Page 30 - The Petroleum System From Source to Trap

22 Magoon and Dow

stand the genesis and habitat of hydrocarbons. Investiga­ reviewed a later version; and Gerard Demaison, Miner Long,
tions of sedimentary basins describe the stratigraphic John T. Smith, and Peter van de Kamp who reviewed the latest
sequence and structural style of sedimentary rocks. version. Their reviews were positive and helpful, and many of
Petroleum system studies describe the genetic relation­ their suggestions are incorporated into this chapter. As helpful
ship between a pod of active source rock and an accumu­ as everyone has been, the authors take full responsibility for the
lation. Investigations of plays describe the present-day content of this work.
geologic similarity of a series of traps, and of prospects,
describe individual traps. Except for the petroleum
system, these terms are widely used by petroleum geolo­ References Cited
gists.
A petroleum system encompasses a pod of active
source rock and all generated oil and gas and includes all Bally, A. W., 1975, A geodynamic scenario for hydrocarbon
the elements that are essential for an oil and gas accumu­ occurrences: Tokyo, Proceedings, Ninth World Petroleum
lation to exist: petroleum source rock, reservoir rock, seal Congress, v. 2, p. 33--44.
rock, and overburden rock. All essential elements must Bally, A. W., and S. Snelson, 1980, Realms of subsidence, in A.
be placed in time and space such that the processes D. Miall, ed., Facts and principles of world petroleum
occurrence: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
required to form a petroleum accumulation can occur. Memoir 6, p. 9-75.
These processes include trap formation and genera­ Bird, K. ]., 1988, The geologic basis for appraising undiscov­
tion-migration-accumulation of hydrocarbons. The ered hydrocarbon resources in the National Petroleum
petroleum system has a stratigraphic limit, geographic Reserve of Alaska by the play-appraisal method, in G.
extent, and an age. Its name combines the names of the Gryc, ed., Geology of the National Petroleum Reserve in
source rock and the major reservoir rock with a symbol Alaska: USGS Professional Paper 1399, p. 81-116.
that expresses a level of certainty-known (!), hypothet­ Bishop, R. S., H. M. Gehman, Jr., and A. Young, 1983,
ical (.), and speculative (?). Along with its name, four Concepts for estimating hydrocarbon accumulation and
figures and a table best depict the geographic, strati­ dispersion: AAPG Bulletin, v. 67, p. 337-348.
graphic, and temporal evolution of the petroleum Bois, C., 1975, Petroleum-zone concept and the similarity
system: a burial history chart to establish the age and analysis contribution to resource appraisal, in ]. D. Haun,
critical moment for the system, a map and cross section ed., Methods of estimating the volume of undiscovered oil
drawn at the critical moment, an events chart to and gas resources: AAPG Studies in Geology 1, p. 87-89.
summarize the formation of the petroleum system, and a Bois, C., P. Bouche, and R. Pelet, 1982, Global geologic history
and distribution of hydrocarbon reserves: AAPG Bulletin,
table listing the accumulations in the system. v. 66, n. 9, p. 1248-1270.
A petroleum system investigation is different from the Callahan, J. E., G. W. Brougham, and R. J. Bascle, 1987,
other three levels of investigation in at least three ways. Economically recoverable oil resources, in K. ]. Bird and L.
First, every petroleum system investigation commences B. Magoon, eds., Petroleum geology of the northern part of
with hydrocarbons regardless of amount. Second, hydro­ the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, northeastern Alaska:
carbons of a particular composition are related back to a USGS Bulletin 1778, p. 299-307.
pod of active source rock Third, the pod of active source Claypool, G. E., C. N. Threlkeld, and L. B. Magoon, 1980,
rock and related hydrocarbons are mapped. In addition, Biogenic and thermogenic origins of natural gas in Cook
investigating each essential element of a petroleum Inlet basin, Alaska: AAPG Bulletin, v. 64, p. 1131-1139.
system individually prevents the investigator from Dernaison, G., 1984, The generative basin concept, in G.
overemphasizing basin, play, or prospect analysis before Demaison and R. ]. Murris, eds., Petroleum geochemistry
and basin evaluation: AAPG Memoir 35, p. 1-14.
the plumbing of the petroleum system has been Demaison, G. ]., A. J. J. Holck, R. W. Jones, and G. T. Moore,
unraveled. 1984, Predictive source bed stratigraphy; a guide to
This chapter describes the petroleum system; how it is regional petroleum occurrence: London, Proceedings, 11th
used is limited only by the readers imagination. Some of World Petroleum Congress, v. 11, n. 2, p. 17.
the ways to characterize and use the petroleum system Demaison, G., and B. ]. Huizinga, 1991, Genetic classification
are shown in the remainder of this volume. of petroleum systems: AAPG Bulletin, v. 75, n. 10, p.
1626-1643.
Demaison, G., and R. J. Murris, eds., 1984, Petroleum
geochemistry and basin evaluation: AAPG Memoir 35,
426 p.
Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge the Dolton, G. L., K. J. Bird, and R. A. Crovelli, 1987, Assessment
many people who have over the last five years contributed to of in-place oil and gas resources, in K. ]. Bird and L. B.
the evolution of the petroleum system. Numerous colleagues Magoon, eds., Petroleum geology of the northern part of
f r om ARCO, Chevron, Exxon, Shell, Elf Aquitaine, Total, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, northeastern Alaska:
U.S. Geologic Survey Bulletin 1778, p. 277-298.
Unocal, Mobil, and the U. S. Geologic Survey have openly Dow, W. G., 1972, Application of oil correlation and source
discussed and encouraged the publication of this chapter. We rock data to exploration in Williston basin Cabs.): AAPG
gratefully acknowledge Kenneth J. Bird, C. M. Molenaar, Bulletin, v. 56, p. 615.
Douglas Klemme, R. f. Murris, and David A. White, who criti­ Dow, W. G., 1974, Application of oil correlation and source
cally reviewed an earlier version of this chapter; George E. rock data to exploration in Williston basin: AAPG Bulletin,
Claypool, Jennifer A. Miles, and James G. Palacas who v. 58, n. 7 p . 1253-1262.
,