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Geology 472

Petroleum Geology

Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Jaime Toro

Office: G39 White Hall Phone: 293-9817 email: jtoro@wvu.edu

Office Hours: MF at 10:30-11:30 p.m. or by appointment.

Lecture: MWF at 9:30-10:20, Room 125 Brooks Hall.

Text: Elements of petroleum Geology, 2nd edition by R. Selley.

Prerequisites: Geology 341/342

 

Grades:

Test 1 – 20 %

Test 2 – 20 %

Final - 20%

Exploration Game-15%

Quizzes and homework - 25%

 

Test Dates:

Test 1- Feb. 18 (Mon)

Test 2- Mar. 21 (Fri)

Final Exam- May 7 (Wed), 8:00-10:00 AM

 

Attendance: Required. I will give unannounced quizzes to encourage attendance to lecture and keeping up with the reading.

Reading: As in every class it is highly recommended that you do the reading before coming to lecture. This will greatly enhance the learning process, will allow you ask interesting questions during class, and will take a lot of the pain out of studying for the tests.

Goals of this class:

1. To understand the process that lead to the generation of petroleum and to the accumulation of a viable oil field.
2. To gain familiarity with the basic techniques of petroleum exploration.
3. To appreciate the finite nature of the hydrocarbon resource and the implications for the future of our society.

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A. Origin of Petroleum

1. Introduction

• Course logistics
• Historical Review of Petroleum Exploration.
• The future of the Petroleum Industry: When will we run out of oil?

Readings: Ch. 1, pp. 1-11, Selley.
Ivanhoe, 1997, Get Ready for Another Oil Shock, in: http//dieoff.org/page90.htm

2. The petroleum system

• Organic vs. inorganic origin of petroleum
• The Carbon Cycle
• Overview of the formation of a petroleum deposit from source to trap

Reading: Ch. 5 pp. 181-191, Selley

3. What is Petroleum?

• Chemical Properties
• Physical Properties

Readings: Ch. 2, pp. 13-16, 26-33 (skip sections 2.1.2 and 2.2), Selley

4. The subsurface environment

• Temperature within the earth
• Pressure
  • Lithostatic Pressure
  • Hydrostatic Pressure
  • Overpressure
• Subsurface waters
• Fluid dynamics

Reading: Ch. 4, pp. 147-177, Selley

5. Review of Sedimentary Basins and Sedimentary rocks

• Anatomy of a sedimentary basin
• Sedimentary Rocks
  • Clastic rocks
  • Carbonate rocks
  • Evaporites
• Examples of sedimentary environments and facies
  • Continental Sedimentary Environments
  • Marine Sedimentary Environments

Reading: Read the chapter on "Sedimentary Environments" from Earth Systems History textbook. 


6. The source: How oil forms

• Source rock characteristics
• Productivity and Preservation of Organic Matter.
• Formation of Kerogen.
• Maturation of Kerogen.
• Types of organic matter

Reading: Ch. 5, pp. 191-206, Selley
TEST 1 Feb 18 

7. Migration:

• Primary Migration and the Expulsion of Hydrocarbons
• Secondary Migration
• Reading: Ch. 5, p. 214-229, Selley

8. The Reservoir:

• Porosity.
• Permeability.
• Effects of Diagenesis on Reservoir Quality.
• Fractured Reservoirs.
• Reservoir Continuity.

Reading: Ch. 6, pp. 239-287

9. Traps and Seals:

• Nomenclature of a Trap.
• Distribution of Petroleum within a Trap.
• Seals and Cap Rocks.
• Trap types:
  • Structural Traps.
    • Anticlinal Traps.
    • Fault Traps.
    • Salt structures
    • Structural Traps and Tectonic Setting.
  • Stratigraphic Traps.
    • Facies Changes
    • Unconformities.
    • Relationship Between Stratigraphic Traps and Sedimentary Facies.
  • Combination Traps.
  • Hydrodynamic Traps.
• Timing of Trap Development Relative to Migration.

Reading: Ch. 7, pp. 307- 356
TEST 2 March 21 

B. Methods of Exploration:

  The Petroleum Exploration Simulation Game will be played concurrently with this segment of the class.

1. Introduction

• Regional Geologic Analysis
• Surface Geology
• Geological Cross-Sections
• Subsurface Geological Maps
• Geochemical Sampling
• Paleothermometers
• Remote Sensing

Reading: Ch. 3, pp. 125-131, Ch. 5, pp. 206-213,

2. Geophysical Methods of Exploration.

• Seismic Reflection Surveying.
• Acquisition
• Processing
• Interpretation
• Other Geophysical methods

Reading: Ch. 3, pp. 97-125

3. Well Drilling and Completion.
Reading: Ch. 3, pp. 37-55

4. Formation Evaluation.

• Electric Logs.
• Radioactivity Logs.
• The Sonic Log.
• Dipmeter Log and Borehole Imaging.
• Applications of Logs in Sedimentary Facies Analysis

Reading: Ch. 3, pp. 55-89.

5. Prospect Evaluation.

• Geological Aspects.
• Economic Aspects.
• Reserves and Resources.
• Assessment of Basin Reserves.
• Assessment of Global Reserves.

Reading; Ch. 10, pp. 443-454.

6. Field Develpment.

• Well planning and drilling issues
• Reservoir Modeling
• Life of a Field
• Sustaining Reservoir Pressure
• Well stimulation, secondary recovery, abandonment

Reading; Reading:  "Development and Production", p. 271-301, in: Petroleum Geoscience by J. Gluyas 
and R. Swarbrick


Final Exam- May 7 (Wed)

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