A geologic process in which:

1) Charge of gas enters an existing oil

accumulation
2) Gas then equilibrates with light
components of the reservoir oil
3) Gas is vented from accumulation,
taking with it dissolved components
that originally part of oil
accumulation. Migrating gas may
then condense out a liquid in a
shallower reservoir
4) This process is cause of 2 new fluids
i) High-gravity retrograde
condensate in shallower
reservoir
ii) Lower gravity, more aromatic
residual oil in original reservoir
LMW HC dissolve in
reservoir oil, expanding it
and precipitating out the
asphaltenes, high API with
asphalt

Tar mat
C15+ n-paraffin,
Steranes,
Triterpanes
Triaromatic steroids
Contain 50% asphaltene
whereas, the overlying oil has
less than 5%
If a high wax oil migrates to a
temperature below its cloud point,
the wax will be partly crystallized. Oil
solidifies at the pour point.

Treatment:
Well must be treated with
hot oils or reamed to
prevent clogging.
Crude oil dewaxed near
the well sites or mixed
with low-pour-point
aromatic oils.
Microbial populations are highly
adaptable and can alter their
metabolic process to fit
hydrocarbon availability.

The hydrocarbons are

oxidized to alcohols,
ketones and acids by
bacterial attack

In general, small molecules up to

C20 are consumed before larger
ones.
With same molecular range,

N- Iso- Polycyclic
Napthenes Aromatics
paraffins paraffins Aromatics

isoprenoids

One ring
Attacked steranes
napthenes and before
aromatics hopanes
 WET GAS (C2- GASOLINE
C6) WITH KEROSINE
PROPANE RANGE

ALL N-PARAFFIN,
API GRAVITY WAX, POUR
POINT

GAS-OIL RATIO
(GOR)

SULPHUR AND VANADIUM &

ASPHALTIC
NITROGEN VISCOSITY NICKEL
COMPOUNDS
CONTENT CONTENT
 Dissolve most stable HC
Methane
Ethane
Benzene
Toluene

Produce heavy oil with

low API gravity
high in density.

Additional factor of alteration

MICROBES