BASIC OF PETROLEUM

GEOCHEMISTRY SHORT COURSE

Geology of Institute Technology of Medan Student Chapter of American
Association of Petroleum Geologist (GITMSC of AAPG)
Saturday. December 01, 2012

AGENDA

1. Introduction to TOTAL and TOTAL E&P INDONESIE

2. Petroleum System and prospet generation
3. Petroleum Geochemistry
4. Organic chemistry
5. Source Rock Evaluation (Quality, Quantitiy, and Maturity)
6. Migration
7. Oil Properties Evaluation
8. HC Alteration
9. Burial History and Basin Evaluation
10. Oil and Gas Career Sharing Knowledge and Discussion
2

PETROLEUM SYSTEM AND

PROSPECT EVALUATION

GeoScience

Geology

Petrophysics

Rock Properties
Plate Tectonic
Fluid Properties
Structure
Sedimentology & Stratigraphy Capillary Pressure
Biostrat / Pelaeontology

Source Rock
Migration
Reservoir
Seal
Trap

Geophysics

Potential
Seismic
Advance Seismic
Tomography

Llyod, 2010
6

Llyod, 2010
7

Llyod, 2010
8

DEFINITIONS OF RISK AND UNCERTAINTY

Risk unexpected possibilities.
Dry wells
No source rock
No reservoir

Uncertainty unpredictability of known possible

outcomes of a choice or action

If I drill an appraisal well how much will I

reduce uncertainty on a field

BP Research, 1991
9

CLASS EXCERCISE
PETROLEUM SYSTEM RISK EVALUATION:

= LOW RISK

= MEDIUM RISK

= HIGH RISK

10

An area, a block, or a PSC

Source rock & Maturity

Reservoir

= if

Charge +Migration

Seal

= where is the
most prospective
area

11

BP Research, 1991

Drilling Proposal
Prospect/Segment
Inventory
Risk
Seismic
Imaging

Uncertainty
Seismic
Attributes

Geol
Modeling

Play Focus
Basin Statistic

Lead
Inventory

Risk
Ranking

Regional Knowledge / Understanding

Structural Styles
Data
Acquisition
and
Management

Well
correllation
and post
mortem

Sequence Strat
Seismic
interprtetaion

Basic Maps
Structure, Isopach

Basin Modelling
Plate
Doc.
Reconstruction

PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY

13

PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY IS:

Application of chemical principles to the

study of the origin, migration, accumulation,
and alteration of petroleum (oil and gas) and
the use of this knowledge in exploring for
and recovering petroleum. (Hunt, 1996)

14

WHAT CAN PETROLEUM GEOCHEMISTRY DO?

predict the fluid (oil/gas/water) in a prospect ahead of drilling in terms of its
phase (liquid/gas), composition (GOR, CGR, sulphur, wax, etc.), and properties
(API gravity, viscosity),
determine volumetrics of petroleum generated, migrated, and accumulated in a
basin,
determine how many oil and gas families are present in a basin,
relate those oil and gas families to known source rocks and basin geology,
predict in-reservoir alteration (e.g. biodegradation, oil to gas cracking),
predict/understand intra-field/-reservoir petroleum variations, and
predict lithological variations in a prospect and overpressures ahead of drilling.

(Awang, 2010)
15

BP Research (1991)

16

BP Research (1991)

17

Selley (1985)

18

GOOD REFERENCE
Petroleum Formation and Occurrence : a New Approach to Oil and Gas
Exploration (B. Tissot and D. Welte, 1984 Springer-Verlag)
Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration (D. Waples, 1985 IHRDC)
AAPG Memoir 60 : The Petroleum System from Source to Trap (eds : L.
Magoon and W. Dow, 1994 AAPG)
Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology (2nd ed.) (J. Hunt, 1996 WH Freeman
and Co.)
Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA)s Proceedings on Petroleum System
Symposium of Asia and Austral-Asia (1997)

19

Waples (1985)

20

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

21

Selley (1985)

