1/19/2016

GeologyofHydrocarbons
GEOL 4324001
2:00to3:20,TuesdaysandThursdays
Room104,HoldenHall
Textbook:

NontechnicalGuideto
PetroleumGeology,Exploration,DrillingandProduction,
3rd edition
By
NormanJ.Hyne
PennWell Corporation
Prerequisite:
PetroleumEngineeringmajors
GEOL 3324GeologyforPetroleumEngineers(passedwithCorbetter)

GEOL4324,Spring2016

Grading
Exam

Date

Weight in the Final Grade

Chapters

Exam #1

Feb. 18

25%

Ch. 1 7

Exam #2

Mar. 31

25%

Ch. 8 13

Miniproject #1 Apr. 1214

10%

Ch. 8

Miniproject #2 Apr. 2628

10%

Ch. 18

Exam #3

May 3

20%

Ch. 8, 1718, 27

Attendance

cumulative

10%

All days

Final (optional)

May 13

Can substitute one of the Ch. 113, 1718, 27

exams.

A(>85%),B(>70%),C(>55%),D(>40%),F(<40%)
Miniprojectsareopenbook.
Allexamsareclosedbook.Arulerandacalculatorallowed.
TopHatwillbeusedforattendancetaking(www.tophat.com).
PDFcopyofthelectureslidescanbedownloadedviaTopHat.

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Schedule
Tue.
1/26
2/2
2/9
2/16
2/23
3/1
3/8
3/15
3/22
3/29
4/5
4/12
4/19
4/26
5/3
5/10

Thur.
1/21
Propertiesofgasandoil,Ch.1
1/28
Geologictimescaleandgeochronology, 2/4
Ch.4
Sedimentarybasins,Ch.67
2/11
Basicsofmaps,Ch.8
2/18
Sourcerocks,Ch.9
2/25
Reservoirrocks,Ch.10
3/3
Petroleumtraps,Ch.11
3/10
SpringBreak
3/17
Geophysicalexplorationtechniques,
3/24
Ch.13
Unconventionaloilandgas,Ch.27
3/31
Contourmaps,Ch.8
4/7
Miniproject1:subsurfacemapping
4/14
Welltesting,Ch.1718
4/21
Miniproject2:welllogcorrelation
4/28
Exam#3
5/5
Reviewofexplorationtechniques
5/13

Introduction
Rocksandminerals,Ch.23
Deformationofsedimentaryrocks,Ch.
5
Sedimentarybasins,Ch.67
Exam#1
Reservoirrocks,Ch.10
Petroleumtraps,Ch.11
Petroleumexploration,Ch.12
SpringBreak
Geophysicalexplorationtechniques,
Ch.13
Exam#2
Subsurfacestratigraphicmaps,Ch.8
Miniproject1:subsurfacemapping
Geologiccrosssection
Miniproject2:welllogcorrelation
Reviewofexplorationtechniques
FinalExam(optional)

GEOL4324,Spring2016

UsefulOnlineResources

www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com

wiki.aapg.org
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Resourcesinthetextbook

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170pagesofGlossary

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Reviewingthematerials
fromGEOL3324willbe
helpful.

GEOL4324,Spring2016

SomeBasicTermsinPetroleumGeology
Petroleum
Naturallyoccurringhydrocarbonandotherorganicsubstance.
Hydrocarbons
Compoundsmadeupsolelyofhydrogen(H)andcarbon(C)
Crudeoil
Petroleuminliquidform
Heavy crude=verythickandviscous,difficulttoproduce
Light crude=veryfluid,easytoproduce,richingasoline($$$)
Naturalgas
Petroleumingaseousphase.Mixtureofprimarilymethane(CH4),otherhydrocarbon,
CO2,nitrogen,andhydrogensulfide.Wetgascontainscondensates whiledrygas
doesnot.
Gascondensate
Alighthydrocarbonmixturethatisaliquid(gasoline)undersurfaceconditionsbutis
agasundersubsurfacereservoirconditionsofhightemperature.
Wet gas=naturalgascontainingcondensate
Dry gas=naturalgaswithnocondensate
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Theessentialelementsofaplay
PetroleumChargeSystem
Petroleumgenerationinsourcerocks
Expulsionofpetroleum
Migrationintoreservoirs
Reservoir
Porosityandinterconnectivity
Depositionalenvironment
Diagenesis
TrapsandTopseal (Caprock)
Structural/stratigraphic/hydrodynamicmechanismtodirectandconcentrate
petroleumfluidtoaspecificlocationinthereservoir.
Timelyrelationshipoftheseelements.

