Petroleum Geology

Georesources
Dr. Hendra Amijaya
Department of Geological Engineering
Gadjah Mada University

PETROLEUM VS HYDROCARBON

Petroleum : complex mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbon compounds

found in rock. Petroleum can range from solid to gas, but the term is generally
used to refer to liquid crude oil. Impurities such as sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen
are common in petroleum. There is considerable variation in color, gravity, odor,
sulfur content and viscosity in petroleum from different areas.

Hydrocarbon : A naturally occurring organic compound comprising hydrogen (+/87%) and carbon (+/-13%). Hydrocarbons can be as simple as methane [CH4],
but many are highly complex molecules, and can occur as gases, liquids or solids.
The molecules can have the shape of chains, branching chains, rings or other
structures. Petroleum is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. The most common
hydrocarbons are natural gas, oil and coal.
(www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com)

Elemental composition of petroleum

Element

major: H & C --> hydrocarbon

minor : S, N, O (usually < 3%)
traces: heavy metal (Ex: Ni)

Elemental composition of fossil fuel & kerogen (wt %; Hunt, 1996)

C
H
S
N
O

Gas

Oil

Asphalt

Coal

Kerogen

76
24
0
0
0

84.5
13
1.5
0.5
0.5

84
10
3
1
2

83
5
1
1
10

79
6
5
2
8

Chemical composition of crude oil

Boiling point, C
100

100

200

300

400

500

600

60

40

20

0
100

Figure : Chemical composition of a crude oil (Hunt, 1996)

> C40

Residuum

C26 - C40

80

Lubricating oil

C19 - C25

Heavy gas oil

60

Diessel fuel
C14 - C18

C11 - C13

40

Kerosine

C4 - C10

20

Gasoline

Percentage of molecular types

80

Destilation
Crude oil composition 35 API (Hunt, 1996)
Molecular size

% volume

Gasoline (C5 C10)

27

Kerosine (C11 C13)

13

Diesel fuel (C14 C18)

12

Heavy gas oil (C19 C25)

10

Lubricating oil (C26 C40)

20

Residuum (> C40)

18

Total

100

Molecule Type

% wt

Paraffine
Naphtene
Aromatic
Asphaltic
Total

25
50
17
8
100

Destilation Tower

Petroleum Accumulation

Gas
Oil
Water

Seal Rock
Reservoir
Migration
Oil & Gas

Source Rock

RESERVOIR

TRAP

SOURCE ROCK

COMMERCIAL
HYDROCARBON
ACCUMULATION

SEAL

PROPER TIMING
OF MIGRATION

Origin of petroleum
Inorganic theory
Alkaline metal theory (Berthelot, 1866)
(Ca, Mg, Ba, K, Na) + CO2 ----- HC
Carbide theory (Mendeleyeff, 1877)
FeC2 +2H2O ------ C2H2 + Fe(OH)2

Organic theory
Animal origin theory (Engler, 1911)
Vegetable origin theory (Hofer)
Hydrogenation of coal or other carbonaceous materials

Duplex origin (combination), (Robert Robinson)

2Fe3O4 + H2O ------- 3Fe3O3 + H2
heat

Origin of Petroleum

Organic Matter
Sediment

Sediment

Petroleum

Source Rock

Geochemical
Processes of
Petroleum
Formation

Organic matter & petroleum formation

Air

Living Organism

Water

Allochtonous

Autochtonous
Organic Debris
Loss due to: dissolution,
hydrolisis, oxidation,
microbial attack

Water
Young sediment with organic matter
e.g. kerogen
Increasing

Sediment
Decreasing
Pore volume
Pore diameter

Water content

Pressure

Temperature

Ancient sediment with

matured organic matter
dispersed oil & gas
Figure: Organic matter and petroleum formation (Welte, 1972)

Process of
petroleum
formation

Source Rock Concept

GENERATION

MIGRATION

RESERVOIR
ROCK

SOURCE
ROCK
adequate organic
content, P & T

ACCUMULATION

correct timing,
suitable pathway

adequate permeability,
porosity and seal

Petroleum Genesis Under Microscope

Migration to
Reservoir

Expelling
Oil or Gas
Source Rock

Oil in reservoir

Which organic matter act as significant petroleum source?

