NUMBER DEFINITION

A boundary of colliding lithospheric plates. The present subduction zones of the

1 Pacific Rim, the older mountains of the Alps, and the Himalayas represent active
margins.

A predictable variation of a property of a material with the direction in which it

is measured, which can occur at all scales. In rocks, variation in seismic velocity
measured parallel or perpendicular to bedding surfaces is a form of aeolotropy.
2 Often found where platy minerals such as micas and clays align parallel to
depositional bedding as sediments are compacted, aeolotropy is common in
shales.

A description of organisms that can survive in the absence of oxygen, particularly

3 bacteria.
A minor, secondary fault, usually one of a set, whose sense of displacement is
4 opposite to its associated major and synthetic faults.
A body of rock whose fluid saturation, porosity and permeability permit
5 production of groundwater.
A dense sulfate mineral that can occur in a variety of rocks, including limestone
and sandstone, with a range of accessory minerals, such as quartz, chert,
dolomite, calcite, siderite and metal sulfides. Barite is commonly used to add
6 weight to drilling fluid. Barite is of significance to petrophysicists because excess
barite can require a correction factor in some well log measurements.

A map on which primary data and interpretations can be plotted. A base map
typically includes locations of lease or concession boundaries, wells, seismic
survey points and other cultural data such as buildings and roads, with a
geographic reference such as latitude and longitude or Universal Transverse
Mercator (UTM) grid information. Geologists use topographic maps as base maps
for construction of surface geologic maps. Geophysicists typically use shot point
maps, which show the orientations of seismic lines and the specific points at
7 which seismic data were acquired, to display interpretations of seismic data. In
the field, geologists can use a plane table and alidade to construct a base map.

A depression in the crust of the Earth, caused by plate tectonic activity and
subsidence, in which sediments accumulate. Sedimentary basins vary from bowl-
shaped to elongated troughs. Basins can be bounded by faults. Rift basins are
commonly symmetrical; basins along continental margins tend to be
asymmetrical. If rich hydrocarbon source rocks occur in combination with
8 appropriate depth and duration of burial, then a petroleum system can develop
within the basin. Most basins contain some amount of shale, thus providing
opportunities for shale gas exploration and production.
 A layer of sediment or sedimentary rock, or stratum. A bed is the smallest
stratigraphic unit, generally a centimeter or more in thickness. To be labeled a
9 bed, the stratum must be distinguishable from adjacent beds.

A material composed of clay minerals, predominantly montmorillonite with

minor amounts of other smectite group minerals, commonly used in drilling mud.
Bentonite swells considerably when exposed to water, making it ideal for
10 protecting formations from invasion by drilling fluids. Montmorillonite forms
when basic rocks such as volcanic ash in marine basins are altered.

A characteristic sequence of sedimentary structures occurring in sedimentary

11 rocks deposited in areas of deep water sedimentation by turbidity currents,
which form deposits called turbidites.

A crust of coarse sediments or weathered soil rich in calcium carbonate. It forms

when lime-rich groundwater rises to the surface by capillary action and
evaporates into a crumbly powder, forming a tough, indurated sheet called
12 calcrete. Caliche typically occurs in desert or semi-arid areas. Of particular
concern to geophysicists is the difficulty in acquiring good seismic data when
shooting through a layer of caliche.

A class of sedimentary rock whose chief mineral constituents are calcite and

13 aragonite and dolomite, a mineral that can replace calcite during the process
of dolomitization.

A linear, commonly concave-based depression through which water and

14 sediment flow and into which sediment can be deposited in distinctive, often
elongated bodies.

A platy, pale green mineral of the mica group of sheet silicates, also considered

to be a type of clay mineral, found in sedimentary and low-
grade metamorphic rocks.Chlorite is a common authigenic mineral lining the
pores of sandstones. In some cases, the presence of authigenic chlorite on sand
15 grains can inhibit the growth of pore-filling cements during diagenesis and
preserve pore space for occupation by hydrocarbons.

A graphic display, with geologic time along the vertical axis and distance along
the horizontal axis, to demonstrate the relative ages and geographic extent
16 of strata or stratigraphic units in a given area, also known as a Wheeler diagram.

A carbon-rich sedimentary rock that forms from the remains of plants deposited

17 as peat in swampy environments.
A phenomenon that occurs after the deposition of some sediments such that
different parts of the sedimentary accumulation develop different degrees of
18 porosity or settle unevenly during burial beneath successive layers of sediment.

A low-density, high-API gravity liquid hydrocarbon phase that generally occurs in

19 association with natural gas.
 A bedding surface separating younger from older strata, along which there is no
evidence of subaerial or submarine erosion or of nondeposition, and along which
there is no evidence of a significant hiatus. Unconformities (sequence
20 boundaries) and flooding surfaces (parasequence boundaries) pass laterally into
correlative conformities, or correlative surfaces.

A line on a map that represents a constant value of the parameter being mapped.
21
A map displaying lines that include points of equal value and separate points of
22 higher value from points of lower value.
A connection of points from well to well in which the data suggest that the points
23 were deposited at the same time (chronostratigraphic) or have similar and
related characteristics.

A diagram of a vertical section through a volume, as opposed to the surface,

24 "bird's eye," or plan view of a map.
25 A general term for unrefined petroleum or liquid petroleum.
A fault surface parallel to a mechanically weak horizon or layer, or parallel to
26 bedding, that detaches or separates deformed rocks above from undeformed or
differently deformed rocks below.

A microscopic, single-celled, freshwater or saltwater algae that has a silica-rich

27 cell wall called a frustule.
A phenomenon that occurs after the deposition of some sediments such that
different parts of the sedimentary accumulation develop different degrees of
porosity or settle unevenly during burial beneath successive layers of sediment.
This can result from location on an uneven surface, such as near and over a reef
structure, or near a growth fault, or from different susceptibility to compaction.
28 The porosity in a formation that has experienced differential compaction can vary
considerably from one area to another.

29 A layer of rock or sediment that is not horizontal

A geologic surface that separates younger strata from older strata and
30 represents a time of nondeposition, possibly combined with erosion.
A configuration of layers of rock that has the appearance of a fold, but might
31 form simply through sagging or differential compaction of layers around a
preexisting structure (such as a reef) or on an uneven surface.

A class of sedimentary minerals and sedimentary rocks that form by precipitation

32 from evaporating aqueous fluid.
A break or planar surface in brittle rock across which there is observable
33 displacement.
A group of rock-forming silicate minerals that are essential constituents of
34 igneous rocks and are common in sandstones. (K,Na)AlSi3O8
A graphical display of three-dimensional data and interpretations in two-
35 dimensional perspective view.
 A crack or surface of breakage within rock not related to foliation or cleavage in
36 metamorphic rock along which there has been no movement.

A bounding surface in a reservoir above which predominantly gas occurs and

37 below which predominantly oil occurs.
38 A porous sand layer or sand body charged with natural gas.
A bounding surface in a reservoir above which predominantly gas occurs and
39 below which predominantly water occurs.
A map showing the type and spatial distribution of rocks at the surface of the
40 Earth.
A chronological chart of the stages and ages of events in the history of the Earth,
41 from its initial formation to present, that has been constructed on the basis of the
rock record.

A record of the onset and duration of the multitude of episodes of reversal of the
42 Earth's magnetic polarity, or geomagnetic polarity reversals.

A green silicate mineral found in sedimentary rocks and formed on continental

shelves characterized by slow sedimentation and organic matter, such as fecal
43 pellets, present in an oxidizing environment. (K,Na,Ca) 1.2-
2.0(Fe+3,Al,Fe+2,Mg)4(Si7-7.6Al1-0.4O20)(OH)47nH20

A coarse-grained, plutonic or intrusive igneous rock of felsic composition having

44 large crystals of quartz, feldspar and mica.
A highly insoluble sulfate mineral that is the first to precipitate from evaporating
45 seawater. [CaSO472H2O]
46 A horizon cemented by precipitation of calcite just below the sea floor.
A cessation in deposition of sediments during which no strata form or an
47 erosional surface forms on the underlying strata
A naturally occurring organic compound comprising hydrogen and carbon.
48
A change of preexisting rocks or minerals caused by the activity of hot solutions,
49 such as fluids accompanying or heated by magma.
A group of clay minerals formed during the alteration of silicate minerals such
50 as mica and feldspar and commonly found in marine shales. [K1-1.5Al4(Si7-
6.5Al1-1.5O20)(OH)4]

A contour connecting points of equal true vertical thickness of strata, formations,

51 reservoirs or other rock units.
52 A contour that connects points of equal thickness.
A quality of directional uniformity in material such that physical properties do
53 not vary in different directions.
A fine layer (~ 1 mm thick) in strata, also called a lamina, common in fine-
54 grained sedimentary rocks such as shale, siltstone and fine sandstone.
A carbonate sedimentary rock predominantly composed of calcite of organic,
55 chemical or detrital origin.
 A long linear or gently curving feature on the surface of a terrestrial planet or
56 moon that is suggestive of an underlying geologic structure or contact.

