Petroleum System

Also known as Total Petroleum System

(elements, processes, genetically related petroleum)

Roberto Aguilera
ENPE 543 and ENPE 623
University of Calgary
Fall 2022

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 1

Mask Etiquette
• Non-medical face masks may now be worn in class if you wish, but
you do not have to do it. It is not compulsory.
• I will not allow food/drink in class or during the lab.

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 2

 Petroleum system (Magoon and Beaumont, 1999)
Also called Total Petroleum System (Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• The petroleum system is a unifying concept that

encompasses all of the disparate elements and
processes of petroleum geology, including: the
essential elements (source, reservoir, seal, and
overburden rock) and processes (trap formation,
generation-migration-accumulation) and all
genetically related petroleum that originated from
one pod of active source rock and occurs in shows,
seeps, or accumulations; also called hydrocarbon
system. (c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 3
What is a petroleum system (1)?
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• A petroleum system encompasses a pod of active

source rock and all genetically related oil and gas
accumulations. It includes all the geologic elements
and processes that are essential if an oil and gas
accumulation is to exist.

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 4

What is a petroleum system (2)?
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• Petroleum describes a compound that includes high

concentrations of any of the following substances:
• Thermal and biological hydrocarbon gas found in
conventional reservoirs as well as in gas hydrates,
tight reservoirs, fractured shale, and coal
• Condensates
• Crude oils
• Natural bitumen in reservoirs, generally in siliciclastic
and carbonate rocks
(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 5
What is a petroleum system (3)?
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

System describes the interdependent elements

and processes that form the functional unit that
creates hydrocarbon accumulations.

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 6

Elements and processes (1)
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• The essential elements of a petroleum system include

the following:
• Source rock
• Reservoir rock
• Seal rock
• Overburden rock

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 7

Elements and processes (2)
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• The essential processes of a petroleum system include

the following:
• Trap formation
• Generation–expulsion–migration–accumulation of
hydrocarbons

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 Petroleum System: Timing is Critical
Tramp must be available during migration to conventional reservoirs; not necessarily to
Naturally Fractured Reservoirs (Adapted from Hamdani, 2014, Slide Share)

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 Total Petroleum System Processes
Generation, Migration and Accumulation
Adapted from Hurera et al., 2015 (Slide Share, 2019)

Migration
occurs
upward,
for
example,
through
faults

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 10

Generation, migration and accumulation (conventional reservoir)
Thousands
To visualize the area
of Km2
10’s, 100’s of a pod of active
source rock; area of
Alberta:
661,848 Km2.
Migration occurs
upward, for Thousands of ft
example, through
faults, following
the red arrow

Could be
Hundreds
of Km

Adapted from Magoon and Beaumont (1999)

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 11

 Generation, migration and accumulation (conventional reservoirs)
Thousands
To visualize the area
of Km2
10’s, 100’s of a pod of active
source rock; area of
Alberta:
661,848 Km2.
Migration occurs
upward, for Thousands of ft
example, through
faults, following
the red arrow

The source rock is

also reservoir rock Could be
in shale reservoirs. Hundreds
Some shales are of Km
generating
hydrocarbons even Adapted from Magoon and Beaumont (1999)
today (URTEC 5410)
(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 12
Generation, migration and accumulation (Some NFRs)

Magoon and Beaumont (1999)

Migration occurs
upward, for
SS
example, through Lm
faults, following
the red arrow Dol
In the Sooner trend of
Central Oklahoma oil can
and does migrate This study
downward several
hundred feet along
vertical fractures

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 13

Generation, migration and accumulation (Some NFRs)

Magoon and Beaumont

Migration occurs (1999)
upward, for
example, through SS
faults, following Lm
the red arrow
Dol
In the Sooner trend of
Central Oklahoma oil
can and does migrate This study
downward several
hundred feet along
vertical fractures

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Different phases of generation
Adapted from Hamdai, 2014. Slide Share.

15
(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022
Example of Conventional and Unconventional (shale gas/oil and Gas hydrates) Petroleum System

In conventional petroleum systems hydrocarbons are

expelled from the source rocks

Adapted from Slide Share, 2019 (c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 16

Example of Conventional and Unconventional (shale gas/oil and Gas hydrates) Petroleum System

In unconventional petroleum systems hydrocarbons (or

some of them) are retained in the source rocks

Adapted from Slide Share, 2019 (c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 17

Example of Conventional and Unconventional (shale gas/oil and Gas hydrates) Petroleum System

In unconventional petroleum systems hydrocarbons (or

some of them) are retained in the source rocks, or migrate
to juxtaposed, continuous organic-lean intervals. These
last systems include primary and secondary migrated oil

SS, Lm, Dol, any lithology, basement. If

NFs are generated subsequent to In the Sooner trend of Central
petroleum generation, dilatancy Oklahoma oil can and does migrate
created by fracturing can suck the downward several hundred feet
petroleum downwards against gravity. along vertical fractures

e ntral grate Adapted from Slide Share, 2019

i
d of C oes m et
en d e
n er tr n and dred f
o ca un
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t h
In ahom sev ctur
d
Okl nwar ical fr
a The juxtaposed, continuous
w
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If
alo
n organic-lean systems include
m 19
ase to 20

i t h
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olo equen cy
t
Slid
eShare, primary and secondary
yl bs tan om
o l, an ted su n, dila ck the vity. ted fr migrated oil
D ra o su ra p
S, Lm, gene nerati g can ainst g Ada
S are ge urin s ag
NFs roleum y fract ward
n
pet ted b dow
a m
cre roleu Adapted from Slide
(c) Roberto Share,
Aguilera 20222019 18
pet
Alaska North Slope – 3D Petroleum System Model

(c) Roberto Aguilera 2022 USGS (Burns, Magoon, Vain) 19

Elements and processes (3)
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• The previously mentioned essential elements and

processes must be correctly placed in time and space
so that organic matter included in a source rock can
be converted into a petroleum accumulation. A
petroleum system exists wherever all these essential
elements and processes are known to occur or are
thought to have a reasonable chance or probability to
occur
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Petroleum system investigation
(Magoon and Beaumont, 1999, Magoon and Schmoker, 2000)

• A petroleum system investigation identifies, names, determines the level of

certainty, and maps the geographic, stratigraphic, and temporal extent of a
petroleum system. The investigation includes certain components:
• Petroleum–petroleum geochemical correlation
• Petroleum–source rock geochemical correlation
• Burial history chart
• Petroleum system map
• Petroleum system cross section
• Events chart
• Table of hydrocarbon accumulations
• Determination of generation–accumulation efficiency

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