Course Program

1.-Levels of Petroleum Investigation

2.-Sedimentary Basins

3.-Petroleum Systems

4.-Definition of Petroleum System Elements

5.-Petroleum System Modeling

6.-Burial History Analysis

7.-Geochemistry of Source Rocks and Petroleum

8.-Thermal Model and Maturity of Source Rocks

9.-Generation and Expulsion of Hydrocarbons

10.-Migration, Accumulation and Preservation of Hydrocarbons

2.-SEDIMENTARY BASINS
 Levels of Petroleum Investigation

SEDIMENTARY BASIN

PETROLEUM SYSTEM Regional scale

PLAY

PROSPECT
Field scale

TRAP
 Sedimentary Basins
Sedimentary Basin: An element of the Earth´s surface where sediments have
accumulated to a significant thickness.
• Lateral dimensions are measured generally in the order of hundreds of kilometers
• Thickness is measured in the order of kilometers
 Basin Processes

Geological Thermal
•Basin Formation and infill •Geothermal Gradient
•Porosity •Heat Flow
•Permeability

Geochemical Fluid Flow

•Source Rock Maturity •Pressure
•Hydrocarbon Generation •Hydrocarbon Migration
•Diagenesis
Dinamics of the Earth & Plate Boundaries
 How Basins Form: Subsidence
Basins are developed by subsidence: lowering of a portion of the earth's crust.
•There are three main primary lithospheric mechanisms for subsidence and basin formation:
•Thinning of the crust by mechanical stretching or thermal doming:
•Salveson Model (1976,1979): Brittle failure in rigid crust and ductile thinning in the subcrustal lithosphere. Red Sea
•McKenzie Model (1978): Brittle failure in the crust and in the subcrustal lithosphere. North Sea.
•Wernicke Model (1981, 1985): Thinning by simple shear with a low angle fault extending from surface through the
lithosphere. North America
•Loading: Flexure caused by large scale loading of Mountain Belts and Volcanic Arcs.
•Thermal Cooling: Subsidence related to cooling of the oceanic crust
•Subsidence types are usually grouped into three terms:
•Tectonic Subsidence groups the changes of the crustal thickness and the flexural
subsidence, both caused by tectonic mechanisms.
•Thermal Subsidence is related to the cooling of the oceanic crust.
•Subsidence caused by sedimenatry load is a secondary mechanism caused by the load of
the sediments deposited in the basin.
 How Basins Form: Subsidence

•The total subsidence in a basin is a combination of subsidence due to tectonic/thermal

causes and the subsidence due to sediment loading.
 Classification of Sedimentary Basins
Many classifications have been proposed, but the variability of nature is such that if the
process is taken too far, then each basin would fall into a category of its own.

•Based on the three primary lithospheric mechanisms for subsidence:

•Basins due to lithospheric stretching: Rifting basins
•Basins generated by flexure on continental lithosphere (Large Scale Loading)
•Basins generated by flexure on oceanic lithosphere (Thermal Subsidence)
•A useful clasification here adopted is based on their location in plate tectonic environments:
•Basins associated with cratonic environments
•Basins associated with divergent plate boundaries
•Basins associated with convergent plate boundaries
•Basins associated with continental collision
•Basins associated with transform plate boundaries
 Clasification of sedimentary basins

CONVERGENT CRATONIC DIVERGENT TRANSFORM

PLATE BOUNDARY STABLE PLATE PLATE
& COLLISION AREAS BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY

FORE-ARC BACK-ARC CRATONIC CONTINENTAL RIFT PASSIVE MARGIN PASSIVE MARGIN TRANSFORM FAULT
BASIN BASIN & FORELAND BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN

CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST

sediments: marine THERMAL UPLIFT

sediments and OF MANTTLE
Sediments:
volcanic sediments Sediments: Sediments: continental
(inmature Continental Lacustrian sediments and
sedimentes) sediments and sedimentes, fluvial volcanic sediments
Subsidence: volcanic sediments sedimentsaluvial Subsidence:
Tectonic (faults) (mature sediments) fund and tectonic subsidence
and loading Subsidence: continental (normal fault
Loading sediments. related)
Subsidence: Tectonic regime:
 Cratonic Basins
•Basins that create in the inner parts of the continental plates, entirely in the continental
stable crust (Intracratonic) or partially in oceanic crust (Pericratonic).
•Related to thermal upwelling, doming & rifting, followed by saging by cooling and
crustal collapse
•Related to mantle cooling and sagging by downwelling of the crust
•Shapes are typically circular with regular distribution of isopachs (Sag Basins)
•Basins are usually subject to moderate tectonic and sag subsidence depending on their
position they can be later involved or not in rifting-drifting, collision, or partial inversion.
•Infilling depositional environments are typically continental to transitional marine
 Example: Cuenca del Golfo de San Jorge

Manantiales
Behr
Sarmiento Restinga Ali

Escalante
El Trébol C:Central
CGSJ III C.Perdido
Rio Mayo CGSJM 1

Los Bca. Centro de

Monos Yankowsky Cuenca
Los Perales
C.Piedra Las Mesetas
C.Guadal Norte
C.Guadal C.Escondida
Cdón L.del Cuy Las Heras
Yatel CGSJM 2
Cdón
AR GENT INA

C.León
Vasco M.Espinosa

P.Truncado
El Cordón
 CGSJ: Source Rock Distribution

69° 68° 67°

500 500 A: Facies piroclásticas
proximales.
C 45°
500 500
B: Facies piroclásticas
distales
A
C: Facies clásticas
D
gruesas proximales

D: Facies clásticas
distales y litorales
B F 46°

E E: Facies pelíticas y
1500
calcáreas someras

F: Facies pelíticas
profundas
OCEANO
ATLANTICO

47
°
DISTRIBUCION DE FACIES DE LA FORMACION POZO D-129

Merta,1974 and Figari et al.1999.

CGSJ: Regional Seismic Section
Cuenca del Golfo de San Jorge: Stratigraphy
 Rifts and Divergent Margins

CONVERGENT CRATONIC DIVERGENT TRANSFORM

PLATE BOUNDARY STABLE PLATE PLATE
& COLLISION AREAS BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY

FORE-ARC BACK-ARC CRATONIC CONTINENTAL RIFT PASSIVE MARGIN PASSIVE MARGIN TRANSFORM FAULT
BASIN BASIN & FORELAND BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN

CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST

THERMAL UPLIFT
OF MANTTLE
 Continental Rift and Divergent Margins
Basins associated with rifting and drifting, the continental extension, the formation of
oceanic crust and the creation of Atlantic-type (passive-divergent) continental margins.
•Rift basins
•Passive margins
•In a simplified view the main processes involved in rifting are:
•Thinning and fracturing of the continental lithosphere caused by thermal upwelling
of the manttle or simple shear
•Rifting typified by active tectonics (Tectonic Subsidence) and the formation of horst
and graben structures with the record of continental deposits and volcanics.
•Sag Phase and Onset of drifting initiation the separation of continental lithosphere
by the accretion of oceanic crust along the mid-ocean ridge. First marine deposits.
Transition from tectonic to thermal subsidence
•Main drifting phase dominated by thermal subsidence and the formation of passive
margins with transitional to deep marine depositional systems
 Rifting Phases

Thinning by Thermal Uplift

volcanic sediments
continental
sediments
Rifting: Active block faulting
marine sediments
(first marine
invasion)

Sag, Onset of drifting & Marine Invasion

costal marine
sediments and
continental
sediments (delta)

Drifting: Accretion of Oceanic Crust

volcanic sediments and

Formation of Passive Margins

Rifting: East Africa Rift Zone
Rifting: North Sea
Rifting: North Sea
Onset of Drifting Paleogeography in South Atlantic

