Elements of Petroleum

Geology
Agenda
Elements of petroleum geology
Source rock
Reservoir rock
Cap rock or seal
Trap
Conclusion
Elements of petroleum geology
Source rocks, trap, seal and reservoir rock are the key elements
of petroleum systems which are provided by the interpretation
of data from reflection seismology and electromagnetic
geophysical techniques performed in a particular geographic
area. Each of these elements is evaluated in a particular way to
determine the potentiality of the system.
Source rock
Source rock is rock which has
generated hydrocarbons or which could generate
hydrocarbons. Source rocks are one of the necessary
elements of a working petroleum system. They are
organic-rich sediments that may have been deposited in
a variety of environments including deep
water marine, lacustrine and deltaic. Oil shale can be
regarded as an organic-rich but immature source rock
from which little or no oil has been generated and
expelled. Subsurface source rock mapping
methodologies make it possible to identify likely zones
of petroleum occurrence in sedimentary basins as well
as shale gas plays.
Reservoir rock
Reservoir rocks are rocks that have the ability to store
fluids inside their pores, so that the fluids can be
accumulated. In petroleum geology, reservoir is one of the
elements of petroleum system that can accumulate
hydrocarbons. Reservoir rock must have good porosity
and permeability to accumulate and drain oil in
economical quantities.
Cap rock or seal
A relatively impermeable rock,
commonly shale, anhydrite, or salt, that forms a
barrier or seal above and around reservoir rock so
that fluids cannot migrate beyond the reservoir. It is
often found atop a salt dome.
Trap
Trap is a geological structure affecting
the reservoir rock and caprock of a petroleum
system allowing the accumulation of
hydrocarbons in a reservoir. Traps can be of
two types: stratigraphic or structural.
Structural traps are the most important type of
trap as they represent the majority of the
world's discovered petroleum resources.
Types of trap
CONCLUSION