Page 37 - Geology and Geochemistry of Oil and Gas

SYSTEMS APPROACH IN PETROLEUM GEOLOGY 15
this approach allows a deterministic analytical description of major features in the
evolution of a geologic system. On the other, it enables one to consider the stoc-
hastic-statistical nature of various geologic parameters (variables) causing changes in
the system. The analytical solution can be obtained by using the Monte Carlo tech-
nique. This synthetic approach allows one to solve numerous theoretical and prac-
tical problems in petroleum geology (Buryakovsky et al., 1982, 1983).
The proposed general classification (Table 1.1) identifies the following major fea-
tures of the geologic systems. These systems belong to the natural or natural-
engineering systems on a scale ranging from sublocal to global, and are complex to
supercomplex. In terms of their evolution in time, they are usually dynamic (in some
specific cases, they are static). Interaction with the environment is achieved through
the exchange of matter, energy, and information. Available information of the sys-
tem depends on the stage of the system’s exploration and may range from zero (when
the system has not yet been identified) to complete quantitative information. For the
description of a system, any modeling techniques can be used.
Theoretical studies in geology have the objective of cognition of real geologic
systems as well as development of the theories of geologic processes that result in the
studying of existing system and transformation of one system into another.

TABLE 1.4
System of scientific knowledge and scientific activity
Subsystem Type of knowledge Logical form Type of inference Logical estimate

Theory (T) Knowledge of laws of Sentence Deduction True/False. Definite set of
nature, function and parameters
evolution of objects
Fact (F) Knowledge of properties Sentence Induction True/False. Indefinite set of
of and interrelations parameters
among the objects
selected for experiment
Method Knowledge of Standard Implemented or
(M) procedures required for unimplemented
acquiring new
knowledge
Subject (S) Formulation of Question Intuition Feasible or unfeasible
purposes and objectives
of cognition
Result (R) Knowledge of properties Sentence True/False. Definite set of
of, interrelation among, parameters
and evolution of objects
expressed in subsystems
T, F, M, S at the new
cognition level