ORIGIN OF

Petroleum
Formation, Migration ,and Accumulation of
Petroleum

ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM
To be considered are these 3 stages:
Formation of Petroleum
Migration of Petroleum
Accumulation of Petroleum

Formation of Petroleum
There are 2 theories concerning the
formation of petroleum:
The Inorganic theory
The Organic theory

Inorganic Theory
Berthelot (1860) & Dmitri Mendeleev (1902):
Iron carbide in the earths mantle would react
with percolating water to form methane.
FeC2+ 2H2O CH4+ FeO2
This theory is called Deep-Seated Terrestrial
Hypothesis.

Inorganic Theory
Sokoloff (1890):
Hydrocarbons precipitated as rain from the
original nebular matter from which solar system
was formed.
The hydrocarbons were the ejected from earths
interior onto surface rocks.
This theory is called Extraterrestrial Hypothesis

Problems with Inorganic

theory
Problems with Inorganic Theories :
No field evidence that inorganic processes
have occurred in nature.
Commercial accumulations are restricted
to mainly sedimentary basins.
Accumulations are absent from igneous
and metamorphic rocks.

Organic Theory
Early marine life forms living on earth were
primarily plankton (rich in hydrogen & carbon)
Over 95% of living matter in the ocean is
plankton.

Continued

As these plankton died, their remains

were captured by the process of erosion
and sedimentation.

Continued

Successive layers of organic-rich mud &

silt covered preceding layers of organicrich sediments & overtime created layers
on the sea floor rich in the fossil remains
of previous life.

Continued

Thermal maturation processes (decay,

heat, pressure) slowly converted the
organic matter into oil & gas over periods
of millions of geologic years.
Conversion of the organic material is
called Catagenesis.
It usually occurs under anaerobic
conditions

continued

Clay & silt are carried together with the

dead organic remains & deposited under
deltaic, lacustrine & marine conditions to
form Source rocks.
Black-coloured, organically-rich shales
deposited in a non-oxidizing, quiet
marine environment are considered the
best source rocks.

continued

Thermal alteration of kerogen forms

crude oil by increasing the carbon
contents.
At shallow depths (< 3,000 ft), bacteria
actions on organic materials form
Biogenic Gas(natural gas).
At great depths (high temperature &
overburden), Thermogenic Gasis formed.
Later stages of thermogenesis will form
wet gas and condensate.

Continued

Supports for organic hypothesis:

Carbon & hydrogen are the primary
constituents of organic material, both
plant & animal.
Nitrogen & Porphyrinsare found in
organic matter & in many petroleum.
Porphyrins are chlorophyll derivatives in
plants & blood derivatives in animals

Migration of Petroleum
Produced hydrocarbons migrates upward
from the deeper, hotter parts of the basin
through permeable strata into suitable
structures.
There are 2 stages of migration:
Primary Migration Kerogen
transformation causes micro-fracturing of
the impermeable & low porosity source
rock, allowing hydrocarbons to move into
more permeable strata

Continued

Secondary Migration The generated

fluids move more freely along bedding
planes and faults into a suitable reservoir
structure.
Migration can occur over several tens of
kilometers in lateral directions

Diagram

Diagram

Accumulation of
Petroleum
Accumulation & storage occur when the
migrating fluids encounter an impermeable
shale or dense layer of rock.
This is called a Trap.
After accumulation, the fluids tend to
stratify according to their relative densities:
Gas
Oil
Water

Continued

If the migrating fluids do not encounter a trap,

they tend to flow to the surface or deposited on
the ocean floor.
Examples are:Seepages
Escaping natural gas
Bituminous lakes

continued

Reservoirs are composed of either:

Clastic formation sandstone reservoirs made
from silicates (quartz, SiO2).
Carbonate formation carbonate reservoirs
made from detritus(coral or shell fragments).

Reservoirs must be:

Porous
Permeable
Trapped.

Types of Traps
Anticlinal Traps
Result of ductile crustal deformations.

continued

Fault Traps Result of brittle crustal

deformations

Continued

Stratigraphic Traps Impermeable strata

seal the reservoir.