National Geographic, June 2004

The Where and Why of Petroleum

The origin of oil?

The rate of generation of oil?

The global distribution of oil?

The likelihood of further oil discovery?

 Geological requirements for the origin and accumulation of oil

• Sedimentary “basin” with nutrient input and production of organic matter

• Sedimentation and burial of organic matter with incomplete decomposition

• Heating with burial (but not too hot!) within thermal window
• Sufficient time to crack organic matter (kerogen) into oil hydrocarbons

• Presence of oil “trap”

• Migration of oil from source rock into trap
N

GulfBase.org
N S

Herb Buxton
 sediment,
nutrients,
organic carbon

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

organic-rich
sediment layer

100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
 sediment,
nutrients,
organic carbon

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

subsidence
and burial
100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
 sediment,
nutrients,
organic carbon

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

subsidence
and burial
100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
 sediment,
nutrients,
organic carbon

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

subsidence
and burial
100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
 sediment,
nutrients,
organic carbon

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

subsidence
and burial
100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
 sediment, subsidence rate ~ 0.0002 m/yr (0.2 mm/yr)
nutrients, window top ~ 2.5 km (8,000 ft); 13 million yr
organic carbon bottom ~ 3.5 – 6.5 km (11,500 – 21,000 ft); 18 – 33 million yr

Gulf of Mexico

primary production (phytoplankton)

sedimentation

subsidence
and burial
100 °C

150 °C

heat flow
National Geographic, June 2004
The following slides can be viewed at:

http://www.earthscienceworld.org/imagebank/search/index.html

under the category “Petroleum.”

Source Rock for Petroleum

Kerogen Types
The Origin of Petroleum
Hydrocarbon Trap Types
Petroleum System Processes
Largest Hydrocarbon Basins
Drilling Rig
Directional Drilling
Images of ocean drilling platforms
Petroleum Products
 NA Asia
Africa
SA

Triassic

NA Asia

Africa
SA

Jurassic

NA Asia
Africa
Cretaceous
SA

NA Asia
Tertiary
Africa

SA

Image: Dave Donkin

 NA Asia
Africa
Triassic
SA

Northern
Asia
NA
Asia
Texas/Gulf Africa Jurassic
of Mexico
SA

Arabian
Peninsula

NA Asia
Cretaceous
Africa
SA
 Mediterranean Sea

Gulf of

a
ab
Aq
S

of
uez

lf
Gu
ARABIAN
PLATE

AFRICAN
PLATE Red Sea
 Beirut Damascus
Cyprus Lebanon Syria
Jordan R.
Mediterranean Sea
Tel Aviv Jerusalem
Dead Sea
Israel
Jordan

Cairo Wadi al-Jayb

Nile R. Sinai Peninsula

Gulf of

a
ab
Aq
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
S

of
uez

lf
Gu
ARABIAN
PLATE

AFRICAN
PLATE Red Sea
 Energy Density of Selected Fuels

SIMPLE COMPOUNDS MJ/kg FOODS MJ/kg

carbon (to CO2) 32.8 carbohydrates 17.2
carbon (to CO) 22.7 fats 38.9
ethanol 29.7 proteins 17.2
hydrogen 142
methane 55.5 BIOMASS FUELS MJ/kg
methanol 22.7 alfalfa straw 18.4
nitromethane 11.6 charcoal 29.0
octane 47.9 coconut husks 9.8
propane 50.3 coconut shells 17.9
sulfur 9.16 coffee husks 16.0
cotton hulls 19.4
FOSSIL FUELS MJ/kg cotton stalks 17.4
coal, anthracite 31.4 dung, air dry 12.0
coal, bituminous >23.9 groundnut shells 19.7
coal, sub-bituminous 17.4 – 23.8 maize cobs 18.9
coal, lignite <17.3 maize stalks 18.2
diesel 45.3 peat 14.6
gasoline, automotive 45.8 rice hulls 15.5
gasoline, aviation 43.1 rice straw 15.2
jet a 43.3 sugar cane bagasse 19.0
jet b 43.5 sorghum bagasse 18.9
kerosene 46.3 soybean stalks 19.4
oil, crude (petroleum) 41.9 wheat straw 18.9
oil, heating 42.5 wood, green 10.9
wood, air dry 15.5
wood, oven dry 20.0

Sources at: http://hypertextbook.com/physics/matter/energy-chemical/ (1 Megajoule = 239 Kilocalories)