Topics

Oil Migration
• Primary Migration
– expulsion of hydrocarbons from the source
rock
• Secondary Migration
– Long distance movement of petroleum

Reading Selley Ch. 5.4-5.5

Evolution of Organic Matter in source rocks Kerogen maturation and hydrocarbon

during burial generation
Methane

Org. Matter

Kerogen

Bitumen

Oil + Gas +Residue Seewald, 2003

How does Oil get out of the Source Pore sizes in Shale
rock?
Shale Diameter, nm Porosity
• Source rocks are black shales with high Bakken, ND 5 4.3
total organic content (TOC) Cherokee, OK 7 5.2
Monterrey, CA 10 8.5
• Source rocks have very low permeability Tertiary, Gulf Coast 20 15
1x10-9 to 1x10-7 Darcy Molecule Diameter, nm
Water 0.3
Methane 0.5
N-alkanes 0.5
Complex rings 1-3
Asphaltene 5-10

1
 1. Proposed Expulsion 2. Proposed Expulsion
Mechanisms Mechanisms
Expulsion during compaction? Dissolution in water? (Insufficient)
(wrong timing) Gas and condensate

Solubility in Water
North Slope Wells
Oil
Rowan et al. 2003)
Window
Oil Window

Wood and Hewett,

1984

3. Proposed Expulsion
Proposed Expulsion Mechanisms
Mechanisms 4) Dissolution in Gas Phase ?
3) Natural Detergents (micelles) ?
(Works for light oil, but not for heavy oil)
(also insufficient)

Hydrostatic
Gradient Condensate-Gas
Ratio (CGR) for oil-
saturated gas.
Spindletop crude
and methane.

England, 1991

Proposed Expulsion Mechanisms

5) Oil Phase Migration (this is the good one)
- Kerogen is 5-10% of source rocks and is load-
bearing
- Maturation transforms kerogen to a hydrocarbon
fluid.
- The fluid is also load-bearing, therefore
overpressured
- Overpressure fractures the rock
- Hydrocarbons escape through microcracks
- Cracks close up until a new episode of
generation takes place

2
 Thermal maturation is driven by Saturation Threshold
burial history
Well
Oil Generated

A minimum hydrocarbon
Reservoir saturation has to be reached
before expulsion can happen

14-30% saturation? Gas Generated

Source rock

Source rock in the oil window

Type I algal kerogen in the source rock 60 my ago
Time in million of years

Unconventional Secondary Migration

Reservoirs
Bakken requires only very short • Driving Force
distance migration
• Resisting Forces
• Phase Behavior
• Rates of migration
• Efficiency
• Long distance migration

Secondary Migration Capillary Rise

• Movement from source to trap
• Along carrier bed Pnw
r
• As separate hydrocarbon phase Pnw

(mostly) Pnw Pw
h Free
Pw Water
h Level
Pw h
Pnw=Pw

Pw* Pw* Pw*

Water

Pw-Pnw = (rw-rnw) h g

Inversely proportional to tube diameter (pore size) 18

3
 Hydrodynamics of Oil Movement
Capillary Forces
Resists migration
because oil has
to displace the
Zo= height of
pore water hydrocarbon
column
Pore Water is the
wetting Fluid

Resisting force- capillary P Driving Force- oil buoyancy

20
(after Berg, 1975)

Hydrodynamics of Oil Movement Displacement

Pressure
As the pores fill up,
it gets harder to
move the oil

Minimum
pressure
needed to push
Pb = buoyancy pressure h = height of hydrocabon column
mercury into the
21
Pc= capilary pressure rock
(after Berg, 1975)

Size of pore throats controls Displacement Pressure vs. Pore

perm Size

4
 Filling of the Reservoir
Fluid Contacts in a Trap

Map View of Anticlinal Trap Hydrodynamics of Oil Movement

Map View Gas flushing oil

Gas leaking
Cross Pd= where oil
Section displacement can’t
View pressure

28
(Modified from Schowalter, 1979)

Migration Pathways
Map of Migration Pathways (up dip: perpendicular to contours)

Oil migrates
perpendicular to
contours (up
gradient)

10 km 5 Km

5
 Evidence for long distance North Sea HC System
migration Draupne Shale
organic rich
serves as a source rock

Venezuela
Heather Shale
Sognefjord Shale
both organic poor

Oil
Spill
Facies
Western Point Change
Canada Fault
Leak
Point

HC Generation & Expulsion

Brent Sandstone
acts as a reservoir
Courtesy of ExxonMobil
oil & gas from the Draupne, gas from coals in the Brent
HC Migration
into Brent carrier beds and up faults
HC Fill & Spill
32
late gas displaces early oil

Take home idea

• Hydrocarbon maturation creates fracture
porosity that allows they oil and gas to
escape the impermeable source rock
• Buoyancy drives oil upwards
• Capillary pressure resists
• Seal effectivenes depends on magnitude
of driving pressure (from buoyancy)
• Migration is rapid
• Long distance migration is possible