Petroleum System

Eng. Mufazzal. S. Kabuli

Learning Outcome
• Migration of Petroleum

• Entrapment Process

• Types of traps

• Reservoir characteristics
Oil Maturation and Migration

Reservoir Rock
Migration of Petroleum

• Generated hydrocarbons migrates from source rock into

suitable structures.

• There are 2 stages of migration:

1. Primary Migration
2. Secondary Migration
Primary Migration
• It involves the expulsion of petroleum from the source
rocks to reservoir rock.

• Oil and Gas is driven out of source rock by excess

pressure
Primary and Secondary Migration
Secondary Migration
• It involves the movement of petroleum through
permeable rock layers towards the trap.
Petroleum Reservoir
What is a Reservoir?????

 A petroleum reservoir is a subsurface pool

of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock
formations.
Petroleum Reservoir
• Reservoirs are composed of either:

• Clastic formation – Sandstone reservoirs made from

silicates (quartz, SiO2).

• Carbonate formation – Carbonate reservoirs made

from coral or shell fragments.
Arrangement of Fluids in Reservoir
• Fluids tend to stratify according to their relative
densities in the reservoir:

1. Gas
2. Oil
3. Water
Accumulation of Petroleum
• Accumulation and storage of hydrocarbons occur
once the reservoir fluids encounter an
impermeable shale or dense layer of rock above
the reservoir.

• This is called a Trap.

Trap
What is Trap???
• Trap is a sealing medium present above reservoir rock that does not allow
upward migration of oil and gas towards the surface.

• Common examples of cap rocks acting as a traps are chalks , shales, clays etc.

Anticlinal Trap
Types of Traps
Traps are of following types:
1. Structural Traps
• Folds
• Faults
2. Diapiric Traps
3. Stratigraphic Traps
4. Combination Traps
Structural Traps
 It can be defined as a trap which is formed due to
changes in structures below surface of earth.

 It results in formation of folds ,faults or salt domes.

Anticlinal Trap
Fault Trap
Diapiric Traps
• This type of trap is caused by diapirs where salt or mud has moved upwards and
domed the overlying strata
Stratigraphic Traps
• It can be defined as a trap whose geometry is formed by
changes in lithology, thickness or texture.
Combination Traps
• Sometimes a sedimentary body forms a combination of structural and
stratigraphic trap depending upon various structural and stratigraphic factors
contributing to trapping mechanism.

• Many global reservoirs have this type of trap.

Relationship between Trap and Reservoir Rock
• Trap is a seal to reservoir rock

• Oil and gas in reservoir cannot move out of reservoir

due to presence of trap

• Presence of Trap is important above reservoir rock in

order to retain oil and gas in reservoir or else fluids will
escape.
Petroleum Reservoir

• As discussed earlier, petroleum reservoir is a subsurface

pool of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured
rock formations.
Reservoir Thickness
• Isochore and Isopach maps are two different types of thickness maps.

• They are used for determining reservoir thickness.

• An Isopach is a line that connects points of equal true thickness (i.e.

measured perpendicular to bedding)

• An Isochore is a line that connects points of equal vertical thickness.

Reservoir Pressures
• There are various types of pressures associated with
reservoirs.

• These pressure include:

1. Lithostatic pressure overburden pressure
2. Hydrostatic pressure Pore pressure
3. Hydrodynamic pressure Flowing Pressure
Reservoir Characteristics
The two most important characteristic of reservoir rocks
include:

1.Porosity
2.Permeability
Porosity
What is Porosity????
Porosity is amount of pore space or empty space or void
space present in between the rock
Porosity
• Porosity can be calculated as ratio of pore volume in rock to the total volume of rock

where f = porosity

• The porosity may be expressed a decimal fraction but is most often expressed as a
percentage.
Porosity
• It is porosity in reservoir rocks that allows them to hold
hydrocarbons (oil and gas) within them

• It is basically nothing but the tiny holes through which

the oil flows

• Higher the porosity, higher will be fluids present in rocks

 intergranular effective
Intragranular is ineffective

Types of Porosities Porosity between the grains Porosity inside the grains

• Primary Porosity
It is a porosity formed in rock at the
time of deposition and formation of
rock. It is original porosity.

• Secondary Porosity
It is a porosity formed in rock after
deposition of rock. It may be formed
due to fracture generation or chemical
leaching of minerals.

• Porosity can also be effective

(connected porosity like intergranular)
or ineffective ( isolated porosity like
intra-granular)
Permeability
What is Permeability?????

Permeability is defined as amount of inter-connected pore

spaces within rock
Permeability
• Permeability allows oil and gas to move from one pore to another.

• Oil flows due to permeability

• If there is no permeability in rocks, Oil is locked or trapped in one

place

• Symbol for permeability is “K”

• Unit for measuring permeability is Darcy