A(petroleum)playisaperceptionorconceptualmodelofhowanumberofgeologic
factorsmightcombinetoproducepetroleumaccumulationsataspecificstratigraphic
level.(where,whenandhow).
GEOL4324,Spring2016

GenerationofPetroleum
Sedimentaryrocks
Madeofloosemud&sandparticles,plant&animalremainssettleddownatthe
bottomofseas,lakes,rivers.
OriginofPetroleum
1. Organicmatter(deadplantandanimalmaterial)isburiedandpreservedin
sedimentaryrocks.
2. Theorganicmatterisheatedbygeothermalheatasitbecomesmoredeeply
buriedovertime,anditchemicallytransformsitselftocrudeoiland/ornatural
gas.
SourceRocks
Organicrichrockscapableof
expellingpetroleumcompounds.

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MigrationofPetroleumthroughSedimentaryRocks
Mostsedimentaryrockshaveporespacesi.e.voidsbetweenthesmall,individual
sedimentaryparticlespackedtogether.
Porosity
Ameasureoftherocksporespacevolume

Oilandgasarelessdense
thanwater.Oncetheyreach
thereservoirrock,theymake
theirwayup,displacingthe
wateroccupyingporespaces.

GEOL4324,Spring2016

ReservoirRocks
Areservoirrockmustbeporousenoughtoconstituteatankofpetroleumwithinthe
trapanditsporesmustbesufficientlyinterconnectedtoallowthecontainedpetroleum
fluidstoflowthroughtherocktowardthewellbore.
Atrapisahighpointinthereservoirrockwherethemigratingpetroleumhitsan
imperviouswallandaccumulates.

leastdense

mostdense

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Howdowefindatrap?
Mostpetroleumtrapsarelocatedat
somedepthwheresedimentaryrocksare
verythick(>>1km).Insearchofatrap,
randomdrillingwouldbetooexpensive
andtootimeconsuming.
Inseismicexploration,scientists
artificiallygenerate,smallearthquakes
andobservewheretheseismicwaves
bounce.
Thatinformationallowsgeoscientiststo
delineatethegeometryofsubsurface
rocklayersandfaults.
Inmakinggeologicinterpretationofthe
seismicdata,scientistsmaybeableto
locateapotentialtrap.
Seismicmethodshelpyoubetterunderstandthesubsurfacegeology,butdonotfindatrap
foryou.
GEOL4324,Spring2016

DrillingBasics
Wildcat
An exploration well. The significance of this type
of well to the drilling crew and well planners is
that by definition, little if anything about the
subsurface geology is known with certainty,
especially the pressure regime.
SchlumbergerOilFieldGlossary

Drillmud/fluid
Removescutting.
Preventthewater/oil/gasfrom
flowingoutoftherockformation.

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Atypicaldrillingoperation

PPDM WellOperationsReferenceGuide
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PPDM WellOperationsReferenceGuide

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OptionsforOffshoreDrilling

PPDM WellOperationsReferenceGuide

GEOL4324,Spring2016

WellboreTrajectory

horizontal

WellOperationsReferenceGuide(www.ppdm.org)
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Mudlogging
Detailrecord(log)ofvisualandchemicalanalysesofthecuttingsandthedrillmud
broughttothesurfaceasthewellisdrilled.Therockslithology(rocktype)andtracesof
oilandgasarerecorded.Performedatthewellsite.

CrainsPetrophysical Handbook
Wikipedia
GEOL4324,Spring2016

WellLogging
WellLog
Adetailedrecordof
thegeologicformation
penetratedbythe
borehole.Most
commonly,alog
consistsofgraphsof
thephysical
measurementsmade
byinstruments
insertedintothehole.

TripleCombotool
(InternationalOceanDiscoveryProject)
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Examplesofwelllogs
Theloggingtoolisfirst
loweredtothebottomofthe
hole.Then,itisslowly
pulledupasthetool
measuresvariousphysical
propertiesofthewellbore
rockformation.Thedataare
plottedagainstthedepth.

Asquith(1984)

GEOL4324,Spring2016

WellCompletion
Installationofequipmenttoprepareforproducingoiland/orgasfromawell

open

producingformation

Perforation
Holesshotincasing,cement,andreservoir
rocktoallowoil/gastoflowintothewell
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EquipmentforSurfaceCompletion

Naturalgasflowsoutbyitself.
Dependingonthereservoirpressure
andthepropertyoftheoil,oilmayflow
upbyitself.
TheChristmastreecontrolstheflow.

Formostoilwell,oilmustbepumpedout.

GEOL4324,Spring2016

Separator
Naturalgas(bubbles
out)andoccupiesthe
top.
Watersettlesdownat
thebottom.

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EnhancedOilRecovery
While80%ofthegasinthereservoirisrecoverable,only35%oftheoil,onthe
average,isrecoverable.InanEOR,waterorgasisinjectedintotheoil/gas
reservoir.Theinjectedwaterorgaspushestheoiltowardtheproductionwelland
resultsinhigherrecoveryrates.

AAPG Wiki
GEOL4324,Spring2016

WellStimulation
Engineeringmethodsusedtoincreasethepermeabilityofareservoiraround
thewellbore.Thatresultsinincreasedproduction.
HydraulicFracturing

Wikipedia

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