Title: The organic geochemistry of petroleum reservoirs
Abstract: The organic constituents of petroleum reservoirs frequently show measurable compositional variations both laterally (between wells) and vertically (within a single well). The pattern of variation is controlled by the geological setting of the reservoir, which influences the way in which migrating petroleum fills the reservoir from one or more source kitchens. Having achieved a high petroleum pore saturation, the reservoir fluids may then redistribute themselves at rates are often comparable to geological time periods. Mass transfer by diffusion and density-driven convection must be considered, and their timescales compared with the elapsed time since the accumulation was filled. In many cases, the compositional variations "inherited" from the filling process persist to the current day. This paper outlines the mechanisms by which reservoirs fill and mix, and describes how this can lead to observable lateral differences in composition. The relationship between certain engineering parameters (particularly the gas oil ratio and reservoir fluid density), reservoir (rock) description and geochemical parameters will be stressed. The goal being to improve the characterisation of petroleum reservoirs by combining geochemical and engineering data into a scientifically consistent framework. Many aspects of the geochemistry of petroleum reservoirs have only recently begun to be researched. It is hoped that the recent advances in the geochemical characterisation of oils and gases will be increasingly applied to the problems of reservoir and petroleum engineering. This should lead to improvements in the efficiency with which petroleum is recovered from the subsurface.
Publication Year: 1990
Publication Date: 1990-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 123
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