INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION (IPA)

REGULAR COURSE, SHERATON LAMPUNG, 26-30 AUGUST 2013

4.
Generation of Petroleum

by: Awang Harun Satyana

 Petroleum Generation

 The generation of petroleum from kerogen proceeds via a complex

series of reactions during which many types of bonds are broken as
a result of thermal stress.

 The depth interval in which a petroleum source rock generates and

expels most of its oil is called the oil window. Most oil windows are
in the temperature range from 60 to 160ºC (140-320 ºF). Gas
windows are in the 100 to 200 ºC (212-392 ºF) temperature range.
From one-half to two thirds of thermogenic gas comes from the
thermal cracking of previously formed oil.
 Lewan (1994)
Amounts of kerogen, bitumen, and expelled oil collected after conducting isothermal
hydrous pyrolysis experiments on aliquots of a Woodford Shale sample (WD-5) at
temperatures ranging from 30(f to 360°C for 72 hr, and at 365°C for 808 hr.
 Petroleum Generation
 Oil-generative source rock with average initial S2 > 5 kg/ton and
average initial TOC > 1.5 % are efficient in expelling 60-90 % of their
generated oil at temperature between 120-160 ºC. The main phase of
oil expulsion is retarded until ca. 40 % generation has occurred.
 Oil-generative source rock with S2 < 5 kg/ton and TOC < 1.5 % are
less efficient in expelling only up to 40 % of their generated oil. Un-
expelled oil resides in the source rock, to be cracked and ultimately
expelled as a high GOR (gas oil ratio) gaseous phase at much higher
maturity (> 160 ºC ).
 Petroleum generation is currently modeled using the assumption that
oil generation depends upon both the temperature to which kerogen
has been heated and the duration of the heating. Among the most
popular models are those of Lopatin (1971) and Waples (1984).
Bissada (1974)
Selley (1985)
Selley (1985)
Hagen and Surdam (1984)
Waples (1994)