Rio Grande-Walvis

after Macdonald et. al., 2003

Drifting and Passive Margins: Atlantic Margins
Passive2DMargins: Santos
Regional Depth Line – & Kwanza Basins
Santos Basin

SE Salt Diapir Spike Feature

SE Fault
Punta del Este Basin

López-Gamundí, et al., 2010

 Basins in Convergent Plate Boundaries

CONVERGENT CRATONIC DIVERGENT TRANSFORM

PLATE BOUNDARY STABLE PLATE PLATE
& COLLISION AREAS BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY

FORE-ARC BACK-ARC CRATONIC CONTINENTAL RIFT PASSIVE MARGIN PASSIVE MARGIN TRANSFORM FAULT
BASIN BASIN & FORELAND BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN

CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST

THERMAL UPLIFT
OF MANTTLE
 Basins in Convergent Plate Boundaries
•Basins associated with belts of plate convergence, where the oceanic crust underthrust a
continental margin (subduction).
•The basins recognised are usually classified by their position with respect to the main
geologic elements of the active margin:
•Oceanic plate
•Subduction prism formed by imbricate slides with material stripped from the down-
going oceanic plate
•Volcanic arc developed on oceanic (E Asia) or continental crust (S America)
•Continental plate
•The main basins recognised are:
•Fore-Arc Basins lie between the volcanic arc and the subduction prism
•Back-Arc Basins lie behind the volcanic arc
Basins in Convergent Plate Boundaries

Volcanic Arc
Acretionary Prism

Back-Arc Basin Fore-Arc Basin Trench Basin

OCEANIC CRUST

CONTINENTAL CRUST
Plate Tectonic Environments
 Fore-Arc Basins
•Narrow, linear basins that develop between the volcanic arc and the subduction prism
•Filled with clastic deposits derived from the subduction prism and the volcanic arc.
•Subsidence caused by loading and crustal extension.
•The sediments are frequently immature, rapidly deposited, and thick. Turbidites and
slumps deposits are common offshore and if the rate of sedimentation outstrips subsidence
then neritic to litoral or even terrestrial deposits can accumulate (eg. Talara Basin).
•Structural styles can be either gently compressive or tensional depending on the
expression of the underlying subduction zone.
 Back-Arc Basins
•Basins that develop behind the volcanic arc.
•Its development can be very varied depending on whether they locate in continental or
oceanic crust or whether or not they are associated with back-arc crustal spreading .
•East Asia Model
•Andean Model
•The geometry is typically asymmetrical, with a steep, often thrust-faulted outer margin
against the volcanic arc and a smooth inner margin affected by basement block faulting
•Subsidence caused by crustal extension and loading of the arc/orogen.
•The deposits include clastics derived from the volcanic arc and the craton behind. The
filling of the basin is commonly molassic derived largely from an orogen along the
volcanic belt.
•The deposits can be coarse and mainly continental, with possible marine incursions,
specially in the initial stages of the basin.
Asian Margin of the Pacific
Caribean margin
Tayrona Basin, Offshore Colombia
Plate Convergence to Continental Collision
Plate Convergence to Continental Collision
 Foreland Basins
•Basins that create in relation with continental collision, in front of the orogenic belt.
•Flexural subsidence is caused by loading of the orogen.
•They are typically wedge-shaped with increasing thickness towards the fold and thrust
belt.
•The basin can be, at least in part, involved in the later stages of the folding process.
Foreland Basins
 Persian Gulf

ZAGROS OROGENIC BELT

PERSIAN GULF FORELAND

Persian Gulf
Andean Evolution
Marañón Basin. Perú: Location
PUTUMAYO
BASIN COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

