Oil & Gas Migration: Faulting, Water Contamination, Source Identification, and more!
Welcome to another Oilfield Basics video blog. In this video, we examine the topic of natural migration of oil & gas (hydrocarbons). We discuss why and how natural migration occurs, what traps hydrocarbons, ways that oil can seep out of the ground, and how gas can occur in surface water. Be sure to watch the full video, but in case you’re pressed for time, below is an outline.
- Oil and gas are generated and stored in the pores of the rock
- Two types of generation exist – thermogenic and biogenic
- Hydrocarbons are under high pressure and temperature (typically)
- Once generated, the hydrocarbons will want to migrate upwards until they are stopped
- They can be stopped by a stratigraphic, relatively impermeable trap
- Ways that oil & gas can migrate to surface
- Natural migration through the many rock layers
- Faulting
- Manmade conduits, i.e. wells
- Gas chromatography
- Methodology utilized to be able to analyze the composition of gas
- Can be utilized to determine where the gas is sourced from
We hope you find this video helpful. If you’d like to learn more about basic oilfield operations such as directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, check out our courses at www.OilfieldBasics.com/learn. Also, be sure to follow us on our social media such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. See you in the next one!