22

Selley (1985)

23

VARIETY OF OIL AND SOLUBLE EXTRACT COMPOUNDS

BP Research (1991)

24

Hunt (1996)

25

SOURCE ROCK EVALUATION

26

27

Llyod, 2010

28

ORGANIC MATTER OCCURS IN ANY KIND OF DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT

29

SOURCE ROCK QUALITY

Types of Petroleum
Oil and gas are formed by thermal cracking of
organic compounds buried in fine grained rocks

Llyod, 2010
30

Thermal increase
Decomposition

KEROGEN TYPING ANALYSIS

TYPE I

TYPE II

TYPE III

Kerogen Composition (Waples, 1985).

MACERAL

KEROGEN TYPE ORGANIC MATERIAL ORIGIN

Alginit

Fresh water algae

Eksinit

II

Pollen and spore

Kutinit

II

Waxy

Resinit

II

Resin

Liptinit

II

Marine algae

Vitrinit

III

Celulose

Inertinit

IV

Residu

Van Krevelin Diagram

TYPE I
900

TYPE II

H/C

HI (mgHC/g TOC)

600

300

TYPE III
0
0

50

100

150

200

OI (mgCO2/g TOC)

O/C

250

300

SOURCE ROCK QUANTITY

FACTOR INFLUENCING THE AMOUNT OF ORGANIC MATTER
IN SEDIMENTS

1. Rate of Supply of Organic Material

2. Anoxia Promotes Preservation and is Responsible for Most Source
Rocks
3. Rate of Burial

35

FACTORS ENHANCING PRESERVATION

Stagnant basins : density stratification with O2-poor bottom
waters

Oxygen-minimum layer (OML) : the rate of oxygen

consumption exceeds the rate of oxygen influx

Restricted circulation : presence of shallow and deep

silling, coal swamps (poor water circulation, high influxes of
organic matter, diminished bacterial activity.

36

PRESERVATION BY ANOXIA

Oxic = the zone with high oxygen contents (O2 > 0.5 ml/l);
aerobic process
Anoxic = the zonewith low oxygen contents (O2 < 0.2 ml/l);
anaerobic process
Anoxia is of tremendous importance in the preservation of
organic matter in sediments. If anoxia can develop,
preservation of organic matter will be much enhanced.
Most of the worlds oil was generated from source beds
deposited under anoxic conditions.

37

Brooks et al. (1987)

38

Brooks et al. (1987)

39

Hunt (1996)

40

Selley (1985)

41

Waples (1985)

42

Waples (1985)

43

Waples (1985)

44

Waples (1985)

45

SOURCE ROCK RICHNESS

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A LECO CARBON ANALYSER

O2 stream

Rock sample
.0178

POWER
SUPPLY

Induction
furnace

(Corelab, 2006)

CO2
Trap

CO2
Detector

Recorder-digital
Voltmeter

SOURCE ROCK RICHNESS

Source Rock Richness is determined by measurement of the Total Organic Carbon
content of the rock (Leco Analyser).
Poor

<0.50%

Fair

0.50% - 1.00%

Good

1.00% - 2.00%

Very Good

2.00% - 4.00%

Excellent

>4.00%

In general, shales with less than 0.50% TOC or carbonates with less than 0.20% TOC will
not be good source rocks and are not worthy of further study.
An exception to this, however, is if a rock contains a predominance of algal kerogen
(highly oil prone), in which case lower TOC values can still be considered.

(Corelab, 2006)

SOURCE ROCK MATURITY

Brooks et al. (1987)

48

49

Selley (1985)

50

P.T. CORELAB INDONESIA

COLOURLESS

PALE
YELLOW

2-2/3

YELLOW

YELLOW/
BROWN

2/3

3/4

BROWN

DARK BROWN

DARK BROWN/
BLACK

BLACK

6-6/7

TAS -S CALE .FH 8

(After D.J. Batten, 1996)

Palynomorph assemblages at different levels of maturation

( TAS Scale )
MA TSC L 2.C D R

(Corelab, 2006)
51

Merrill (1991)

52

53

53

THERMAL MATURITY ASSESSMENT

Thermal Maturity Assessment of source rocks is made using a

combination of geochemical data.
1.

