Petroleum Technology

Chapter Three
Petroleum Traps
Shayma Hamza
Lecturer in Petrochemical Engineering
Duhok Polytechnic University
Traps
• Oil and gas accumulations occur in underground traps formed by
structural and/or stratigraphic features.
• Traps are mainly sands, sandstone, limestone and dolomites.
• Reservoir is that portion of trap which contains oil and/or gas as
single hydraulically connected system.
• Many hydrocarbon reservoirs are connected to various volumes of
water-bearing rock called aquifers
 Impermeable Ppermeable
Traps rocks rocks

Gas

Oil

Water

Figure-1: Typical petroleum trap

Types of Traps
• Structural traps are formed by tectonic deformation
• Anticline Trap
• Fault Trap
• Salt Dome Trap

• Stratigraphic traps are caused by depositional differences between

adjacent rock types.

• Each trap is formed with two types of rocks:

• Permeable rocks: where hydrocarbons are contained and be produced from
 • Impermeable rocks: act as seal and prevent hydrocarbons from migrating and
escaping from trap.

Types of Traps
• Anticline Trap
The reservoir rocks (sandstone or
limestone) are surrounded from (top
and bottom) by layers of
impermeable rocks that are
folded into anticline. the
hydrocarbons (oil and/or gas) are
occupying the top of the
anticline.
Impermeable Permeable
rocks rocks

Figure-2: Anticline petroleum

trap
Gas

Oil

Water
Figure-3:
Anticline
formation
Types of Traps
• Fault Trap
In fault traps, the fault Impermeable
rocks
trapping the oil and hindering
its further upward migration.
The fault plane must
therefore be sealing for
Gas
vertical flow in order to Oil

function as a barrier and a cap Water Oil

rock for the reservoir rocks.

Water

Figure-4: Fault trap

Figure-5: Fault formation
Types of Traps Salt Dome Impermeable
rocks

• Salt Dome Trap

Salt domes is formed
and moved (float) up Gas
and punching through
Oil
layers to the cap rock.
the hydrocarbons are
accumulated to the sides Water
of the dome. The dome
is act as efficient seal.
Figure-6: Salt dome trap
Types of Traps
Stratigraphic Trap: Clay
Sand
• Fluvial channel sandstones may
be isolated and surrounded by
impermeable clay-rich sediments,
or they may be folded so that we
obtain a combination of Figure-7: Stratigraphic trap
stratigraphic and structural
traps.
Types of Traps
Stratigraphic Trap:
Impermeable
•P
Permeable layers of sandstone rocks
will pinch out of up-dip from
the foot of the continental
slope. This will result in
stratigraphic traps.

Figure-8: Stratigraphic trap

Distribution of Hydrocarbon Fluids in Traps
• Porous rocks are fluid-permeated, containing oil, gas or water.
• Gravitational forces cause the less dense fluids to seek the higher
positions in the trap.
• Capillary forces cause the wetting fluid to risen the pores containing a
non-wetting fluid.
• Water is generally wetting fluid with respect to oil and gas, oil is
wetting fluid with respect to gas.
• Capillary forces tend to counteract the gravity force in segregation
the fluids.
Types of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
Oil Reservoir:
• At initial condition of pressure and temperature in the trap only oil
and water are existing.
• The oil is accumulated in the top of the trap and underline by water.
• Between oil and water zones there will be transition zone where both
oil and water are existing.
• Oil zone contains small fractions of water called connate water
Types of Hydrocarbon
Reservoirs

Oil

Water

Figure-9: Oil reservoir

Types of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
Gas-Oil Reservoir:
• At initial condition of pressure and temperature in the trap both oil
(liquid phase) and natural gas (gas phase) are exist.
• The gas occupies the top of the trap and forms gas cap.
• Oil occupies the intermediate position and underline by water.
• Transition zone exist between gas and oil and between oil and water.
• Both gas and oil zones contain small fractions of water called connate
water
Types of Traps

Gas

Oil

Water

Figure-10: Gas cap oil reservoir

Types of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
Gas Reservoir:
• At initial condition of pressure and temperature in the trap gas exist.
• The gas occupies the top of the trap and underline by water.
• Transition zone exist between gas and water zones.
• Gas zone contains small fractions of water called connate water
Types of Traps

Gas

Water

Figure-11: Gas reservoir