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3b. OVERBURDEN ROCKS & SOURCE MATURATION PDF
3b. OVERBURDEN ROCKS & SOURCE MATURATION PDF
3.
Overburden Rocks &
Source Maturation
mature source/kitchen
Overburden Rocks
Overburden rock, an essential element of the petroleum system, is that
series of mostly sedimentary rock that overlies the source rock. it is usually
the largest part of the basin fill.
Generation of hydrocarbons from thermal degradation of organic matter in
the source rock is determined by thickness of the overburden rock in
conjunction with the physical properties and processes that determine
temperature in sedimentary basins.
Thickness of the overburden rock is a by-product of the fundamental forces
and processes that control the structural development of the sedimentary
basin in which the overburden rock is found.
Source rock temperature is largely determined by thickness and thermal
conductivity of the overburden rock, heat flow, and ground surface
temperature.
Overburden Rocks
Overburden rocks = burial sediments/rocks
Because of burial, a source rock generates petroleum, a reservoir rock
experiences a loss of porosity through compaction, a seal rock becomes a
better barrier to petroleum migration, and if oil and gas are kept in a trap at
an optimum temperature, biodegradation is prevented.
The main zone of oil generation occurs between 100° and 150°C (Quigley et
al., 1987). For these temperatures to be reached, a source rock must be
buried by overburden rock through the process of sedimentation. The extent,
depth, and timing of hydrocarbon generation from the source rock thus
depend on the sedimentation rate and the geothermal gradient.
For a typical geothermal gradient of 25°C/km, most oil generation takes
place at depths of about 3--6 km. However, there is a tremendous range of
natural variability associated with both sedimentation rates and geothermal
gradients in sedimentary basins.
tectonic subsidence histories for basins from different tectonic settings
will affect the thickness of overburden rocks