R.

Blakey Cretaceous Paleogeography

Petroleum Systems

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Definitions What is a Petroleum System? (** Emphasis is on conventional petroleum systems!) A Petroleum System is defined as a natural system that encompasses a pod of active source rock and all related oil and gas which includes all of the geologic elements and processes that are essential if a

hydrocarbon accumulation is to exist.

Magoon and Dow, 1994

Slides courtesy of Matthias Greb, Apache

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Definitions
Petroleum
A mineral oil occurring in subsurface rocks and at the surface which is a naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon compounds. It may occur in the gaseous, liquid, or solid state depending on the nature of these compounds and the existent conditions of temperature and pressure. Common synonyms are hydrocarbons and oil and gas.

System
A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole whose organization forms a network for distributing something, for example; telephone, highway, blood, or petroleum.
(after Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Source / Reservoir / Seal / Overburden (+trap)
Source Rock
A rock unit containing sufficient organic matter (kerogen) of suitable chemical composition to biogenically or thermally generate and expel petroleum.

Pod of Active Source Rock

A contiguous volume of source rock that is generating and expelling petroleum at the critical moment and is the provenance for a series of genetically related petroleum shows, seeps, and accumulations in a petroleum system. A pod of mature source rock may be active, inactive or spent.

Reservoir Rock
A subsurface volume of rock that has sufficient porosity and permeability to permit the migration and accumulation of petroleum under adequate trap conditions.
(after Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Source
Rock Eval + Pyrolysis -Source type and maturity

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Reservoir

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Seal / Overburden
Seal
A shale or other impervious rock that acts as a barrier to the passage of petroleum migrating in the sub-surface; it overlies the reservoir rock to form a trap or conduit. Also known as roof rock and cap rock.

Overburden Rock
The sedimentary rock above which compresses and consolidates the material below. In a petroleum system the overburden rock overlies the source rock and contributes to its thermal maturation because of higher temperatures at greater depths.
(after Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Petroleum System Elements
2 Processes are essential for a working Petroleum System

Trap Formation (structural evolution or stratigraphic framework)

Generation Migration Accumulation

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Traps

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Traps

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Traps

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration

(Expulsion)

from TISSOT & WELTE (1984)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration
Migration is the process, whereby hydrocarbons move from source rocks to traps. Migration is divided into four categories: Primary migration The process of loss of hydrocarbons from the source rock (also Expulsion).

Secondary migration Migration from source to reservoir rock in trap configuration along a carrier system. Including the migration within the reservoir rock itself. Tertiary migration Migration to the surface, either from the reservoir or source rock (dismigration). Migration from one reservoir system position through an intervening section into another reservoir position (trap) in the same or a different reservoir.

Re-migration

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration
from Hantschel & Kauerauf (2009)

Why do hydrocarbons migrate?

Fluids migrate along a pressure gradient pressure driven

buoyancy driven

Density contrasts between hydrocarbons and water buoyancy driven

Diffusion due to concentration differences chemical gradient driven

How do hydrocarbons migrate?

Topography driven

Hydrocarbons migrate as a separate phase from the higher potential to a lower potential via the most efficient way topography driven

u p u w ( w p ) g h p c
Generated HC Masses from Source
Overpressure Buoyancy Capillary Pressure

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration
Petroleum Migration Rates
Migration Mechanism Hydrodynamic (pressure driven) Compaction (drainage) Buoyancy Diffusion Migration Rate 10-3 to 1000 m/a 10-5 to 1 m/a Meters per day (gas) 1 to 10 m / Ma

Diffusion

Buoyancy GAS

Compactionally driven flow

?
10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-2

Hydrodynamic

10-3

0.1

10

102

103

104

Fluid velocity [m/a]

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Exercise
2500m 2000m 2000m 2500m 3000m

C
Hydrocarbons migrate as a separate phase from the higher potential to a lower potential on the direct way, usually from the deepest to the shallowest part of the basin, depending the 4500m on drainage area. 1) Identify the drainage area for trap A, B & C 2) Draw the hydrocarbon flow lines towards each trap

A
1500 2000 2500 3000 5000m

3500
4000 4500 5000

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration - Exercise
2500m 2000m 2000m 2500m

3000m

4500m 5000m

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Migration - Solution
A B C

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Definitions
Geographic Extent
The area over which the petroleum system occurs, defined by a line that circumscribes the pod of active source rock as well as all the discovered petroleum shows, seeps, and accumulations that originated from that pod. The geographic extent is mapped at the critical moment. Also the known extent.

Burial History Chart

A burial history curve or geohistory diagram constructed to show the time over which hydrocarbon generation occurs. Depicts the essential elements and the critical moment for the petroleum system.

