INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION (IPA)

REGULAR COURSE, SHERATON LAMPUNG, 26-30 AUGUST 2013

1.
Introducing
Petroleum System Analysis

by: Awang Harun Satyana

 Petroleum System

Petroleum system: a natural system that

encompasses a pod of active source rock
and all related oil and gas and which
includes all the geologic elements and
processes that are essential if a
hydrocarbon accumulation is to exist.
(Magoon and Dow, 1994)
 surface

pod of active
source rock

oil/gas
accumulation
 Petroleum System Concept: History
 The original work that gave birth to the petroleum system concept was carried
out in the Williston basin of the USA (Dow, 1972, 1974)
 Dow, W.G., 1972, The application of oil correlation and source rock data to
exploration in the Williston Basin, Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists, 56, 615.
 Dow, W.G., 1974, The application of oil correlation and source rock data to
exploration in the Williston Basin, Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists, 58, 1253-1262
 Related concepts were subsequently described by:
 Demaison (1984): the generative basin concept
 Meissner (1984): the hydrocarbon machine concept
 Ulmishek (1986): the independent petroliferous system
 The concept was subsequently defined more rigorously by Magoon and Dow
(1994)
 Magoon, L.B. and Dow, W.G., eds, 1994, The Petroleum System – from Source to
Trap, American Association Petroleum Geologists Memoir 60
Hydrocarbon Machine : Role of Depositional Sequences to
Petroleum System
Meissner (1984)
 Basin Analysis, Petroleum Play & Petroleum System
 Petroleum play: a perception or model in the mind of the geologist of how a
number of geological factors might combine to produce petroleum
accumulations at a specific stratigraphic level in a basin. The essential
ingredients of the petroleum play, namely: a reservoir unit, a petroleum
charge system, a regional topseal or caprock, petroleum traps, and the timely
relationship of the ingredients.
 Example of brief description of a play might be: “Mid-Jurassic submarine fan
sandstone reservoirs in Late Jurassic fault block, sealed by Lower Cretaceous
marine mudstones, and charged during the Early Tertiary from Upper Jurassic
marine source rocks”
 Prediction of source rocks, reservoirs, topseals, and traps requires an
understanding of the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the depositional
sequences within a basin. This understanding can be achieved through basin
analysis, which serves as the platform for the assessment of petroleum
plays.
 The basic unit of petroleum resource assessment is the play, but the
“petroleum system” concept is a useful way for the practising petroleum
geologists to organize his/her investigations. Allen & Allen (1990)
Component of Petroleum Play

Allen and Allen (1990, 2005)

Doust (2010)
 Petroleum System
 Petroleum system: a natural system that encompasses a pod of
active source rock and all related oil and gas and which includes
all the geologic elements and processes that are essential if a
hydrocarbon accumulation is to exist.
 The essential elements include: a petroleum source rock,
reservoir rock, seal rock, and overburden rock. The processes are
trap formation, the generation-migration-accumulation of
petroleum, and preservation of accumulation.
 The ability to identify a petroleum system uniquely depends on
geochemical techniques needed to map organic facies, to
understand and map hydrocarbon shows, and to carry out
petroleum-petroleum and petroleum-source rock correlations.
(Magoon and Dow, 1994)
Petroleum System Elements & Processes
• Petroleum System Name
Source – Reservoir (degree of certainty)
• Degree of certainty
(!) = proven (geochemically well defined)
(.) = hypothetical (sparse geochemical data)
(?) = speculative (no geochemical data)
Magoon and Dow (1994)
Examples:
Pematang – Sihapas (!)
Tuban – Kujung (.)
Gumai – Muara Enim (?)
Magoon and Dow (1994)