PE
BRA ZI L

RU
BOLIVIA

INA
EN T
A RG
ORIENTE
BASIN SOUTH AMERICA

PR

IQ
O

U
D
UC

IT
TI

O
V

S
E

A
R
C
H
M A R A Ñ O N

TR E
SANTIAGO

N
BASIN

D
B A S I N

HUALLAGA
C O N T A Y A
BASIN
H I G H

0 200 Km

OIL & GAS FIELDS

 Marañón Basin. Perú: Regional Seismic-Section

Mobile foreland Rigid foreland

Thrust belt Back – arc and foreland Paleozoic Paleozoic –

foothills basins depocenter extensional Precambrian
hinge basement
 Bolivia

M ADRE
CHACO
D E D IO S

B EN I

La Paz

Cochabamba
SUBANDEAN
Santa Cruz

E A S T ER N CEN TRA L
C O R D IL L E R A SU B- CHAC O
A N D EA N
Sucre

Pot osi

SO U TH
ANDEAN
SU B-
T arij a
A N D EA N PA R A GU A Y

STU D Y A R EA
A R G E N T IN A
S CA L E

W ST UD Y AR EA
C H IL E B OL IVIA E
}

CORDILLERA CORDILLERA
OCCIDENTAL ORIENTAL
ALTIPLANO A NDEAN S UB B RA Z I L I A N
SHI E L D
12 KM ANDEA N CHACO P L AI N
CHI L E
T RE NCH

P A C I FIC O C E A N

NAZCA PLATE CRYS T A L L I NE BASE ME NT

By : W P , 11/ 01
Mo d i f i ed af t er : T an kard A. J. at al l
0 100 200 k m AAP G M em. 62, p 158, 1995
 Subandean Basin, Bolivia
WEST EAST
Sierras Subandinas Llanura Chaqueña

1000

2000
Mseg.

3000

4000

Tc

Cb

1000

Dv

2000
Si

3000

4000 10 Km
 Subandean Basin, Bolivia
CHARAGUA
Note:
-Cross section from
Limachi R. &
Bonillo P., 2002
-Timing of the structure
from Echavarria L., at al, CAMIRI
CHARAGUA 2003, AAPG bull.

CAMIRI
Quebrada_Huacaretita Quebrada_Boicobo Rio_Neirenda
SAN ANTONIOQuebrada_Tabayerupa
Nivel del Mar

SAN ANTONIO
- 9000 m

MARGARITA MARGARITA

CAMBARI
CAMBARI Perfil geologico regional de Agua Salada - Castellon

Castellon
Qda. Pantio
Qda_Pantio
Castellon
Castellon0
Qda. San Antonio

Qda_San_Antonio0
Huayco
Qda. Soledad
Senda_Soledad
Boyui
Qda. Iniguazu
San Antonio Aguaragüe Agua Salada
Qda_Iniguazu Qda. Ordonez
Qda.Ordonez Qda. Aguayrenda
Qda__Aguayrenda Qda. Caiza
ASL-X2 ASL-X1
Qda_Caiza ASL-X20
ASL-X10
Nivel del Mar

- 2000 m

- 4000 m

- 6000 m

- 8000m

- 10000 m

4.4 ma 2.7 ma
7.5 ma 6.9 ma
8.5 ma
 Bassins Associated with Transform Faulting

CONVERGENT CRATONIC DIVERGENT TRANSFORM

PLATE BOUNDARY STABLE PLATE PLATE
& COLLISION AREAS BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY

FORE-ARC BACK-ARC CRATONIC CONTINENTAL RIFT PASSIVE MARGIN PASSIVE MARGIN TRANSFORM FAULT
BASIN BASIN & FORELAND BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN BASIN

CONTINENTAL CRUST OCEANIC CRUST

THERMAL UPLIFT
OF MANTTLE
 Bassins Associated with Strike Slip
•Pull-Apart basins that create in relation with transtension across major strike-slip faults.
•Basins has rapid subsidence and usually subject to sinsedimentary uplift, folding and
thrusting.
•The geometry is narrow, discontinuous and tectonically complex .
•Its development can be very varied in size, location and sedimentary record. But
frequently record coarse sediments.
Bassins Associated with Strike Slip
Ridge Basin, California