SLOPE Phase 2: sponsors’ third field workshop, Laingsburg Karoo, South Africa

Outcrops of the Permian ecca Group in the southwestern Karoo basin are outstandingly well exposed and easily accessible. Present day erosion allows viewing of laterally continuous (tens of kilometres) outcrops in the Tanqua and Laingsburg depocentres. Key objectives of this report are: -To illustrate the downdip and across-strike changes in facies, incisional styles, channel dimensions,in-complex and out-of-complex net:gross variations and the internal stratigraphy of Unit C and D; -Discussion of seismically resolvable surfaces, geometries and volumes and uncertainties in estimating facies, net:gross and reservoir quality from seismic alone; to build further on the Vischkuil story, variability of MTDs, run out distances, etc. and to discuss the effects of depositional vs tectonic topography on facies, geometries and thichness of lower Fan A; -Examination of different types of channel, channel complex, and channel complex set, related to different profile positions. Discussion on the relative amounts of lateral spill vs bypass vs in-channel aggradation and the implications for axis to margin to overbank sand connectivity; -To introduce and debate a sequence stratigraphic hierarchy for the slope succession.