A normal fault that flattens with depth and typically found in extensional
57 regimes.
A mappable subdivision of a stratigraphic unit that can be distinguished by its
58 facies or lithology-the texture, mineralogy, grain size, and the depositional
environment that produced it.

A block of rock that forms a structural or topographic feature, such as a block of

59 igneous of metamorphic rock within an area of mountain building, or orogeny.

A group of sheet silicates characterized by a platy appearance and basal cleavage

60 most common in igneous and metamorphic rocks.
A dense, fine-grained carbonate mud or rocks composed of mud that forms by
61 erosion of larger carbonate grains, organic precipitation, or inorganic
precipitation.

A crystalline substance that is naturally occurring, inorganic, and has a unique or

62 limited range of chemical compositions.
A crack or surface of breakage within rock not related to foliation or cleavage in
63 metamorphic rock along which there has been no movement.

A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon gases that is highly compressible

64 and expansible
A geological surface that separates younger overlying sedimentary strata from
65 eroded igneous or metamorphic rocks and represents a large gap in the geologic
record.

66 A porous sand layer or sand body filled with oil.

A bounding surface in a reservoir above which predominantly oil occurs and
67 below which predominantly water occurs.
A major episode of plate tectonic activity in which lithospheric plates collide and
68 produce mountain belts, in some cases including the formation of subduction
zones and igneous activity.

69 A body of rock exposed at the surface of the Earth.

A complex mixture of naturally occurring hydrocarbon compounds found in rock.
70
A flat drawing board mounted on a tripod used in combination with an alidade
71 to construct topographic or geologic maps in the field.
A discrete void within a rock, which can contain air, water, hydrocarbons or
72 other fluids.
A mound, ridge, or buildup of sediment or sedimentary rock, most commonly
73 produced by organisms that secrete shells such as corals.
A dimensionless term devised to adapt the Darcy equation to multiphase
flow conditions. s the ratio of effective permeability of a particular fluid at a
74 particular saturation to absolute permeability of that fluid at total saturation
 A mushroom-shaped or plug-shaped diapir made of salt, commonly having an
75 overlying cap rock.
76 A detrital grain between 0.0625 mm and 2 mm in diameter.
77 A clastic sedimentary rock whose grains are predominantly sand-sized.
A brief report about a well from the time it is permitted through drilling and
78 completion.
A depression in the crust of the Earth formed by plate tectonic activity in which
79 sediments accumulate.
A naturally occurring, typically slow leakage of fluid—water, oil or gas—at the
80 Earth’s surface.
A group of relatively conformable strata that represents a cycle of deposition
81 and is bounded by unconformities or correlative conformities.

A field of study in which basin-filling sedimentary deposits, called sequences,

are interpreted in a framework of eustasy, sedimentation and subsidence
82 through time in order to correlate strata and predict the stratigraphy of
relatively unknown areas.

A fine-grained, fissile, detrital sedimentary rock formed by consolidation of clay-

83 and silt-sized particles into thin, relatively impermeable layers.

A chemically resistant dioxide of silicon that occurs in crystalline (quartz),

84 amorphous (opal) and cryptocrystalline (chert) forms. [SiO2]
A group of rock-forming minerals in which SiO4 tetrahedra combine with cations.
85
A group of clay minerals that includes montmorillonite. This type of mineral
86 tends to swell when exposed to water.
A general term for sedimentary rocks, although it can imply a distinction
87 between rocks of interest to the petroleum industry and rocks of interest to the
mining industry.

88 A layer of sedimentary rock

A geological feature produced by deformation of the Earth's crust, such as a fold
89 or a fault; a feature within a rock, such as a fracture or bedding surface; or,
more generally, the spatial arrangement of rocks.

A plate tectonic process in which one lithospheric plate descends beneath

90 another into the asthenosphere during a collision at a convergent plate margin.

91 A contour map that displays the elevation of the Earth's surface.

A measure of deviation from a straight line. It is the ratio of the actual distance
traveled between two points, including any curves encountered, divided by the
straight line distance. Tortuosity is used by drillers to describe wellbore
92 trajectory, by log analysts to describe electrical current flow through rock and by
geologists to describe pore systems in rock and the meander of rivers.

A particular type of strike-slip fault that is a boundary of an oceanic tectonic

93 plate.
 A configuration of rocks suitable for containing hydrocarbons and sealed by a
94 relatively impermeable formation through which hydrocarbons will not migrate.

95 A grade scale for classifying the diameters of sediments

A geological surface separating older from younger rocks and representing a gap
96 in the geologic record.
A measure of a material’s strength. It is the maximum axial compressive stress
97 that a right-cylindrical sample of material can withstand before failing.

A measure of a material’s strength. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) is the

maximum axial compressive stress that a right-cylindrical sample of material
can withstand before failing. It is also known as the unconfined compressive
98 strength of a material because confining stress is set to zero.

A measurement of the maturity of organic matter with respect to whether it has

99 generated hydrocarbons or could be an effective source rock.

A cavity, void or large pore in a rock that is commonly lined with mineral
100 precipitates.
101 A near-surface, possibly unconsolidated layer of low seismic velocity.
 TERM

active margin

aeolotropy//anisotropy

Anaerobic

antithetic fault

aquifer

barite [BaSO4]

base map

basin
 bed

bentonite

bouma sequence

Caliche

carbonate

channel

chlorite

chronostratigraphic chart

coal

compaction

condensate
 Conformity

contour

contour map

correlation

cross section

crude oil

decollement

diatom

differential compaction

dipping bed

discomformity

drape

evaporite

fault

feldespar

fence diagram
 fracture //natural fracture

gas oil contact

gas sand

gas water contact

geologic map

geologic time scale

geomagnetic polarity reversal time scale

glauconite

granite

gypsum

hardground

hiatus

hydrocarbon

hydrothermal alteration

illite

isochore

isopach

isotropy

lamination

limestone
 lineament

listric fault

lithofacies

massif

mica

micrite

mineral

natural fracture

natural gas

nonconformity

oil sand

oil-water contact

orogeny

outcrop // crop out

petroleum

plane table

pore

reef / reefal (adj)

relative permeability
 salt dome

sand
sand-stone

scout ticket

sedimentary basin

seep

sequence

sequence stratigraphy

shale

silica

silicate mineral

smectite

soft rock

stratum

structure

subduction

topographic map

tortuosity

transform fault
 trap

Udden Wentworth scale

uncomformity

unconfined compressive strength

uniaxial compressive strength

vitrinite reflectance

vug

weathered layer
NUMBER DEFINITION
A subsurface condition in which the pore pressure of a geologic formation exceeds
101 or is less than the expected, or normal, formation pressure.
a telescopic surveying device used to construct surface topographic and geologic
maps in the field. The alidade is mounted on a plane table, which has a sheet of
paper on which to draw the map, and an object or location is sighted through the
alidade. The edge of the alidade is aligned in the azimuthal direction of the object or
102 location. The vertical angle from which elevation of the location can be calculated is
measured using the calibrated arc of the alidade.

A rock mass formed somewhere other than its present location, which was
103 transported by fault movements, large-scale gravity sliding, or similar processes.

A surface that separates younger strata from eroded, dipping, older strata and
104 represents a gap in the geologic record.
An entity or property that differs from what is typical or expected, or which differs
105 from that predicted by a theoretical model.
a type of structural hydrocarbon trap whose closure is controlled by the presence of
106 an anticline.
107 A water-bearing portion of a petroleum reservoir with a waterdrive.
A solid or nearly solid form of bitumen that can melt upon heating and contains
impurities such as nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. Asphalt forms naturally when the
108 light components or volatiles of petroleum have been removed or evaporated.

A zone of the upper mantle in which earthquakes occur when a lithospheric plate is
subducted, named in honor of seismologists Kiyoo Wadati and Hugo Benioff. The dip
of this zone, also referred to as the Wadati-Benioff zone, coincides with the dip of the
109 subducting plate. The Wadati-Benioff zone extends to a depth of about 700 km [435
miles] from the Earth's surface.

A relatively impermeable rock, commonly shale, anhydrite or salt, that forms a

barrier or seal above and around reservoir rock so that fluids cannotmigrate beyond
the reservoir. It is often found atop a salt dome. The permeability of a cap rock
110 capable of retaining fluids through geologic time is ~ 10-6-10-8 darcies.

A type of metamorphic rock with shearing and granulation of minerals caused by

111 high mechanical stress during faulting or dynamic metamorphism, typically during
episodes of plate tectonic activity.

Abbreviation for coalbed methane. Natural gas, predominantly methane [CH4],

112 generated during coal formation and adsorbed in coal.
A porous marine limestone composed of fine-grained remains of microorganisms
113 with calcite shells, coccolithophores
 A sedimentary rock and a variety of quartz made of extremely fine-grained, or
cryptocrystalline, silica, also called chalcedony. The silica might be of organic origin,
such as from the internal structures of sponges called spicules, or inorganic origin,
114 such as precipitation from solution. The latter results in the formation of flint. Chert
can form beds, but is more common as nodules in carbonate rocks.