Vitrinite Reflectance Analysis

2.

Spore Colouration / Thermal Alteration Scale

3.

Other Maturity Parameters

Pyrolysis Tmax values (< 435C Immature; 435-460C Oil

window)
Biomarker Maturity Parameters

VITRINITE REFLECTANCE ANALYSIS

Vitrinite Reflectance is the longest established and often considered

the most reliable thermal maturity parameter.
Interpretation guidelines:
< 0.5 %Ro
0.5 1.35 %Ro
1.35 3.00 %Ro

Thermal immature
Main phase of oil generation
Main phase of gas generation

Vitrinite reflectance is only reliable in clastic rock settings.

Peter & Cassa, 1994

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

56

GEOCHEMICAL LOG (AN EXAMPLE)

Peter & Cassa, 1994

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

57

HC AND MIGRATION

61

62

MIGRATION TERMINOLOGY
Primary Migration
rock expulsion

Movement HC within source

Secondary Migration Movement expelled HC from

source to trap
Tertiary Migration
Movement HC from one
trap/accumulation to another, or from trap to surface

MECHANICS OF EXPULSION
The most likely mechanism of expulsion appears to be as a
discrete pahase through microfractures caused by the release of
overpressure.
The cause of overpressure in the source rock may be a
combination of oil or gas generation, fluid expansion on
temperature increase, compaction of sealed source rock units, or
release of water on clay mineral dehydration.
The conversion of kerogen to petroleum results in a significant
volume increase. This causes a pore pressure build up which is
sometimes large enough to result in microfracturing. This release
pressure, and allows the migration of petroleum out of source rock
into adjoining carrier beds, from which point secondary migration
processes take over.
(Awang, 2010)
64

MECHANICS OF EXPULSION
Cycles of petroleum generation, pressure build up, microfracturing,
pressure release, petroleum migration continue until the source rock is
exhausted.

The implication of this theory is thet mature source rock will always
expel petroleum as long as they are rich enough. A lean oil-prone
source rock may not generate sufficient hydrocarbon to cause
microfracturing. As a result, no expulsion will occur. If raised to higher
maturity, however, the oil that has remained in the source rock will be
cracked to gas.

(Awang, 2010)
65

66

SECONDARY MIGRATION

England (1994)

69

A. England, 1994

70

MIGRATION EXPERIMENT

Jianzhao Yan et al, 2012

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

71

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

72

MIGRATION PATHWAYS
Petroleum will tend to move perpendicular to structural contours.
Petroleum flow may be split when encountering a low, and
concentrated along regional highs.
The geometry of the kitchen also affects petroleum charge
volumes; prospects locaed close to the ends of strongly elongate
source kitchens will receive relatively little charge.
Sealing faults may deflect petroleum flow laterally.
Nonsealing faults allow petroleum to flow across the fault plane
into juxtaposed permeable units at a different sratigraphic level.

73

BP Research (1991)

74

BP Research (1991)

76

Allen and Allen (1990)

77

Pratsch (1983)

78

Pratsch (1983)

79

Pratsch (1983)

80

BP Research (1991)

81

BP Research (1991)

82

Brooks et al. (1987)

83

FAULTS AND HYDROCARBON MIGRATION

Fault zones can act as both conduits and barriers to secondary
migrtion. The material crushed by the frictional movement of the
fault, the fault gouge, is frequently impermeable and does not allow
the passage of petroleum. Clay smeared along fault planes also
blocks petroeum migration.
Fractures formed in either the footwall or hangingwall, if they
remain open, may form effective vertical migration pathways. This
may occur in the uplifted hangingwalls of compressive faults on
release of compressive stresses. Tensional fractures in the crestal
zones of anticlinal structures may also allow migration of
petroleum.
Lateral migration will tend to be inhibited by the presence of faults,
since they interrupt the lateral continuity of the carrier bed.

