The purpose of this foundational course is to provide an overview of the different datasets available at the surface and in the subsurface to build regional geological syntheses and static reservoir scale models, and how to incorporate these in interpretation workflows. The treated subsurface data includes seismic, well logs, core and cuttings, and the surface data comprises outcrop exposures, shallow seismic and coring, geological maps and satellite information. A large variety of analytical measurements can be performed on the rock sample data, of which the most relevant will be summarized. Geological age determination will receive special attention due to its importance for the model building, both local and at the regional to global scale. Where appropriate, the course will also briefly summarize the data acquisition and processing techniques, and address the challenge of the integration of the different scales of observation (from the pore network to the seismic line) in integrated workflows.