A reservoir in which buoyant forces keep hydrocarbons in place below a sealing

115 caprock.
A stable area of continental crust that has not undergone much plate tectonic or
116 orogenic activity for a long period.
117 Abbreviation for coal seam gas.
An area of deposition or the deposit formed by a flowing sediment-laden current as
118 it enters an open or standing body of water, such as a river spilling into a gulf.

A type of secondary porosity created during diagenesis, commonly through

119 dissolution or dolomitization or both.
120 A relatively mobile mass that intrudes into preexisting rocks.
A soft, silica-rich sedimentary rock comprising diatom remains that forms most
121 commonly in lakes and deep marine areas.
A widely-distributed carbonate mineral and chief constituent of dolostone.
122 [CaMg(CO3)2]
123 A rock composed chiefly (> 90%) of dolomite.
124 A type of anticline that is circular or elliptical rather than elongate.
A subsurface rock that lacks contact with aquifers or meteoric water within the
125 Earth.
Ability of a material to undergo stress, deform, and then recover and return to its
126 original shape after the stress ceases.
A semi-enclosed coastal environment of deposition in which a river mouth permits
127 freshwater to contact and mix with seawater.
An area in which hydrocarbon accumulations or prospects of a given type occur.
128
A type of structural hydrocarbon trap in which closure is controlled by the presence
129 of at least one fault surface.
An accumulation, pool, or group of pools of hydrocarbons or other mineral resources
130 in the subsurface.
A wave-like geologic structure that forms when rocks deform by bending instead of
131 breaking under compressional stress.
132 A surface land form.
133 A type of secondary porosity produced by the tectonic fracturing of rock.
134 A scientist trained in the study of the Earth.
A system of numerous Earth-orbiting satellites that can be used to determine the
135 location (latitude, longitude and elevation) of a receiver or station on the Earth
within about 2 m [6 ft].

136 Abbreviation for gas-oil contact

 A record of the onset and duration of the multitude of episodes of reversal of the
137 Earth's magnetic polarity, or geomagnetic polarity reversals.
138 A relatively low-standing fault block bounded by opposing normal faults.
A type of normal fault that develops and continues to move during sedimentation
139 and typically has thicker strata on the downthrown, hanging wall side of the fault
than in the footwall.

140 Abbreviation for gas-water contact,

A soft, soluble evaporite mineral commonly known as salt or rock salt.[NaCl]
141
A term applied to hard rocks, or igneous and metamorphic rocks that are
142 distinguished from sedimentary rocks because they are typically more difficult to
disaggregate.

A relatively high-standing area formed by the movement of normal faults that dip
143 away from each other.
An area of the subsurface where source rock has reached appropriate conditions of
144 pressure and temperature to generate hydrocarbons;
A surface of breakage, cracking or separation within a rock along which there has
145 been no movement parallel to the defining plane.
A type of clay mineral from the kaolin group that forms through the weathering of
146 feldspar and mica group minerals.
A type of topography formed in areas of widespread carbonate rocks through
147 dissolution.
Also known as weathered layer, a near-surface, possibly unconsolidated layer of low
148 seismic velocity.
149 A sedimentary rock containing a mix of clay and calcium carbonate.
An environment from which water rarely drains that supports primarily grassy
150 vegetation and does not form peat.
A type of secondary porosity created through the dissolution of a preexisting
151 constituent of a rock, such as a shell, rock fragment or grain.
152 A type of smectite clay mineral that tends to swell when exposed to water.
153 Abbreviation for magnetic reversal sequence,
154 Abbreviation for million years. The preferred abbreviation is Ma.
Abbreviation for millions of years before present. The preferred abbreviation is Ma.
155
A type of fault in which the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall, and
156 the fault surface dips steeply, commonly from 50o to 90o.
157 An accumulation, pool or group of pools of oil in the subsurface.
An area of the subsurface where source rock has reached appropriate conditions of
158 pressure and temperature to generate liquid hydrocarbons as opposed to gas.

159 A subsurface oil accumulation.

160 A thrust fault having a relatively large lateral displacement.
 A reservoir or portion of a reservoir that contains economically producible
hydrocarbons. The term derives from the fact that it is capable of "paying" an
income. Pay is also called pay sand or pay zone. The overall interval in which pay
161 sections occur is the gross pay; the smaller portions of the gross pay that meet local
criteria for pay (such as minimum porosity, permeability and hydrocarbon saturation)
are net pay.

A reduction in bed thickness resulting from onlapping stratigraphic sequences.

162
A type of stratigraphic trap. The termination by thinning or tapering out ("pinching
out") of a reservoir against a nonporous sealing rock creates a favorable geometry to
163 trap hydrocarbons, particularly if the adjacent sealing rock is a source rock such as a
shale

A topographic feature consisting of a large flat area at a relatively high elevation

164 with steep sides.
A relatively flat, nearly level area of sedimentary rocks in a continent that overlies or
165 abuts the basement rocks of a craton.
An area in which hydrocarbon accumulations or prospects of a given type occur.
166
An arcuate deposit of sediment, usually sand, that occurs along the convex inner
167 edges of the meanders of channels and builds outward as the stream channel
migrates.

An area of exploration in which hydrocarbons have been predicted to exist in

168 economic quantity.
A type of geochemical analysis in which a rock sample is subject to controlled
heating in an inert gas to or past the point of generating hydrocarbons in order to
assess its quality as a source rock, the abundance of organic material in it, its thermal
169 maturity, and the quality of hydrocarbons it might generate or have generated.

An abundant rock-forming mineral composed of silicon and oxygen, also called

170 silica. [SiO2]
A subsurface body of rock having sufficient porosity and permeability to store and
171 transmit fluids.
A type of fault formed when the hanging wall fault block moves up along a fault
172 surface relative to the footwall
An aggregate of minerals or organic matter (in the case of coal, which is not
composed of minerals because of its organic origin), or volcanic glass (obsidian,
173 which forms a rock but is not considered a mineral because of its amorphous,
noncrystalline nature).

An environment of coastal sedimentation characterized by arid or semiarid

174 conditions above the level of high tide and by the absence of vegetation.
175 A soft, soluble evaporite mineral also known as halite or rock salt. [NaCl]
A relatively impermeable rock, commonly shale, anhydrite or salt, that forms a
176 barrier or cap above and around reservoir rock such that fluids cannot migrate
beyond the reservoir.
 A surface that separates older sequences from younger ones, commonly an
177 unconformity, but in limited cases a correlative conformable surface
A type of fold in which the thickness of the layers remains constant when measured
178 parallel to the axial surface and the layers have the same wave shape, but the
thickness along each layer varies.

A rock rich in organic matter which, if heated sufficiently, will generate oil or gas.
179
An analysis of the history, composition, relative ages and distribution of strata, and
180 the interpretation of strata to elucidate Earth history.
A variety of sealed geologic container capable of retaining hydrocarbons, formed by
181 changes in rock type or pinch-outs, unconformities, or sedimentary features such as
reefs.

182 A type of fault whose surface is typically vertical or nearly so.

A variety of sealed geologic structure capable of retaining hydrocarbons, such as a
183 fault or a fold.
A type of subsurface map whose contours represent the elevation of a particular
formation, reservoir or geologic marker in space, such that folds, faults and other
geologic structures are clearly displayed. Its appearance is similar to that of a
184 topographic map, but a topographic map displays elevations of the Earth's surface
and a structure map displays the elevation of a particular rock layer, generally
beneath the surface.

An exploration and production play type in which prospects exist below salt layers.
185
A wetland depositional environment in which water is present either permanently or
186 intermittently and in which trees and large woody plants can grow but peat does not
form.

A type of minor fault whose sense of displacement is similar to its associated major
187 fault.
A symbol plotted on a dipmeter log used to indicate dip angle and direction.
188
Also known as plate tectonics, the unifying geologic theory developed to explain
observations that interactions of the brittle plates of the lithosphere with each other
189 and with the softer underlying asthenosphere result in large-scale changes in the
Earth

Also known as geothermal gradient, the rate of increase in temperature per unit
190 depth in the Earth.
Also known as geothermal gradient, the rate of increase in temperature per unit
depth in the Earth. Although the geothermal gradient varies from place to place, it
averages 25 to 30 °C/km [15 °F/1000 ft]. Temperature gradients sometimes increase
dramatically around volcanic areas. It is particularly important for drilling fluids
engineers to know the geothermal gradient in an area when they are designing a
191 deep well. The downhole temperature can be calculated by adding the surface
temperature to the product of the depth and the geothermal gradient.
 A type of reverse fault in which the fault plane has a very shallow dip, typically much
192 less than 45o.
An influx of rapidly moving, sediment-laden water down a slope into a larger body
of water; also called a density current because the suspended sediment results in the
193 current having a higher density than the clearer water into which it flows.

Abbreviation for unconfined compressive strength, or uniaxial compressive strength.