Events Chart
A chart for a petroleum system showing when the essential elements and processes took place as well as the preservation time and critical moment of the system.
(after Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Timing!
Critical Moment
The time that best depicts the generation migration accumulation of hydrocarbons in a petroleum system. A map and a cross section drawn at the critical moment best shows the geographic and stratigraphic extent of the System. The four elements Source Rock, Reservoir Rock, Seal Rock and a sufficient Amount of Overburden have to be in place before the Critical Moment.

Petroleum System Age

The time over which the process of generation-migration accumulation of hydrocarbons in the system takes place on the events chart.

Preservation Time
The time after generation-migration-accumulation of petroleum takes place and encompasses any changes to the petroleum accumulations up to present day.
(after Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Definitions
Geographic Extent

(from Magoon and Dow, 1994)

A-A Cross Section

Deer Boar Petroleum System @ 250 Ma -> Critical Moment: generation started traps exist migration possible

Reservoirs

Pod of Active Source Rock

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Definitions
Burial Chart Combined with Events Chart

Events Chart

Deer Boar Petroleum System @ 250 Ma -> Critical Moment: generation started traps exist migration possible
(from Magoon and Dow, 1994)

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Exercise
PARIS BASIN Petroleum System Analysis
Follow the below listed instructions to analyze the Paris Basin petroleum system 1. 2. 3. Draw a line (map) around the pod of active source rock (green-colored pencil). Draw a line (map) around the geographic extent of the petroleum system (redcolored pencil). Draw a line (map) of cross-section on the map (brown-colored pencil) that would best show the relation of the pod of active source rock to the petroleum migration paths and accumulations. Draw an asterisk on the map (brown-colored pencil) where a burial history chart would best show the onset and end of petroleum generation and the critical moment. Draw a few arrows (green-colored pencil) to indicate the directions of oil and gas migration.

4.

5.

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Exercise

Use the following symbols to analyze the Paris Basin Petroleum System

Pod of active source rock

Geographic extent
Cross section location

Burial history chart location

Petroleum migration

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Exercise
Paris Basin, from Tissot & Welte, 1978

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System Exercise
Paris Basin, from Tissot & Welte, 1978

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum Systems Model A Petroleum Systems Model is a digital data model of an entire petroleum system in which the interrelated processes and their results can be simulated in order to understand and predict them. The model is dynamic and provides a complete record

through geologic time.

from Magoon and Dow, 1994

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum Systems Model
Key Questions and Tasks of Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum Generation
Have hydrocarbons been generated?
Resource assessment studies and initial charge risking. There are basins in which no oil and gas have been generated!

Where were hydrocarbons generated?

If hydrocarbons were generated, we can define their locations quite accurately.

When were hydrocarbons generated?

There are many clear examples of where basins/plays/prospects have failed due to timing problems. For example, when oil and gas was generated early and the structures were created much later:

Petroleum Migration & Accumulation

Could they have migrated to the prospect?
Modeling of the dynamic process of generation, expulsion and migration makes it possible to determine if the oil and gas charge could reach the trap.

What are the properties of the hydrocarbons?

Modeling of the phase behaviour of the hydrocarbons during migration, accumulation and loss makes it possible to determine oil vs. gas probabilities and even predict properties such as API gravities and GORs.

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum Systems Model
Trap Risk
for example: - Prospect geometry - Reservoir quality (por/perm) - Seal quality
seal carrier/ reservoir

Definition: Charge is the volume of hydrocarbons available for entrapment

Charge Risk
for example: - Source rock quality - Source rock maturity - Generated petroleum

carrier source

Timing and Migration Risk!

This is what Petroleum Systems Modeling technology does! - relates the charge to the trap ... migration! - takes dependencies and processes into account! - takes dynamics into account!

Basin & Petroleum Systems Modeling

Petroleum System - References
Allen, P.A. & Allen, J.R. (2005): Basin Analysis: Principles and Applications, Blackwell Science, Malden, MA, USA; 560pp. Hantschel, T., Kauerauf, A.I. (2009): Fundamentals of Basin Modeling, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 476pp Magoon, L.B. & Dow, W.G. (1994): The Petroleum System from Source to Trap, AAPG Memoir 60, Tulsa, OK, USA; 655pp. Tissot, B.P. & Welte, D.H. (1984): Petroleum Formation and occurrence. 2nd Edition, Springer Verlag

A Fully-Integrated Oil Company

http://www.npl.co.uk/upload/img_400/oilrig.gif

Getting Raw Oil & Gas to the Refinery

Refinery

Getting Refined Products to the Consumers

Courtesy of ExxonMobil

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L 1 - Focus of Industry

Components of the Upstream

Find Oil & Gas Pools

which regions and basins? which blocks? where on the block?

How to Get It Out

where, in detail, are the reserves? what to build (facilities)? will it be profitable?

