Newcastle University

Migration and Reservoir Geochemistry

[ Book online ]

This course:

• provides an insight into current understanding of the mechanisms of petroleum expulsion from source rocks, and of petroleum transport through carrier beds to reservoirs;
• introduces the key properties of the rocks through which petroleum migrates;
• introduces the physical, chemical and biogeochemical processes occuring reservoirs, and describes the techniques by which geochemists study these processes.

Note that the course is delivered over two weeks, with hours of attendance:

• Monday: 14:00-17:00
• Tuesday to Thursday: 10:00-17:00
• Friday: 09:00-17:00

On completion of course, delegates will understand the phase behaviour of petroleum in the subsurface and will be familiar with the mechanisms of petroleum expulsion from source rocks and petroleum migration in carrier beds. They will know that porosity, permeability and capillary entry are key rock properties and will understand how these change with increasing compaction and cementation. Delegates will also have learned about the processes that mix petroleum and degrade oil in oilfields and how their inefficiency provides the geochemist with powerful tools to study reservoirs. Finally they will be familiar with recent research developments in the application of functionalised petroleum compounds such as phenols and carbazoles to tracing migration routes in the subsurface.

Delegates should be able to perform a simple Geochemical Prospect Evaluation. They will be familiar with software used to calculate the volume and phase of petroleum expelled from source rocks and migrating to reservoirs. They should be able to integrate a variety of geochemical data to make interpretations about the physical structure of petroleum reservoirs.

Course Outline

• Introduction: overview and importance
• Phase behaviour of petroleum
• Movement of fluids in the subsurface: fluid potential, pressure, density, buoyancy, capillary pressure, wettability
• Key rock properties: porosity, permeability, capillary entry pressure
• Kinetic models of petroleum formation
• Petroleum primary migration: Petroleum Generation Index, Petroleum Expulsion Efficiency, mass balance models
• Petroleum secondary migration: mechanisms and efficiency
• Geochemical Prospect Evaluation
• Petroleum biodegradation
• Reservoir Geochemistry: principles and applications to exploration, production and appraisal.

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• Prof Andy Aplin (Course Leader)

[ Book online ]

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