194
A worldwide grid system of rectangular map coordinates that uses metric (SI) units.
195
A rhythmic sequence of sediments deposited in annual cycles in glacial lakes.
196

197 A type of woody kerogen that is relatively uniform in composition.

198 A surface feature of the Earth that allows magma, ash and gas to erupt
A zone of the upper mantle in which earthquakes occur when a lithospheric plate is
199 subducted, named in honor of seismologists Kiyoo Wadati and Hugo Benioff.

A type of strike-slip fault in which the fault surface is vertical, and the fault blocks
200 move sideways past each other
 TERM

Abnormal pressure

alidade

allochton

angular unconformity

anomaly

anticlinal trap

aquifer

asphalt

Benioff zone

cap rock

cataclasite

CBM

chalk
 chert

conventional reservoir

craton

CSG

delta

diagenetic porosity

diapir

diatomite

dolomite

dolostone
dome

dry rock

elasticity

estuary

exploration play

fault trap

field

fold

formation
fracture porosity
geologist

Global Positioning System

GOC
 GPTS

Graben

growth fault

GWC

halite

hard rock

horst

hydrocarbon kitchen

joint

kaolinite

karst

low velocity layer

marl //marlstone

marsh

moldic porosity

montmorillonite
MRS
My

MYBP

normal fault

oil field

oil kitchen

oil pool
overthrust
 pay

pinch-out

pinch-out

plateau

platform

play

point bar

prospect//play

pyrolysis

quartz

reservoir

reverse fault

rock

sabkha

salt

seal
 sequence boundary

similar fold

source rock

stratigraphic analysis

stratigraphic traps

strike-slip fault

structural trap

structure map

subsalt

swamp

syntethic fault

tadpole

tectonics

temperature gradiente

thermal gradient
 thrurst fault

turbidity current

UCS

Universal Transverse Mercator grid (UTM)

varve

vitrinite
volcano

Wadati-Benioff Zone

wrench fault
NUMBER DEFINITION
It is the sequence stratigraphic term for the amount of space available for
sediment accumulation. Dominant influences on the amount of accommodation, or
201 accommodation space, include subsidence and eustasy.

202 An occurrence of trapped hydrocarbons, an oil field. Synonym: play

Pertaining to materials, particularly rock masses, that formed somewhere other
than their present location, and were transported by fault movements, large-scale
gravity sliding, or similar processes. Autochthonous material, in contrast, formed in
its present location. Landslides can result in large masses of allochthonous rock,
which typically can be distinguished from autochthonous rocks on the basis of their
203 difference in composition. Faults and folds can also separate allochthons from
autochthons.

Having directionally dependent properties. For a crystal of a mineral, variation in

physical properties observed in different directions is anisotropy. In rocks,
variation in seismic velocity measured parallel or perpendicular to bedding surfaces
204 is a form of anisotropy. Often found where platy minerals such as micas and clays
align parallel to depositional bedding as sediments are compacted, anisotropy is
common in shales.

Different from what is typical or expected, or different from what is predicted by a

theoretical model. The difference or anomaly may refer to the measurement of the
difference between an observed or measured value and the expected values of a
physical property. Anomalies can be of great interest in hydrocarbon and mineral
exploration because they often indicate hydrocarbon and mineral prospects and
accumulations, such as geologic structures like folds and faults. Geochemical
anomalies at the surface of the Earth can also indicate an accumulation of
205 hydrocarbons at depth. Geophysical anomalies, such as amplitude anomalies in
seismic data and magnetic anomalies in the Earth's crust, can also be associated
with hydrocarbon accumulations.

Pertaining to an anticline, an arch-shaped fold in rock in which rock layers are

upwardly convex. The oldest rock layers form the core of the fold, and outward
from the core progressively younger rocks occur. Anticlines form many excellent
hydrocarbon traps, particularly in folds with reservoir-quality rocks in their core and
206 impermeable seals in the outer layers of the fold. A syncline is the opposite type of
fold, having downwardly convex layers with young rocks in the core.

Describing sandy-textured rock or sediment. Arenaceous does not necessarily

207 imply silica-rich, but rather particles of sand size, 0.625 to 2 mm, according to the
Udden-Wentworth scale.

Describing rocks or sediments containing particles that are silt- or clay-sized, less
than 0.625 mm in size. Most have a high clay-mineral content, and many contain a
208 sufficient percentage of organic material to be considered a source rock for
hydrocarbon.
 In plate tectonics, it is defined as a failed rift arm. At the junctions of tectonic
plates, three intersecting lithospheric plates typically are separated by "arms." Arms
might be areas of rifting, convergence or transform faults (similar to a strike-slip
fault). The arm along which the motion that spreads the plates apart ceases is
termed the failed arm, or aulacogen. Spreading or rifting along the other arms of
209 the triple junction can form new oceanic basins, whereas the aulacogen can
become a sediment-filled graben.

Pertaining to minerals or materials that grow in place with a rock, rather than
having been transported and deposited. These include quartz, chlorite and other
210 pore-filling minerals or cements that grow during diagenesis. Evaporite minerals are
authigenic, or formed in situ.

It referres to Materials, especially rock masses, that formed in their present location
211 and have not been transported.
In folded rocks, it is the imaginary surface bisecting the limbs of the fold. The axial
surface is called the axial plane when the fold is symmetrical and the lines defined
212 by the points of maximum curvature of each folded layer, or hinge lines, are
coplanar.

213 Organisms that live at the bottom of a body of water.

Naturally-occurring, inflammable organic matter formed from kerogen in the
process of petroleum generation that is soluble in carbon bisulfide. Bitumen
includes hydrocarbons such as asphalt and mineral wax. Typically solid or nearly
so, brown or black, bitumen has a distinctive petroliferous odor. Laboratory
214 dissolution with organic solvents allows determination of the amount of bitumen in
samples, an assessment of source rock richness.

An unusual occurrence of hydrocarbon in which molecules of natural gas,

215 typically methane, are trapped in ice molecules. 
216 Fine-grained sediments less than 0.0039 mm in size.
Pertaining to a sedimentary rock, such as sandstone or limestone, that contains
217 only minimal amounts of clay minerals.
Natural gas, predominantly methane [CH 4], generated during coal formation and
218 adsorbed in coal.

Natural gas, predominantly methane [CH 4], generated during coal formation and
219 adsorbed in coal. 
An interaction of lithospheric plates that can result in the formation of mountain
220 belts and subduction zones.
221 Describes a bed that maintains its original thickness during deformation.
 In sequence stratigraphy, a section of fine-grained sedimentary rocks that
accumulated slowly, thereby representing a considerable span of time by only a
thin layer. In condensed sections, fossils and organic, phosphatic and glauconitic
material tend to be concentrated compared with rapidly deposited sections that
contain few fossils. Condensed sections are most commonly deposited during
222 transgressions. In such cases they are associated with "maximum flooding surfaces"
and form important sequence stratigraphic markers.

Parallel strata that have undergone a similar geologic history, deposited in

223 succession without interruption.
Compaction and cementation of sediments to the degree that they become
224 coherent, relatively solid rock.
Innermost layer of the Earth. Studies of compressional and shear waves indicate
that the core makes up nearly 3500 km [2170 miles] of the Earth's radius of 6370
km [3950 miles]. Such studies also demonstrate that because shear waves do not
pass through the outer part of the core (2250 km [1400 miles] thick), it is liquid
(only solids can shear). The inner core is solid and 1220 km [750 miles] thick. The
225 core's iron and nickel composition was inferred through studies of the Earth's
gravitational field and average density. The relatively low density of the outer layers
of the Earth suggests a dense inner layer.

226 In the case of a body of rock, to be exposed at the surface of the Earth.
Oil at sufficiently low pressure that it contains no dissolved gas or a relatively thick
227 oil or residue that has lost its volatile components.
Exploration activity located in offshore areas where water depths exceed
approximately 600 feet [200 m], the approximate water depth at the edge of the
continental shelf. While deep-water reservoir targets are geologically similar to
reservoirs drilled both in shallower present-day water depths as well as onshore,
228 the logistics of producing hydrocarbons from reservoirs located below such water
depths presents a considerable technical challenge.

229 Mass per unit of volume

An influx of rapidly moving, sediment-laden water down a slope into a larger body
of water; the suspended sediment causes the current to have a higher density than
230 the clearer water into which it flows, hence the name

Pertaining to a strike-slip fault or right-lateral fault in which the block across the
231 fault moves to the right.
Pertaining to a diatom, which is a microscopic, single-celled, freshwater or
232 saltwater algae that has a silica-rich cell wall called a frustule.
An intrusive rock that invades preexisting rocks, commonly in a tabular shape that
233 cuts vertically or nearly vertically across preexisting layers.
234 Describing sedimentary rock that contains clay minerals.
235 Located down the slope of a dipping plane or surface.
 Natural gas that occurs in the absence of condensate or liquid hydrocarbons, or gas
236 that has had condensable hydrocarbons removed.
An intrusive rock that invades preexisting rocks, commonly in a tabular shape that
237 cuts vertically or nearly vertically across preexisting layers. Dikes form from igneous
and sedimentary rocks.

