1/15/2010 Genesis Tutorial Part I: Building your fi…

Tutorial Part I: Building your first GENESIS model

Genesis Home | Tutorial Part II | Tutorial Part III | Tutorial Part IV

Building a simple model

In this exercise, we will build a simple GENESIS model, based on a hypothetical well called the Timothy Taylor #1. We will build
the model with the stratigraphic information provided below. Then well will calibrate the thermal model with temperature data and
vitrinite reflectance data.

Name Age (Ma) Top (m) Bottom (m) Lithology

Quaternary 1.6-0 100 300 30% Ss, 30% shlySs, 40%sh
Plio-Miocene 15-1.6 300 600 18% Ss, 27% shlySs, 55% sh
Olig-Paleocene 65-15 600 950 20% Ss, 20% shlySs, 60% sh
U. Cretaceous 98-65 950 1500 30%SS 70%Sh
L. Cretaceous 144-98 1500 2500 20% sh,60% sndysh,20% ls
U. Jurassic 156-144 2500 2870 100%Sh
M. Jurassic 156-187 2870 3300 80% Ss 20% sdySh

Launch Genesis

The first step in building this or any model is to start, or launch, Genesis. You can launch Genesis from the Start | Programs |
Zetaware | Genesis 4.85 menu or by simply double clicking on the icon on the desk top, just like any other PC application.
Once you have saved your models, you may simply double click on the project file to launch Genesis, just like any other PC
application.

Create a project

To get started the first thing we need to do is create a Project. We do this by selecting File|New project... Whenever you are
using Genesis we will have a Project open. A Genesis Project is sort of a base map for working on a basin modeling project
(small 'p'). When we save the project, it's really just saves a file with the names and locations of all the models you have chosen
to group together; what we see on the screen is a map window that shows all the well model locations you are working with in
relation to each other. Use File | Save project to save the project as "MyFirstProject.gpd". The gpd extension stands for
Genesis Project Data.

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Coordinates

The coordinates can be X, Y distance or lat/lon. To be generic we recommend using lat lon for well locations in a real project.
This allows the Genesis models you build to be loaded into a Trinity project of any projection system. The axis can be changed
by double clicking on the axis its self. Another way to change a property of the axis is to click on it with the Question mark tool.

Create a well model

Once you have a project, select File | New well .... This will create a blank well model. You can see a circle in the middle of the
project map area with the name "Untitled". Double click on the circle will open a window with a blank template for you to add the
stratigraphic information. Now let's also save this blank model. Choose File | Save as .. and save this model as "Timothy Taylor
#1.gwd". The GWD extension stands for Genesis Well Data. You may take a look at the project (map) window and see that the
well name has changed from "Untitled" to "Timothy Taylor #1". Every time when we change the well name or well location, we
need to go back to the map window and save the project as well.

Units, Location and reference

Now let's switch back to the well window to enter some basic information for the well. You can setup units you like to use by
choosing the appropriate units from the Units menu. Since the data are in meters, lets select by clicking Units | Depth | Meters .
Then select Controls | Elevation and Location menu. This is where we tell Genesis how depth is referenced. It should be self
explaining here. Let's choose Offshore, and depth reference from Sea Level. Enter 100 meters for water depth.

Entering Stratigraphy/Lithology

There are two methods for entering the stratigraphy. For this first exercise, lets use the menus to add the information for now
and learn about how to do the same from an Excel spreadsheet. Choose Data | Add Stratigraphy | Preserved layer . A dialog
comes up that contains the basic information you need to tell Genesis about the layer: Fill out the required three items for the
first layer in the Timothy Taylor well using the table above (you can tab between boxes). For the Quaternary, enter 1.6 Ma for
the starting age and 300 m for base depth, and then click the OK button. The dialog box goes away and you see your first layer
entered in the well window.

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Notice that the lithology pattern corresponds to shale. This is the default lithology for a new layer. To change the lithology for the
layer, double click on the lithology pattern. You will see a new window in which you describe the percentages of various
lithologies for the layer as a histogram. You can simply select a lithology from the bottom and click in the histogram area. The
horizontal axis are "bin" numbers for the histogram. When you are done, click the red X to close the window. Genesis will balance
things to 100% if necessary.

"Execute" the model

Repeat the above process until all layers are entered in the model. You window should look like this figure below. Once this is
done, we will need to "Execute" the model. Select File | Execute . This makes the program run and you should see a progress
indicator as it "executes".

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Burial History Diagram

When it is done, select Graph | Burial History . Then click OK on the dialog that comes up with out selecting anything. You
should see the standard burial history plot as shown below:

The burial history diagram shows us the burial paths of the layers we entered. The deposition rate is calculated from the depth
and ages, as well as the lithologies involved. The compaction (thinning of layers as they are buried) is a function of the lithology
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and the weight of the rock column above the layer at any given time.

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