(Awang, 2010)
84

Hindle (1997)

85

Pratsch (1983)

86

87

88

England (1994)

90

Which are the best prospect to be drilled ?

American Petroleum Institute. 1986

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

91

CLASS EXCERCISE

Which one has good TOC?

Where is mature zone?

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

92

CLASS EXCERCISE

Define the kitchen?

Define the migration pathway?
Define the most prospective prospect to be drilled

93

OIL PROPERTIES EVALUATION

94

Bissada et al. (1992)

95

96

97

Robinson (1987)

98

Waples (1985)

99

Bissada et al. (1992)

100

101

IN RESERVOIR ALTERATION

102

103

Bissada et al. (1992)

104

Blanc and Connan (1994)

105

IN-RESERVOIR ALTERATION
Biodegradation : bacterial alteration of crude oils; attack firstly light nalkanes, branched (iso) alkanes, cyclo-lkanes, finally aromatics; occurs at
low reservoir temperatures < 80C; need supply of fresh, nutrient-rich,
oxygenated water.
Thermal degradation : thermal cracking of oil into gas. Heavy compounds
are replaced by progressively lighter ones, until only dry gas methane is
present. At high temperatures (> 160 C), oil cracking reaction proceed so
rapidly that an oil accumulation may be destroyed within a geologically
short period of time.
Water washing : to occur in association with biodegradation if the
reservoir temperature is too high ( > 70 C) or if other condition for
microbial attacck are not met. Light alkanes and low boiling point
aromatics (benzene, toluene) are the most soluble and preferentially
removed. The net result is anomalously heavy oil though not
biodegraded.
106

IN-RESERVOIR ALTERATION
Gas souring : production of H2S in deep, hot carbonate/ evaporite
reservoirs via reaction of methane with gypsum. With increasing
temperature (> 150 C), proportion of H2S increases.
CO2 pollution : during diagenesis, fermentation reactions as well as
oxidation by bacteria liberate CO2; during thermal maturation of organic
matter CO2 is liberated via decarboxylation of e.g. fatty acids or esters
in kerogen. Other possibiliies, only viable at high temperatures (> 150
C), are thermal decomposition of inorganic carbonates and outgassing of the earths mantle. Production of CO2 from organic matter is
thought to be the most significant mechanism for contributing CO2 to
reservoirs.

107

IN-RESERVOIR ALTERATION
Gas deasphalting : a process whereby the precipitation of the heavy
asphalthene compounds in a crude oil takes places as a result of the
injection of light C1-C6 hydrocarbons. This may occur when an oil
accumulation experiences a later gas charge as its source kitchen
becomes highly mature.

Gravity segregation : in high petroleum columns of reservoir, various

hydrocarbons vary systematically with depth due to gravity. Denser
high molecular weight components tend to be more concentrated at the
bottom of the reservoir.

108

Hunt (1996)

109

Palmer (1994)

110

Blanc and Connan (1994)

111

PETROLEUM GENERATION MODELLING

AND BASIN EVALUATION

112

PETROLEUM GENERATION MODELING

Petroleum generation is currently modeled using the
assumption that oil generation depends upon both the
temperature to which kerogen has been heated and the
duration of the heating. Among the most popular models
are those of Lopatin (1971) and Waples (1984).

113

Selley (1985)

114

Waples (1994)

115

Waples (1994)

116

117

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

118

119 and Dow (1994)

Magoon

Magoon and Dow (1994)

120

Magoon and Dow (1994)

121

Magoon and Dow (1994)

122

NORTH SUMATRA BASIN (AN EXAMPLE)

123

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

124

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

125

CLASS EXCERCISE

Presentation title - Place and Country - Date Month Day Year

126

CLASS EXCERCISE (DRAW PETROLEUM SYSTEM EVENT CHART

FROM STRATIRAPHIC COLUMN BELOW)

127

128