Pertaining to a material that can undergo stress, deform, and then recover and
238 return to its original shape after the stress ceases.
Describing parallel or subparallel, closely-spaced, overlapping or step-like minor
239 structural features in rock, such as faults and tension fractures, that are oblique to
the overall structural trend.

Pertaining to an estuary, a semi-enclosed coastal environment of deposition in

240 which a river mouth permits freshwater to contact and mix with seawater.

241 Global sea level variations.

242 Pertaining to eustasy, a term for global sea level and its variations.
Pertaining to minerals or igneous rocks composed of minerals such as quartz and
243 feldspar that are relatively light in color and density.
244 Folded structures associated with strike-slip faults.
245 Pertaining to an environment of deposition by a river or running water.
246 Formation water with low salinity.
An unusual occurrence of hydrocarbon in which molecules of natural gas, typically
247 methane, are trapped in ice molecules.
248 Gas that is dissolved in a liquid, such as water or oil.
An informal term used to denote a surface in or of rock, or a distinctive layer of
rock that might be represented by a reflection in seismic data. The term is often
249 used incorrectly to describe a zone from which hydrocarbons are produced.

An unusual occurrence of hydrocarbon in which molecules of natural gas, typically

250 methane, are trapped in ice molecules.
251 Incorporation of water into the atomic structure of a mineral
Pertaining to hot fluids, particularly hot water, or the activity of hot water, or
precipitates thereof. Hydrothermal alteration can change the mineralogy of rock,
producing different minerals, including quartz, calcite and chlorite. Hydrothermal
252 activity is commonly associated with hot water that accompanies, or is heated by,
magma

Pertaining to a hydrocarbon source rock that has not fully entered optimal
253 conditions for generation.
Pertaining to a condition in which two fluids are incapable of forming molecularly
254 distributed mixtures or attaining homogeneity at that scale
Pertaining to a rock that is incapable of transmitting fluids because of low
255 permeability.
In the original location or position, such as a large outcrop that has not been
256 disturbed by faults or landslides.
 Pertaining to isostasy, the state of gravitational equilibrium between the
257 lithosphere and the asthenosphere of the Earth such that lithospheric plates
"float" at a given elevation depending on their thickness.

Directionally uniform, such that the physical properties of the material do not vary
258 in different directions.
Pertaining to an environment of deposition in lakes, or an area having lakes.
259
Pertaining to an environment of deposition affected by tides, the area between
260 high tide and low tide.
Mega annum. The abbreviation for million years that is most commonly used in the
261 geologic literature.
Pertaining to minerals or igneous rocks composed of minerals that are rich in iron
262 and magnesium, dense, and typically dark in color.
An unusual occurrence of hydrocarbon in which molecules of methane are trapped
263 in ice molecules.
Is the science and study of minerals with regard to their chemical composition,
264 structure, formation and properties.
Pertaining to a condition in which two or more fluids can mix in all proportions and
265 form a single homogeneous phase.
Describing the environment and conditions of the marine zone between low tide
266 and the edge of the continental shelf, a depth of roughly 200 m [656 ft].

Pertaining to a major episode of plate tectonic activity in which lithospheric plates

267 collide and produce mountain belts, in some cases including the formation of
subduction zones and igneous activity.

Pertaining to a hydrocarbon source rock that has generated as much hydrocarbon

268 as possible and is becoming thermally altered.
269 Pertaining to a depositional environment or organisms from a marsh
270 Describing material deposited in or growing in a marsh.
271 Pertaining to a rock's ability to transmit fluids.
Geologic components and processes necessary to generate and store
272 hydrocarbons, including a mature source rock, migration pathway, reservoir rock,
trap and seal.

Minute organisms that float or drift passively near the surface of oceans and seas.
273

274 Pertaining to a material that can deform permanently without rupturing.

Permanent mechanical or physical alteration that does not include rupture.
275
Pertaining to a hydrocarbon source rock that has generated as much hydrocarbon
276 as possible and is becoming thermally altered.
277 Multiple faults whose fault planes strike outward from a common center.
Generally, the study of how matter deforms and flows, including its elasticity,
278 plasticity and viscosity
279 An injectite attributable to earthquake or seismic shaking.
280 Oil obtained by artificial maturation of oil shale.
 Containing shale, a fine-grained, fissile, detrital sedimentary rock formed by
281 consolidation of clay- and silt-sized particles into thin, relatively impermeable layers

Pertaining to a strike-slip or left-lateral fault in which the block across the fault
282 moves to the left; also called a sinistral strike-slip fault.
Contaminated with sulfur or sulfur compounds, especially hydrogen sulfide.
283

284 Layers of sedimentary rock. The singular form is stratum.

Pertaining to crude oil or natural gas lacking appreciable amounts of sulfur or sulfur
285 compounds.
Basin- or trough-shaped fold in rock in which rock layers are downwardly convex.
286
Location relative to the boundary of a tectonic plate, particularly a boundary along
287 which plate tectonic activity is occurring or has occurred.
Describing a relatively impermeable reservoir rock from which hydrocarbon
288 production is difficult.
289 Gas produced from a relatively impermeable reservoir rock.
290 Oil found in relatively impermeable reservoir rock.
291 Lithified volcanic ash.
An umbrella term for oil and natural gas that is produced by means that do not
292 meet the criteria for conventional production.
293 Located up the slope of a dipping plane or surface.
Bubble-shaped cavities in volcanic rock formed by expansion of gas dissolved in the
294 precursor magma.
Containing vugs, which are cavities, voids or large pores in a rock that are
295 commonly lined with mineral precipitates.
Exploration activity located in offshore areas where water depths exceed
296 approximately 600 feet [200 m], the approximate water depth at the edge of the
continental shelf.

Another name for the Udden-Wentworth scale, a grade scale for classifying the
297 diameters of sediments
Natural gas that contains less methane (typically less than 85% methane) and more
298 ethane and other more complex hydrocarbons.
Pertaining to a zone, an interval or unit of rock differentiated from surrounding
rocks on the basis of its fossil content or other features, such as faults or fractures.
299 For example, a fracture zone contains numerous fractures. A biostratigraphic zone
contains a particular fossil or fossils.

An interval or unit of rock differentiated from surrounding rocks on the basis of its
300 fossil content or other features, such as faults or fractures.
 TERM

accommodation

accumulation

allochthonous

anisotropic

anomalus

anticlinal //anticline

arenaceous

argillaceous
 aulacogen

authigenic

autochthon

axial surface

benthos

Bitumen

clathrate //hydrate

clay

clean

coal bed methane

coal seam gas

collision

competent
 Condensed section

conformable

consolidation

core

crop out

dead oil

deepwater play

density

density current / turbidity current

dextral

diatomaceous

dike

dirty
down dip
 dry gas

dyke

elastic

en echelon

estuarine

eustasy
eustatic

felsic

flower structure
fluvial
fresh water

gas hydrate

gas in solution

horizon

hydrate

hydration

hydrothermal

immature

immiscible

impermeable

in situ
 isostatic

isotropic

lacustrine

littoral

Ma

mafic

methane hydrate

mineralogy

miscible

neritic

orogenic

overmature

paludal
palustrine
permeable

petroleum system

plankton

plastic

plastic deformation

post mature

radial faulting

rheology

seismite
shale oil
 shaly

sinistral

sour

strata

sweet

syncline

tectonic environment

tight

tight gas
tight oil
tuff / tuffaceaous (adj)

unconventional resource

updip

vesicle

vuggy

water play

wentworth scale

wet gas

zonal

zone
NUMBER DEFINITION
the deepest area of the ocean basins. The depositional energy is low and fine-
grained sediments are deposited slowly by waning turbidity currents or from
301 suspension in the water. The water is thousands of meters deep (>2,000 m)
[>6,520 ft] so it is cold and sunlight is minimal.

the accumulation of stratigraphic sequences by deposition that stacks beds

302 atop each other, building upwards during periods of balance between
sediment supply and accommodation.

Related to materials, particularly rock masses, that formed somewhere other

303 than their present location
Pertaining to minerals or rock fragments that formed in one location but were
transported to another location and deposited. Clastic sediments in a rock
304 such as sandstone are allogenic, or formed elsewhere.

Pertaining to the subaerial (as opposed to submarine) environment, action

and products of a stream or river on its floodplain, usually consisting of detrital
clastic sediments, and distinct from subaqueous deposition such as in lakes or
oceans and lower energy fluvial deposition. Sediments deposited in an alluvial
305 environment can be subject to high depositional energy, such as fast-moving
flood waters, and may be poorly sorted or chaotic.

the condition of an environment in which free oxygen is lacking or absent.

306
Predictable variation of a property of a material with the direction in which it
is measured, which can occur at all scales. For a crystal of a mineral, variation
in physical properties observed in different directions is anisotropy. In rocks,
variation in seismic velocity measured parallel or perpendicular to bedding
surfaces is a form of anisotropy. Often found where platy minerals such as
307 micas and clays align parallel to depositional bedding as sediments are
compacted, anisotropy is common in shales.

The angle between the vertical projection of a line of interest onto a

308 horizontal surface and true north or magnetic north measured in a horizontal
plane, typically measured clockwise from north.