Algae

(Sapropelic)
Spore

(Humic)
Wood

Original
OM

OM in
source
rock
Liptinite

Vitrinite

Which organic matter act as significant petroleum source?

Phytoplankton

Kerogen

(Tissot & Welte, 1984)

Klasifikasi material organik dalam batubara dan

batuan sedimen (Hunt, 1996)
Sapropelic
Coal maceral groups
Coal macerals

Liptinite
Alginite
Cerinite (wax)
Sporinite
Cutinite
Resinite
Liptodetrinite

Humic
Vitrinite

Telinite
Fusinite
Telocollinite
Inertodetrinite
Desmocollinite Sclerotinite
Vitrodetrinite
Macrinite

Fluorescent
amorphous
Kerogen Types
H/C
O/C
Source

Inertinite

Nonfluorescent
amorphous

I
II
1,9 1,0
1,5 0,8
0,1 0,02 0,2 0,02
marine, lacustrine,
terrrestrial
Geokimia Hidrokarbon (Geokimia MGB) TGL UGM - Hendra Amijaya

III
IV
1,0 0,5
0,6 0,1
0,4 0,02
0,3 0,01
terrrestrial/recycled

Appearance of macerals in sedimentary rocks

(dispersed organic matter)

50

Vitrinite

Liptinite

Examples of productive source rocks identification

50

SR rich in lamalginite

Liptinic inclusions in
fissures

Organic matter deposition environment

-Sufficient supply of OM
-Oxygen depleted environment

(Brooks et al., 1987)

Deposition of organic matter-rich sediments

Anoxic model
anoxic silled basin

Productivity model
Upwelling region

(Taylor et al., 1998)

Genesis & Maturity

(Hunt, 1996)

Kerogen Structure

(Hunt, 1996)

Thermal ateration
Kerogen oil wet gas dry gas

(Hunt, 1996)

Temperature of Petroleum Formation

(Killops & Killops, 2005)

Petroleum Migration

(Gluyas & Swarbrick, 2004)

RESERVOIR ROCK
Definition : Permeable & porous rocks which is filled by
hydrocarbon & water in its pore
Porosity = storage capacity of the rock
Permeability = production capacity
The rocks could be :
Sandstone
Carbonate rocks
Other rocks such as shale, volcanic rocks, fractured basement etc.

Hydrocarbon (oil) in reservoirs

HC inclusion in
carbonate crystal

Non-spherical HC
inter-mineral space
filling

Film HC intermineral space

filling

SEAL ROCKS
Definition : an impermeable rock medium that isolates a
reservoir and retains petroleum.
Requirement : the minimum displacement pressure of the
lithologic unit comprising the sealing surface be greater than
the buoyancy pressure of the hydrocarbon column in the
accumulation.
Example : shale, anhydrite, gypsum, marl, etc.

TRAPS
Definition : a geologic feature in which petroleum
can accumulate
Types of traps ;
Structural traps (anticline, fault traps, salt-relate
traps etc.)
Stratigraphic traps (sand body lenses traps, reef
traps, regional wedging, fasies changes,
unconformity etc.)
Combination traps

Proper Timing of Migration

Timing risk chart

Exploration Activity:
Geological Mapping

Exploration Activity: Subsurface Mapping

Exploitation Activity: Production Well,

Completion & Transportation

Natural Gas
Commonly composed by methane (CH4), 70 -100%, some heavier
hydrocarbon up to nonana (C9H20).
dry gas (<1,3 lt condensate/100 m3) composed by methane & ethane
wet gas (>4 lt condensate/100 m3) composed by propane & butane
(>50%)

Nonhydrocarbon Gas (up to 100%), ex. nitrogen, carbondioxide &

hydrogen sulfides

(Hunt, 1996)

Condensate
Liquid HC can be in form of gas in reservoir.
Gas in reservoir condensates and become liquid HC (condensate) when
produced (because of pressure decrease).
Ussualy occur in temperature of > 100C & > 5800 psi (40 MPa) ~ VR
1,2 -1,8%.
Commonly composed by saturated HC in form of leight gasoline (butane,
pentane & hexane; up to 95%) high API (> 55 API).
Can be formed from:
Kerogen (as intermediate product between oil & gas)
Conversion of oil to gas in reservoir
Gas phase migration by physical process ex. vaporisation or gas stripping.

Thank You
Happy learning...