The Migration and Accumulation of Petroleum and Natural Gas

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The Migration and Accumulation of Petroleum and Natural Gas

By Warren Ware Skeeters

A thesis submitted to the Faculty and the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School of Mines in paftial fulfillment of the require* ments for the degree of Master of Geological Engineering#

Signed

Warren Ware Skeeters

Golden, Colorado Date

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page INTRODUCTION

1

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

3

EXTENT OF MIGRATION

4

MODE OF MIGRATION AND ACCUMULATION

20

Anticlinal Theory

21

Hydraulie Theory

24

Gravitational-hydraulic Theory

23

Diastrophic Theory

34

Sedimentary Compaction Theories

37

Propulsive Force of Gas Theory

48

Screening Theory

51

Cementation Theory

62

Capillary and Replacement Theories

66

GENERAL DISCUSSION

76

Time of Origin and Accumulation

76

Reservoir Materials

80

Hydrolization of Silica

82

Surface Active Reservoir Materials

82

Laws of Fluid Flow

83

Capillarity

85

Effect of Temperature on Viscosity and Surface Tension

88

Subsurface Temperatures

89

Effect of Natural Gas in Solution resulting from high pressures

90

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Migration in the Vapor Phase

91

Effect of Partial AqueousSolution

93

Evaluation of Theories

97

CONCLUSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY

99 101

THE MIGRATION AND ACCUMULATION

Of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS

LIBFwARY COLORADO SCHOOL OF Trrr^f*

GOLDEN.

37044 OTTBODUCTION

The basic problem of petroleum geology involves the answer to the question -— Why and how was oil concentrated in the present pools? The answer to this query depends upon the time and manner of orgin of the ancestral petroleum and the degree of freedom of movement attrib­ utable to it in the rocks usually associated with petroleum occurrences* The question of the time and manner of origin of petroleum is beyond the scope of this paper.

The question of the degree of freedom of move­

ment is capable of several interpretations.

The occurrence of impor­

tant deposits in littoral sands deposits of the lense type, which are completely enveloped by relatively impervious shales indicates that the assumption of considerable migration may be unnecessary.

On the other

hand the occurrence of many accumulations in relatively widespread po­ rous horizons, and the known convergence of oil toward producing wells indicates definitely that movement of petroleum actually occurs in na­ ture. The actual mode of this migration and accumulation of petro­ leum and natural gas, however, presents one of the most baffling pro­ blems in the entire field of geology.

It is a multi-sided problem, en­

croaching upon the fields of many other sciences.

It is an obscure pro­

blem, dealing with phenomena which occured at unknown depths and at un­ known times in the geologic past.

We are not even certain of the time

and manner of origin of petroleum.

We do not know in what form it mi­

grated -- protopetroleum has been variously described as a heavy, vis­ cous asphaltic material, as a light fluid of low viscosity, and as a gaseous mixture.

It is a problem calling for the coopertive efforts

of men in all branches of science.

Too much of the previous and cur­

rent work has been done, independently, by geologists, chemists, and physicists, each without sufficient regard for the fundamental concepts of the other sciences. The need for a solution to the problem has grown increasing­ ly urgent in the last few years, as a result of the expanding mechani­ zation of our civilization.

This urgency has been vastly augmented by

the present war with its staggering drain on the mineral resouces of the world. Surface and subsurface geology, with the aid of applied geophys­ ics have been able to keep ahead of the increased demand in the past, but as the demand on our known reserves increases the structures easily found by these methods will be rapidly used up.

Future exploration will

therefore, involve the search for more deeply buried and inaccesable structure! and stratigraphic traps.

The role of the geologist in this

search will be to direct geophysical and geological work intelligently to the end that the work can be efficiently and economically conducted. He will need a broad comprehension of the factors involved in the migra­ tion of oil and its accumulation into pools in order that he can say, with some degree of certainty, in what areas oil may reasonably be ex­ pected to occur, and what traps are most favorable to accumulation. The present understanding of the problem is woefully unequal to the taks Unless the many existing theories are soon coordinated into a practical working hypotheses the world must face serious oil shortages in the near future•

ACKHOiraDGEMEMTS

The author wishes to extend his thanks to F. M. Van Tuyl for his constant advice and criticism.

Thanks are also due to 0. F. Barb,

W. W. Howe, W. A. Waldschmidt, and B. H, Parker for advice and data.

EXTENT OF MIGRATION

Any investigation into the subject of the migration and accu­ mulation of oil must, of necessity, be directly dependent upon the ques­ tion of origin for basic assumptions as to the location of source beds and the probable physical characteristics of the hydrocarbons at the time of migration.

Upon this subject, there is a wide diversity of opin­

ion, the only general agreement being in the widespread acceptance of the organic theory.

As this problem is beyond the scope of the present

work it will not be gone into in detail.

The nature of the migrating hy­

drocarbons will, in this paper, be assumed, unless otherwise specified, as similar to the crude petroleum at present encountered in nature, in accordance with general usage.

Also, in accordance with general usage,

the source beds will be considered as marine and brackish ?