Pertaining to the angle between the vertical projection of a line of interest

onto a horizontal surface and true north or magnetic north measured in a
309 horizontal plane, typically measured clockwise from north.

Pertaining to the environment of deposition and the organisms of the ocean

between depths of 200 m [656 ft], the edge of the continental shelf, and 2000
310 m [6560 ft]. The bathyal environment is intermediate between the neritic
environment and the abyss.

Solid rock either exposed at the surface or situated below surface soil,

311 unconsolidated sediments and weathered rock.
 Pertaining to the environment and conditions of organisms living at the water
312 bottom, or benthos.
The application of plant and animal fossils to date and correlate strata in
order to elucidate Earth history, combining the principles of paleontology and
stratigraphy. In the petroleum industry, biostratigraphy often denotes the use
of terrestrial (pollen and spores) and marine (diatoms, foraminifera,
nannofossils) microfossils to determine the absolute or relative age and
313 depositional environment of a particular formation, source rock or reservoir of
interest.

The crystalline form of calcium carbonate and chief constituent of limestone

and chalk. Calcite reacts readily with dilute hydrochloric acid [HCl], so the
314 presence of calcite can be tested by simply placing a drop of acid on a rock
specimen.

The binding material in sedimentary rocks that precipitates between grains

315 from pore fluids. Calcite and quartz are common cement-forming minerals.

316 Structures formed by sediment injection

Sediment consisting of broken fragments derived from preexisting rocks and
317 transported elsewhere and redeposited before forming another rock. 

The deformation of rock layers in which the thickness of each layer, measured

318 perpendicular to initial undeformed layering, is maintained after the rock
layers have been folded.

Pertaining to sediments that have been compacted and cemented to the

319 degree that they become coherent, relatively solid rock.
The interface, also called fluid contact, that separates fluids of different
320 densities in a reservoir.
The area at the edges of a continent from the shoreline to a depth of 200 m
321 [660 ft], where the continental slope begins.
The density- and heat-driven cycling, transfer or circulation of energy through
which material initially warms up and becomes relatively less dense, then rises,
322 cools and becomes relatively more dense, and finally sinks.

323 The highest point of a wave, mountain or geologic structure.

The arrangement in space of uniform spheres (atoms and molecules in mineral
324 crystals, or grains in clastic sedimentary rocks) that results in a cubic material
structure.

325 The area of thickest deposition in a basin.

Sediments that have accumulated, usually after being moved by wind, water or
326 ice.
327 The action of moving sediments and laying them down. [vb]
The area in which and physical conditions under which sediments are
328 deposited, including sediment source
 Pertaining to particles of rock derived from the mechanical breakdown of
329 preexisting rocks by weathering and erosion.
The magnitude of the inclination of a plane from horizontal. True, or
330 maximum, dip is measured perpendicular to strike. Apparent dip is measured
in a direction other than perpendicular to strike.

Pertaining to structures in which the shapes of adjacent layers differ or do not

331 conform to one another.
The geochemical process in supratidal sabkha areas where magnesium [Mg]
332 ions from the evaporation of seawater replace calcium [Ca] ions in calcite,
forming the mineral dolomite.

The ability to preferentially flow or transmit a particular fluid when other

333 immiscible fluids are present in the reservoir (e.g., effective permeability of
gas in a gas-water reservoir).

The interconnected pore volume or void space in a rock that contributes to

334 fluid flow or permeability in a reservoir.
the deformation that can be recovered when an applied stress has been
335 removed.
Pertaining to the environment of deposition of sediments by wind, such as the
336 sand dunes in a desert.
The initial phase in petroleum operations that includes generation of a
337 prospect or play or both, and drilling of an exploration well.
refers to the spacing, arrangement, distribution, size, shape and orientation of
338 the constituents of rocks such as minerals, grains, porosity, layering, bed
boundaries, lithology contacts and fractures.

339 The interface that separates fluids of different densities in a reservoir.

The fundamental unit of lithostratigraphy. A body of rock that is sufficiently
distinctive and continuous that it can be mapped. In stratigraphy, a formation
is a body of strata of predominantly one type or combination of types; multiple
340 formations form groups, and subdivisions of formations are members.

Preserved remnants of plants or animals, such as skeletons, shells, casts or

341 molds, tracks or borings, and feces.
That portion of a dual-porosity reservoirs permeability that is associated with
342 the secondary porosity created by open, natural fractures.

343 The gaseous phase present in a reservoir or other contained area.

The formation of hydrocarbons from a source rock as bitumen forms from
344 kerogen and accumulates as oil or gas. [vb]
345 The change in pore pressure per unit depth,
346 Pertaining to the environment of deposition by glaciers.
The density of a rock or mineral with no porosity, also known as matrix
347 density,
The angle that a fault plane, or other stratigraphic and structural surfaces,
348 makes with the vertical, as measured perpendicular to the strike of that plane
or surface.
 Pertaining to structures in which the shapes of adjacent layers resemble or
349 conform to one another.
The force per unit area exerted by a column of liquid at a height above a
350 depth (and pressure) of interest.
The height of a column of freshwater that exerts pressure at a given depth.
351
Pertaining to one of three main classes of rocks. These rocks crystallize from
352 molten rock, or magma, with interlocking mineral crystals.
Pertaining to strata that are relatively ductile and tend to flow under stress
353 rather than deform by brittle faulting or fracturing.
354 Structures formed by sediment injection.
The act of acquiring acreage for exploration or production activity. //An area
355 of surface land on which exploration or production activity occurs.

The macroscopic nature of the mineral content, grain size, texture and color
356 of rocks.
The brittle outer layer of the Earth that includes the crust and uppermost
357 mantle.
The intermediate layer of the Earth beneath the crust that is about 2900 km
358 thick [1820 miles] and overlies the core of the Earth.
Pertaining to sediments or environments in seas or ocean waters, between the
359 depth of low tide and the ocean bottom.
The finer grained, interstitial particles that lie between larger particles or in
360 which larger particles are embedded in sedimentary rocks such as sandstones
and conglomerates.

rocks form from the alteration of preexisting rocks by changes in ambient

361 temperature, pressure, volatile content, or all of these.
The lightest and most abundant of the hydrocarbon gases and the principal
362 component of natural gas [CH4]
The boundary between the crust and the mantle of the Earth, which varies
363 from approximately 5 km [3 miles] under the midoceanic ridges to 75 km [46
miles] deep under the continents.

The horizontal displacement between points on either side of a fault, which

364 can range from millimeters to kilometers.
365 Rock overlying an area or point of interest in the subsurface.
Subsurface pressure that is abnormally high, exceeding hydrostatic pressure at
366 a given depth.
The deformation of rock layers in which the thickness of each layer, measured
367 perpendicular to initial (undeformed) layering, is maintained after the rock
layers have been folded.

Relatively conformable depositional units bounded by surfaces of marine

368 flooding, surfaces that separate older strata from younger and show an
increase in water depth in successively younger strata.

The ability, or measurement of a rock's ability, to transmit fluids, typically

369 measured in darcies or millidarcies.
370 The examination of rocks in thin section.
Pertaining to the macroscopic features of rocks, such as their occurrence,
origin and history, structure (usually by examining outcrops in the field), and
371 their texture and composition (by studying smaller samples more closely).

reservoir or portion of a reservoir that contains economically producible

372 hydrocarbons.
The angle between a linear feature and a horizontal line in a vertical plane
373 containing both lines.
The change in pore pressure per unit of depth, typically in units of psi/ft or
374 kPa/m. Pressure increases predictably with depth in areas of normal pressure.

Pertaining to rocks that incorporate pores or void spaces, which can contain air,
375 water, hydrocarbons or other fluids.
The change in pressure per unit of depth, typically in units of psi/ft or kPa/m.
376 Pressure increases predictably with depth in areas of normal pressure.

377 The expulsion of newly generated hydrocarbons from a source rock.

The accumulation of sequences by deposition in which beds are deposited
378 successively basinward because sediment supply exceeds accommodation.

The approximate age determination of rocks, fossils or minerals made by

379 comparing whether the material is younger or older than other surrounding
material.

The accumulation of sequences by deposition in which beds are deposited

380 successively landward because sediment supply is limited and cannot fill the
available accommodation.

Region in which the Earth's crust is pulling apart and creating normal faults
381 and down-dropped areas or subsidence.
The dimensionless ratio of the density of a material to that of the same volume
382 of water. Most common minerals have specific gravities between 2 and 7.

rocks are formed at the Earth's surface through deposition of sediments

383 derived from weathered rocks, biogenic activity or precipitation from solution

the amount of deformation by shearing, in which parallel lines slide past each
384 other in differing amounts.
the area at the edges of a continent from the shoreline to a depth of 200 m
385 [660 ft], where the continental slope begins. Or continental shelf

Silica-based, noncarbonaceous sediments that are broken from preexisting

386 rocks, transported elsewhere, and redeposited before forming another rock.

the dimensionless ratio of the density of a material to that of the same volume
387 of water.
 The force applied to a body that can result in deformation, or strain, usually
388 described in terms of magnitude per unit of area, or intensity.
The azimuth of the intersection of a plane, such as a dipping bed, with a
389 horizontal surface.
Subdivisions of sequences that consist of discrete depositional units that
390 differ in geometry from other systems tracts and have distinct boundaries on
seismic data.

