05 Geography

1 of 34
 Objective

• Gain an understanding of the history of

the topology of the world
• Understand the sedimentary processes
and locations of sediment build up
• Understand where to explore for oil and
gas

2 of 34
 Outcome
Upon successful completion of this
section you should be able to:
• Discuss the basic activities of plate
tectonics
• Explain how the raw materials were
transported to form oil and gas
• Predict where oil and gas accumulations
may be
3 of 34
 Geography
• Tectonics
• Transportation of sediments
• Sedimentary environments

4 of 34
 Plate tectonics
• Earth’s crust - floating plates

5 of 34
 Plate tectonics
• Earth’s crust - floating plates

6 of 34
 Plate tectonics
• Earth’s crust - floating plates

7 of 34
Evidence - glacial erosion
patterns

8 of 34
Evidence - glacial erosion
patterns

9 of 34
Plate tectonics

10 of 34
 Plate tectonics
• The importance of the plate tectonics for
oil and gas deposition is that when the
“supercontinent” broke up a small rift
valley was formed into which all the
sediments flowed
• These are now the major areas of
exploration interest eg. West coast of
Africa and Brazil

11 of 34
Super continent breakup

12 of 34
Super continent breakup

13 of 34
 Sedimentary environments
• Places where sediments accumulate
are called “basins” this is where
sedimentary rocks form:
– Terrestrial environments (non-marine)
– Marine environments
– Transitional environments (at the transition
between the marine and non-marine
environments)
14 of 34
 Terrestrial environments
• Rivers (fluvial environment)
• Alluvial fans
• Lakes (lacustrine environment)
• Swamps and deserts (aeolian
environment)
• Glacial environments

15 of 34
Rivers (fluvial environment)

16 of 34
Alluvial fan

17 of 34
 Lakes
(lacustrine environment)

18 of 34
 Swamps & deserts
(aeolian environment)

19 of 34
Glacial environments

20 of 34
 Marine environments
• Continental shelf
• Continental slope and rise (deep sea
fans)
• Abyssal plain
• Reefs

21 of 34
Continental shelf, slope, rise
and abyssal plain

22 of 34
Turbidity currents on the
abyssal plain

23 of 34
Reefs

24 of 34
 Transitional environments
• Beach and barrier islands
• Deltas
• Lagoons
• Estuaries

25 of 34
Beaches and barrier islands

26 of 34
Deltas

27 of 34
Lagoons

28 of 34
Estuaries

29 of 34
 Sea level change
• When
considering the
marine
environment it
is important to
realise that sea
level is not
constant.
30 of 34
 West coast effect
• When looking at a petroleum map of the
world it can be noticed that most
production areas are on the West of the
major continents
• This is thought to be due to the
upwelling of nutrients which drift
Eastwards due to the rotation of the
Earth
31 of 34
West coast effect

32 of 34
West coast effect

33 of 34
 Review

• Tectonics
• Transportation of sediments
• Sedimentary environments

34 of 34
Pop Quiz
Time!
35 of 34
 Pop Quiz Questions
Q 5.1 Name one of the five terrestrial
environments.
Q 5.2 Are most of the oil and gas
reservoirs on the west or east of continents?
Q 5.3 What is a sedimentary
environment?
Q 5.4 What is one of the major changes
to the earth which affects the deposition of
sediments?

36 of 34
 Pop Quiz Answers
Q 5.1 Name one of the five terrestrial
environments.
Terrestrial environments
• Rivers (fluvial environment)
• Alluvial fans
• Lakes (lacustrine environment)
• Swamps and deserts (aeolian
environment)
• Glacial environments
37 of 34
16 of 35
 Pop Quiz Answers
Q 5.2 Are most of the oil and gas
reservoirs on the west or east of
continents?
West coast effect
West coast effect
• When looking at a petroleum map of the
world it can be noticed that most
production areas are on the West of the
major continents
• This is thought to be due to the
upwelling of nutrients which drift
Eastwards due to the rotation of the
Earth 38 of 34
34 of 35
32 of 35
 Pop Quiz Answers
Q 5.3 What is a sedimentary
environment?
Sedimentary environments
• Places where sediments accumulate
are called “basins” this is where
sedimentary rocks form:
– Terrestrial environments (non-marine)
– Marine environments
– Transitional environments (at the transition
between the marine and non-marine
environments) 39 of 34
15 of 35
 Pop Quiz Answers
Q 5.4 What is one of the major changes
to the earth which affects the deposition
of sediments?
Plate Tectonics Sea level change
• Earth’s crust - floating plates • When
considering the
OR marine
environment it
is important to
realise that sea
level is not
constant.
40 of 34
7 of 35 31 of 35