From the Ground, to the Refinery

how to manage the field? how to deliver the crude?
Courtesy of ExxonMobil
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L 1 - Focus of Industry

Oil Company Targets

To maintain a healthy petroleum company, one would want to: Replace production (what you take out of the ground) with new reserves
Exploration Finds Volumes Produced

Keep finding costs below $1 per barrel

Exploration Costs New Barrels

< $1/barrel

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L 1 - Focus of Industry

We Need to Drill Wisely

Wells can be very expensive, some many hundreds of millions of dollars, a lot even for a major oil company

Well placement and well path can be critical to success

So ..
How can we determine where to drill and predict what we will find BEFORE we start drilling?
This leads to the need for geologists, geophysicists, and other specialists focused on imaging and interpreting the subsurface
Courtesy of ExxonMobil
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L 1 - Focus of Industry

G&G in Exploration
Geoscientists are needed to answer questions such as:
Which basins throughout the world offer the most promise? Which blocks in those basins should we bid for? Where on the block should we drill? What should we expect from a particular well?
What type of HC: oil, gas, or condensate? What amount of HC will we recover: # barrels? What sort of flow rates can we expect? How risky is this well? etc.
Courtesy of ExxonMobil
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L 1 - Focus of Industry

Explorations Task
Identify Opportunities Acquire Seismic Data Interpret Seismic Data

Capture Prime Areas Drill Wildcats

Failure Success

Process Seismic Data

Assess Prospects

Confirmation Well
Uneconomic
Drop Prospect

Success

To Development Or Production
L 1 - Focus of Industry

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An Exploration Success
Bonanza Basin
Block 5 Block 6 Block 7 Block 8

The Bonanza Basin, offshore Somewhereia, was deemed to have high potential. We leased the two highestranked blocks in the last licensing round.

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Somewhereia

Courtesy of ExxonMobil

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L 1 - Focus of Industry

An Exploration Success
Bonanza Basin
Lead Lead

The Bonanza Basin, offshore Somewhereia, was deemed to have high potential.
Lead

Block 7

Block 8

We leased the two highestranked blocks in the last licensing round.

Alpha Prospect
Block 7

8 leads were identified, 3 passed economic screening and were matured into prospects.

Block 8
Courtesy of ExxonMobil
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L 1 - Focus of Industry

An Exploration Success
Alpha Prospect
Block 7

The Bonanza Basin, offshore Somewhereia, was deemed to have high potential. We leased the two highestranked blocks in the last licensing round.
Salt Diapir

Discovery Well

Bonanza Basin

Block 8

8 leads were identified, 3 passed economic screening and were matured into prospects.
We drilled a wildcat at the Alpha Prospect & found oil.

Courtesy of ExxonMobil

F W Schroeder 04

L 1 - Focus of Industry

An Exploration Success
Alpha FIELD
Block 7 Confirmation Well

The Bonanza Basin, offshore Somewhereia, was deemed to have high potential. We leased the two highestranked blocks in the last licensing round.

Discovery Well

Salt Diapir

Bonanza Basin

Block 8

8 leads were identified, 3 passed economic screening and were matured into prospects.
We drilled a wildcat at the Alpha Prospect & found oil. A confirmation well proved that there are significant volumes of oil.
F W Schroeder 04

EUR = 200 MBO .95 TCF

Our estimate of ultimate recovery is 200 MBO.
Courtesy of ExxonMobil

L 1 - Focus of Industry

G&G in Development
Exploration has drilled a discovery and a confirmation well. The ultimate recover for Alpha is estimated to be 200 MBO, which greatly exceeds the economic threshold of 100 MBO Questions:

Can we refine our picture of the distribution of oil at Alpha?

Is the reservoir a single unit, or is it segmented (separate regions to drain)?

How many wells/where should they be drilled? What sort of facilities (platform?) will we need? How can we speed-up time to first oil? What uncertainties remain?
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We Need More Detail

Reservoir Map at the end of Exploration

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Reservoir Map at the end of Development

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We May Need Better Data

Data Used for Exploration Data Reprocessed or Reshot for Development And Production

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L 1 - Focus of Industry

G&G in Production
Production has begun at Alpha. The initial production rates are as expected. Questions:

How should we manage the field so as to maximize our investments? Can we monitor how oil is being swept out of the reservoir? What about injection wells and enhanced recovery? Is there more oil in the vicinity either at deeper depths or in nearby traps? Can we build a computer model of the field that matches existing production data? If so, we can test future recovery with different drilling scenarios.
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Reservoir Simulation
Geologic Model
HISTORY MATCH

Oil Production

Time

Reservoir Simulation
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The Value of G&G to an Oil Company G&G work is done to add HC reserves (volumes)
New discoveries

More from discovered producing zones

Additional producing zones

Get the most reserves at the lowest cost

Invest in the right basins Drill in the optimum locations

Correctly assess what can be recovered

Avoid unnecessary wells
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L 1 - Focus of Industry