391 Plate tectonic activity.

Pertaining to sediments or depositional environments on land or above the
392 level of high tide
The concentration of organic material in source rocks as represented by the
393 weight percent of organic carbon.
The azimuth or orientation of a linear feature, such as the axis of a fold,
394 normally expressed as a compass bearing.
Sedimentary deposits formed by turbidity currents in deep water at the base
395 of the continental slope and on the abyssal plain.
396 Pore pressure less than normal or hydrostatic pressure.
The geological principle formulated by James Hutton in 1795 and publicized by
Charles Lyell in 1830 that geological processes occurring today have occurred
397 similarly in the past, often articulated as, "The present is the key to the past."

Pertaining to one or more volcanoes, surface features of the Earth that allow
398 magma, ash and gas to erupt. The vent can be a fissure or a conical structure.

399 Pore space consisting of cavities or vugs.

The elastic limit, or the point at which a material can no longer deform
400 elastically.
TERM

abyss

aggradation//agradational

allochtonus

allogenic

alluvial

anaerobic//anoxic

anisotropy// aelotropy

azimuth

azimuthal

bathyal

bedrock
 benthic

biostratigrapy

calcite (CaC03)

cement

Clastic intrusion

clastic sediment

concentric fold // parallel fold

consolidated

contact

continental shelf

convection

crest

Cubic packing

depocenter

deposit

deposit

depositional enviroment
 detrital/detritus

dip

disharmonic

dolomitization

effective permeability

effective porosity

elastic deformation

eolian

exploration

fabric

fluid contact

formation

fossil

fracture permeability

free gas

generation

geopressure gradient
glacial

grain density

hade
 harmonic

hydraulic head

hydrostatic head

igneous

incompetent

injectite

lease

lithology

lithosphere

mantle

marine

matrix

metamorphic

metane

mohorovivic discontinuity

offset

overburden

overpressure

parallel fold // concentric fold

parasequence

permeability
 petrography

petrologic

play

plunge

pore pressure gradiente

Porous

pressure gradient

primary migration

progradation

relative age

retrogradation

rift

s.g. (specific gravity)

sedimentary

shear strain

shelf

siliclastic sediment

specific gravity
 stress

strike

system tract

tectonism

terrestrial

TOC

trend

turbidite

underpressure

uniformitarism

volcanic

vugular porosity

yield point
NUMBER DEFINITION
401 the measurement of age in years.
402 The measurement of the permeability, or ability to flow or transmit fluids through a
rock, conducted when a single fluid, or phase, is present in the rock.

403 the measurement of pressure relative to the pressure in a vacuum, equal to the
sum of the pressure shown on a pressure gauge and atmospheric pressure.

404 This term is related to the depositional environment of the deepest area of the
ocean basins, the abyss. The depositional energy is low, the abyssal plain is flat and
nearly horizontal, and fine-grained sediments are deposited slowly by waning
turbidity currents or from suspension in the water. The water is thousands of
meters deep (> 2000 m) [6520 ft], so the water is cold and sunlight is minimal.

405 The phase in the development of a petroleum system during which hydrocarbons
migrate into and remain trapped in a reservoir.
406 the surface or near-surface, unconsolidated sedimentary layer that has been
subject to weathering and whose pores are air-filled instead of liquid-filled. An
aerated layer typically has a low seismic velocity.

407 the material deposited in an alluvial environment, typically detrital sediments that
are poorly sorted.
408 This mineral if formed by precipitation of calcium sulfate from evaporation of
seawater.
409 The maximum inclination of a bedding plane, fault plane or other geological
surface measured from a vertical cross section that is not perpendicular to the
strike of the feature. Apparent dip corrected for well drift, or geometry, is referred
to as true dip.

410 The phase of petroleum operations that immediately follows successful

exploratory drilling. During appraisal, delineation wells might be drilled to
determine the size of the oil or gas field and how to develop it most efficiently.

411 The relatively plastic layer of the upper mantle of the Earth on which the tectonic
plates of the lithosphere move. The asthenosphere is approximately 200 km [124
miles] thick and, owing to its depth below the Earth's surface, warm (~ 1400 oC)
[2640 oF] but not molten. Here the mantle deforms by plastic flow in response to
applied pressures above 100 MPa [14,500 psi]. This zone is considered coincidental,
at least below oceanic crust, with the low-velocity zone of the upper mantle.

412 The orientation of a planar or linear feature in three-dimensional space. Planar

features that are not horizontal, such as tilted strata, are described by their strike,
or the azimuth of the intersection of the plane with a horizontal surface, and the
dip, or the magnitude of its inclination from a horizontal reference. The trend and
plunge of linear features, such as the axis of a fold, describe the azimuth of the line
and its deviation from horizontal.
413 The rock layer below which economic hydrocarbon reservoirs are not expected to
be found, sometimes called economic basement. Basement is usually older,
deformed igneous or metamorphic rocks, which seldom develops the porosity and
permeability necessary to serve as a hydrocarbon reservoir, and below which
sedimentary rocks are not common. Basement rocks typically have different
density, acoustic velocity, and magnetic properties from overlying rocks.

414 The thickness of a layer or stratum of sedimentary rock measured perpendicular to

its lateral extent, presuming deposition on a horizontal surface. Because sediment
deposition can occur on inclined surfaces, apparent or measured bed thickness
might differ from true bed thickness. The thickness of a given bed often varies
along its extent.

415 The physical and chemical alteration of sediments and pore fluids at temperatures

and pressures higher than those of diagenesis. Involves heating in the range of 50°
to 150°C [122° to 302°F]. At these temperatures, chemical bonds break down in
kerogen and clays within shale, generating liquid hydrocarbons. At the high end of
this temperature range, secondary cracking of oil molecules can generate gas
molecules.

416 The process of precipitation of cement between mineral or rock grains and forming
solid clastic sedimentary rock, one phase of lithification.
417 The study of the ages of strata. The comparison, or correlation, of separated strata
can include study of their relative or absolute ages.
418 The value of the separation between two adjacent contours.
419 The vertical distance from the apex of a structure to the lowest structural
contour that contains the structure
420 The physical process by which sediments are consolidated, resulting in the
reduction of pore space as grains are packed closer together.
421 The nature of the contact between strata deposited in continuous succession.

422 The value of the separation between two adjacent contours.

423 The movement of tectonic plates toward each other, generating compressional
forces and ultimately resulting in collision, and in some cases subduction, of
tectonic plates.

424 The time of maximum depth of burial of a hydrocarbon source rock. Is the time of
highest probability of entrapment and preservation of hydrocarbons in a
petroleum system-after traps form and hydrocarbons migrate into a reservoir and
accumulate-and marks the beginning of preservation in a viable petroleum system.

425 The thin, outermost shell of the Earth that is typically 5 km to 75 km thick [3 to 46
miles].
426 The relative kinetic energy of the environment.
427 The three-dimensional array of sediments or lithofacies that fills a basin.
428 The phase of petroleum operations that occurs after exploration has proven
successful, and before full-scale production. The newly discovered oil or gas field is
assessed during an appraisal phase, a plan to fully and efficiently exploit it is
created, and additional wells are usually drilled.

429 The physical, chemical or biological alteration of sediments into sedimentary rock
at relatively low temperatures and pressures that can result in changes to the rock's
original mineralogy and texture.

430 The offset of segments or points that were once continuous or adjacent.
431 The termination of more steeply dipping overlying strata against a surface or
underlying strata that have lower apparent dips;
432 The sudden release of accumulated stress in the Earth by movement or shaking.

433 The yield point, or the point at which a material can no longer deform elastically.

434 The process of denudation of rocks, including physical, chemical and biological
breakdown and transportation.
435 The overall characteristics of a rock unit that reflect its origin and differentiate the
unit from others around it.
436 The trend along which a particular geological feature is likely, such as a sand
fairway or a hydrocarbon fairway. Prediction of conceptual fairways helps
explorationists develop prospects. Along a sand fairway, for example, sand was
transported and, presumably, was deposited, allowing an interpretation of the
presence of reservoir rock in the fairway.

437 The pressure of fluids within the pores of a reservoir, usually hydrostatic pressure,
or the pressure exerted by a column of water from the formation's depth to sea
level.

438 The pressure required to induce fractures in rock at a given depth.

439 The quality of a source rock that makes it more likely to generate gas than oil.

440 The study of the chemistry of the Earth and within solid bodies of the solar
system, including the distribution, circulation and abundance of elements (and
their ions and isotopes), molecules, minerals, rocks and fluids.

441 The study of the relative or absolute age of rocks, minerals and fossils.
442 The study of the Earth-its history, structure, composition, life forms and the
processes that continue to change it.
443 The periodic switching of the magnetic north and south poles of the Earth
throughout time, probably as a result of movement of fluid within the Earth's core.

