Assignment 1

1. Diagenesis may have a significant effect on reservoir rocks. What are the major
processes and explain how these affect the reservoir quality.

Diagenesis significantly impacts reservoir rocks through processes such as compaction,

cementation, dissolution, and replacement, which can enhance or reduce porosity and
permeability. For example, the dissolution of feldspars and micas can increase porosity,
while the precipitation of minerals like quartz and calcite can decrease it.

2. What are the dominant reservoirs in the existing fields on the Norwegian Shelf?
Give some examples.

On the Norwegian Shelf, the Troll and Johan Sverdrup fields are dominant, with the former
having the largest remaining reserves. These fields are characterized by large gas and oil
reserves, respectively.

3. Carbonate reservoirs is sometimes said to be more complicated and unpredictable

than siliciclastic reservoirs. What are the main reasons.

Carbonate reservoirs are often more complex than siliciclastic due to their depositional
environments, diagenetic processes, and pore structures, which can lead to a wide range of
grain shapes and internal structures. This complexity makes predicting their behaviour more
challenging.

4. Why is a shallow marine (beach) siliciclastic reservoir considered as very good

compared to other reservoirs.

Shallow marine (beach) siliciclastic reservoirs are considered very good due to their typically
high porosity and permeability, resulting from well-sorted and well-rounded grains, and the
presence of fewer fine-grained materials that could occlude pore spaces

5. What effect does Karstification have on carbonate reservoir rocks; How does it
impact the planning of drilling wells.
Karstification can significantly alter carbonate reservoir rocks by creating vuggy porosity and
enhancing permeability through the dissolution of carbonate material. However, it can also lead
to heterogeneity and unpredictable fluid flow patterns, which must be carefully considered when
planning drilling wells to avoid issues such as irregular well paths or loss of circulation.
Effective well planning requires understanding the geological characteristics, including the
potential for karstification, to ensure safe and cost-effective drilling operations.

Assignment 2

1. List some important processes that reduce the primary porosity in a reservoir rock.

Important processes that reduce the primary porosity in reservoir rocks include compaction,
which is the reduction of pore space due to the weight of overlying sediments, and
cementation, where minerals precipitate in the pore spaces and bind the sediment grains
together.

2. Give a brief overview of the most frequent hydrocarbon traps, and comment the
main risks connected to them

The most frequent hydrocarbon traps are structural traps, formed by tectonic events like
folding or faulting, and stratigraphic traps, resulting from variations in rock layers like
pinching out of a reservoir against an impermeable layer. The main risks associated with
these traps include the potential for hydrocarbon leakage due to fault reactivation or cap rock
failure.

3. For a working petroleum system, timing is very important. Explain the importance
of the timing of trap formation in relation to the other elements

Timing is crucial in a petroleum system because the trap must form before or during
hydrocarbon migration. If the trap forms too late, the hydrocarbons may escape or never
accumulate.

4. What are the main tectonic regimes for formation of structural traps; Give
examples of structures
 The main tectonic regimes for the formation of structural traps are extensional, where the
earth's crust is stretched and thinned; compressional, where the crust is shortened and
thickened; and strike-slip, where blocks of crust slide past each other horizontally. Examples
include rift valleys in extensional regimes, folded mountain belts in compressional regimes,
and lateral offset features like the San Andreas Fault in strike-slip regimes.

5. Describe the risk of Hydrocarbon leakage in fault-related traps

The risk of hydrocarbon leakage in fault-related traps is primarily due to the reactivation of
faults, which can breach the seal of a trap and allow hydrocarbons to escape. This risk is often
assessed by analyzing the strength and integrity of the cap rock and the fault seal, as well as the
history of tectonic activity in the area.