen Ingrams obtained his MESci in Geology and Physical Geography from the University of Liverpool, an MSc in Applied and Petroleum Micropaleontology from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD in Mesozoic Palynology from the University of Aberdeen, before joining CGG Robertsons in 2022, and moving over to PetroStrat in 2025.
The majority of his work has focused on developing biostratigraphic frameworks, managing and delivering integrated studies in the Middle East and Northwest Europe; he has also worked on desktop studies from North Africa, Canada, South America, Pakistan, Korea, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia, and wellsite in North Africa and the Middle East. Stephen is currently a Palynology Team Lead at PetroStrat.
Ross McCabe
Ross has 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry in a variety of technical and leadership roles in several leading service companies. Ross’s technical background is in chemostratigraphy and sediment provenance, which he has applied all over the world but with specific focus on Africa and the Middle East.
Frederico Guimaraes
Frederico Guimaraes is a mineralogist with 10 years combined experience in academic research, mineral exploration, and petroleum industry. In PetroStrat, Fred currently leads the SEM and QEMSCAN laboratory and serves as a Project Geoscientist with technical focus on inorganic geochemistry and petrography.
Jim Fenton
Over 45 years experience as a consulting palynologist/stratigrapher, mainly covering Neogene to Late Palaeozoic strata. Studies involve wellsite, outcrop, single well and multi-well investigations ranging from reconnaissance, exploration/appraisal through to field and regional scale, as well as integration with seismic (sequence stratigraphy) and sedimentology/reservoir geology.
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PetroStrat provides integrated subsurface solutions that help operators understand, evaluate, and optimise siliciclastic reservoirs across the region.
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Our Exploration Department delivers integrated geological insight across the full exploration lifecycle, from lead and prospect generation to petroleum systems analysis and basin-wide evaluation. By combining biostratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and sedimentology, our team deliver the data-driven insights needed to reduce uncertainty and enhance subsurface understanding of our clients assets.
Specialists In Quantitative Reservoir Characterisation
Reservoir Geology at PetroStrat provides an integrated set of services that aim to characterise the rocks central to our clients’ projects. By analysing key characteristics, such as mineralogy, sedimentological features, texture, porosity, and permeability, we can improve our understanding of potential fluid flow through the rocks.
Our quantitative workflows help clients:
- Characterise depositional facies and reservoir architecture
- Assess porosity, permeability, and diagenetic alteration
- Integrate core, cuttings, and geochemical datasets for reservoir prediction
- Improve understanding of stratigraphic heterogeneity and connectivity
These services underpin more reliable field development and production planning, ensuring that every reservoir model is grounded in robust geological evidence.
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Everything you need to know about 6th Edition: Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East
Conference: 6th Edition: Siliciclastic Reservoirs of the Middle East
Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Venue: Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa
Date: 1 – 3 December 2025