444 The pressure within the Earth, or formation pressure.

445 The pressure of the weight of overburden, or overlying rock, on a formation; also
called lithostatic pressure.
446 The rate of increase in temperature per unit depth in the Earth.
447 The quality of variation in rock properties with location in a reservoir or
formation.
448 The quality of uniformity of a material. If irregularities are distributed evenly in a
mixture of material, the material is homogeneous. (Compare with heterogeneity.)

449 The normal, predicted pressure for a given depth, or the pressure exerted per unit
area by a column of freshwater from sea level to a given depth.
450 The reversal of features, particularly structural features such as faults, by
reactivation.
451 The state of gravitational equilibrium between the lithosphere and the
asthenosphere of the Earth such that lithospheric plates "float" at a given elevation
depending on their thickness.

452 The naturally occurring, solid, insoluble organic matter that occurs in source rocks
and can yield oil upon heating.
453 The process by which unconsolidated sediments become sedimentary rock.

454 The surface that separates rock bodies of different lithologies, or rock types.

455 The pressure of the weight of overburden, or overlying rock, on a formation; also
called geostatic pressure.
456 The study and correlation of strata to elucidate Earth history on the basis of their
lithology, or the nature of the well log response, mineral content, grain size,
texture and color of rocks.

457 The molten rock in the Earth that can either rise to the surface as lava and form
extrusive igneous rock or cool within the Earth to form plutonic igneous rock.

458 The periodic switching of the magnetic north and south poles of the Earth
throughout time, probably as a result of movement of fluid within the Earth's core.

459 The state of a source rock with respect to its ability to generate oil or gas.
460 The process by which the characteristics of rocks are altered or the rock is
recrystallized.
461 The study of microfossils too small to be seen without the use of a microscope.

462 The mountainous, linear axis of ocean basins along which rifting occurs and new
oceanic crust forms as magma wells up and solidifies.
463 The movement of hydrocarbons from their source into reservoir rocks.
464 The variation of the Earth's exposure to the sun's rays, or insolation, that results
from variations in the orbit of the Earth and the tilt of its axis, and that might affect
climate, sea level and sedimentation.

465 The pore pressure of rocks that is considered normal in areas in which the change
in pressure per unit of depth is equivalent to hydrostatic pressure.
466 The quality of a source rock that makes it more likely to generate oil than gas.

467 The termination of shallowly dipping, younger strata against more steeply
dipping, older strata, or the termination of low-angle reflections in seismic data
against steeper reflections.
468 The study of fossilized, or preserved, remnants of plant and animal life.
469 The study of fossilized remnants of microscopic entities having organic walls, such
as pollen, spores and cysts from algae.
470 The margin of a continent and ocean that does not coincide with the boundary of
a lithospheric plate and along which collision is not occurring.
471 The study of macroscopic features of rocks, such as their occurrence, origin and
history, and structure (usually by examining outcrops in the field) and their texture
and composition (by studying smaller samples more closely).

472 The unifying geologic theory developed to explain observations that interactions of
the brittle plates of the lithosphere with each other and with the softer underlying
asthenosphere result in large-scale changes in the Earth.

473 The pressure of fluids within the pores of a reservoir, usually hydrostatic pressure,
or the pressure exerted by a column of water from the formation's depth to sea
level.

474 The percentage of pore volume or void space, or that volume within rock that can
contain fluids.
475 The phase of a petroleum system after hydrocarbons accumulate in a trap and are
subject to degradation, remigration, tectonism or other unfavorable or destructive
processes.

476 The porosity preserved from deposition through lithification.

477 The phase that occurs after successful exploration and development and during
which hydrocarbons are drained from an oil or gas field.
478 The migration of shoreline into a basin during progradation due to a fall in relative
sea level.
479 The pressure of fluids within the pores of a reservoir, usually hydrostatic pressure,
or the pressure exerted by a column of water from the formation's depth to sea
level

480 The most compact arrangement in space of uniform spheres (atoms and molecules
in mineral crystals, or grains in sedimentary rocks) that results in a structure having
no more than 26% porosity

481 The relative amount of water, oil and gas in the pores of a rock, usually as a
percentage of volume
482 The movement of generated hydrocarbons into a reservoir after their expulsion, or
primary migration, from a source rock.
483 The porosity created through alteration of rock, commonly by processes such as
dolomitization, dissolution and fracturing.
484 The process of creation, transportation and deposition of sediments.
485 The unconsolidated grains of minerals, organic matter or preexisting rocks, that can
be transported by water, ice or wind, and deposited.
486 The phenomenon in multiphase flow when one phase flows faster than another
phase, in other words slips past it
487 The range of sedimentary grain sizes that occurs in sediment or sedimentary rock.
488 The structurally lowest point in a hydrocarbon trap that can retain hydrocarbons.

489 The permanent deformation evident in rocks and other solid bodies that have
experienced a sufficiently high applied stress.
490 The study of the history, composition, relative ages and distribution of strata, and
the interpretation of strata to elucidate Earth history
491 The relative sinking of the Earth's surface
492 The stratigraphic principle that, in the case of undeformed, flat-lying strata,
younger layers are deposited atop older ones, such that the top layer is youngest
and underlying layers increase in age with depth.

493 The migration of shoreline out of a basin and onto land during retrogradation

494 The simultaneous occurrence of strike-slip faulting and compression, or

convergence, of the Earth's crust.
495 The simultaneous occurrence of strike-slip faulting and extension, rifting, or
divergence of the Earth's crust.
496 The maximum angle that a bedding plane, fault plane or other geological surface
declines away from a horizontal plane measured in a vertical plane that is
perpendicular to the strike of the structure

497 The thickness of a bed or rock body after correcting for the dip of the bed or body
and the deviation of the well that penetrates it.
498 The thickness of a bed or rock body measured vertically at a point.
499 The original, undisturbed pressure of a reservoir prior to fluid production.
500 The physical, chemical and biological processes that decompose rock at and below
the surface of the Earth through low pressures and temperatures and the presence
of air and water.
 TERM
absolute age

absolute permeability

absolute pressure

abyssal

accumulation

aerated layer

alluvium

anhydrite

apparent dip

appraisal

asthenosphere

attitude
 basement

bed thickness

catagenesis

cementation

chronostratigraphy

CI [countor interval]

closure

compaction

conformable

contour interval

convergence /convergent

critical moment

crust

depositional energy
depositional system
 development

diagenesis

displacement

down lap

earthquake

elastic limit

erosion

facies

fairway

formation pressure

fracture gradient

gas prone

geochemistry

geochronology

geology

geomagnetic polarity reversal

geopressure

geostatic pressure

geothermal gradient

heterogeneity
 homogeneity

hydrostatic pressure

inversion

isostasy

kerogen

lithification

lithologic contact

lithostatic pressure

lithostratigraphy

magma

magnetic reversal sequence

maturity

metamorphism

micropaleontology

midoceanic ridge

migration

Milankovitch cycles

normal pressure

oil prone

onlap
 paleontology

palynology

passive margin

petrology

plate tectonics

pore pressure

porosity

preservation

primary porosity

production

regression

reservoir pressure

rhombohedral packing

saturation

secondary migration

secondary porosity

sedimentation

sediments

slip

sorting
 spill point

strain

stratigraphy

subsidence

superposition

transgression

transpression

transtension

true dip

true stratigraphic thickness

true vertical thickness

virgin pressure

weathering
NUMBER DEFINITION
This term is related to the environment of deposition of sediments by
wind, such as the sand dunes in a desert. Because fine-grained sediments
such as clays are removed easily from wind-blown deposits, eolian
501 sandstones are typically clean and well-sorted.

Water containing more dissolved inorganic salt than typical seawater.

502
Water containing more dissolved inorganic salt than typical seawater.
503

504 Water trapped in the pores of a rock during formation of the rock.
This test is one in which the pore fluid in the sample is able to flow and
505 equilibrate to imposed pore pressure conditions
to cause or undergo erosion, the process of denudation of rocks,
506 including physical, chemical and biological breakdown and
transportation.

507 Water that occurs naturally within the pores of rock.

Water that is mobile, available to flow, and not bound to surfaces of
508 grains or minerals in rock.
509 Water in the subsurface below the water table.
510 Water that occurs naturally within the pores of rock.
511 To taper to a zero edge.
512 To inspect an area or to monitor activity.
Wave-like or tooth-like, serrated, interlocking surfaces most commonly
seen in carbonate and quartz-rich rocks that contain concentrated
513 insoluble residue such as clay minerals and iron oxides.

type of hydrocarbon trap whose closure is controlled by the presence of

514 an unconformity.
This test is one in which the fluid in the sample is not able to flow and
equilibrate to imposed pore pressure conditions; the fluid mass remains
515 the same while the fluid volume and pressure will vary.

type of porosity resulting from the presence of vesicles, or gas bubbles, in

516 igneous rock.
 TERM

aeolian

brine

clear brine // brine

connate water

draine test

erode

formation water

free water

groundwater
insterstitial water
pinch out
scout

stylolite

uncomformity trap

undrained test

vesicular porosity