Exploration Techniques

The term used in petroleum for oil hunting, which is a pre discovery phase.

The search for petroleum using surface and subsurface methods.

Surface Methods:

1- Direct indications:

*The most perfect direct indication is oil and gas seepage that forms (solid and
semi-solid asphalts lakes for oil seepage Mud volcanos for gas seepage ).

*There are two types of seepage:

1) Parallel seepage : movement of oil up-dip the trap.

2) Transverse seepage : movement of oil through fissures.

*Salt Domes are also a direct indication which have some surface indications as (oil
and gas seeps paraffin dirt salt springs dispersion lakes).

*Geochemical Prospecting is the use of microseeps as a guide to oil deposits.

*micro biological prospecting is the search for hydrocarbon oxidizing bacteria in

available samples.

*geologist should take care about false indications such as (iron oxide films on water
Marsh gas).

2- Geological surveying:

*used in (exploring near areas re-examination of old areas checking geophysical

surveys).

*The observations include :

1) environmental and economic surveys : (local market local supply location

and logs of drilled wells in the area).

2) surface geologic surveys : (Direct and indirect evidences for oil and gas
Distribution of rocks S.R, I.R, M.R age of igneous activity).

3) stratigraphic surveys : (thickness of sedimentary rocks position of reservoir

rock position of unconformity).

4) structural surveys : (presence of anticline faults position and size of regional

structure features).

3- Geologic mapping:
*The report of detail includes : (stratigraphic data geologic and structure maps
drill tests geophysical surveys).

*Then determine : (whether or not to proceed what land to lease where to drill
the first well).

*geologic maps : show the geology of the area and the distribution pattern of
outcrops to determine the structure of the bed rock.

*structure map : show by contours the present structural altitudes with respect to
sea level.

*topographic map : show the topography of the area in details.

*photo geology : the geologic interpretation of air photographs.

*cross sections : (correlation structure stratigraphic).

Subsurface Methods:

Its techniques :

1) Core drilling :
structural drilling :
*used mainly map oil-bearing substructures as (anticlines).
*done by light weight rotary drill mounted on truck.
*by drilling a series of holes along a straight line in the direction of regional
dip.
stratigraphic test :
*used to trace lateral changes in porosity and thickness of reservoir rocks.
*using the same device, but developed to be used in greater depths.
*it has a lower cost, so used for production.

2) Exploration geophysics :

The application of physics to search for new pools.

Magnetic method :

*Determine the depth to magnetic basement and thus mapping

sedimentary basins.

*a magno meter records the magnetic field of the area, by determining the
depth to magnetic

Basement we know the depth of sedimentary basins since they are non
magnetic.

*no need of it if sufficient wells have been drilled.

 Gravimetric method :

* Determine any discontinuity in the rock, and tracing faults.

* penduleum is used to detect any anomalies due to large density

difference between

Sedimentary basins and basement rocks.

*structures recognized by it are (type of salt dome salt-cored structures

anticlines).

Seismic method :

*define structural geology in details.

*by either reflection or refraction methods.

*waves transimitted by sources and propagate through the rocks either

reflected or

Refracted then recorded by detectors which record the time interval.

Radio active method :

*recognition of hidden faults and preparation of structural geologic maps.