Oil & Gas typing

Introduction & bulk properties

Wiekert Visser

Petroleum systems mapping work flow

Oil Oil correlation
Oil Gas correlation
Gas Gas correlation

Oil/gas family map

Oil Source rock correlation

Gas Source rock correlation

Define Petroleum Systems

Rock Eval analyses (wells)

Seismic isopachs map

Source rock quality maps

Maturity data (wells)

Source rock kitchen maps

(Once) Active Petroleum Systems maps

Note: modern 3D modeling tools need much more data & deliver superior results

Objectives of oil and gas typing in Exploration

Typing of oil, gas, and source rock extracts is a key
element of Petroleum Systems Analysis. This work
aims at:
Assessment of the source of the hydrocarbons (type and
age)
Assessment of the maturity of the source at the time of
expulsion
Estabishing the petroleum system (i.e. The link between
source rock and trapped hydrocarbons)
Oil family mapping: is there more than 1 petroleum
system in the basin?
Reduction of exploration risk by the above activities.

Example exploration question

Question: Is the oil derived from the Cretaceous or the
Jurassic source rock?
D

Oil field

Depth (km)

2
Immature
Mature

Top oil window (VR=0.6)

3
? Source rock B (JJ) ?
Source rock A (KK)

Fundamentals of oil & gas chemistry

Crude oil is a mixture of thousands of organic
components. Chemical analysis of these complex
mixtures gives information about:
Economic value of the oil/gas
The source & charge history
Post-trapping alterations

Bulk Characteristics of Petroleum Fluids

Gas

Condensate

Oil

n.a.

>45

<45

C7+ (black oil)

content

<1%

< 15 %

> 20 %

Methane content

> 95 %

60-85 %

< 20 %

> 100.000

3000 100.000

< 3000

API gravity

GOR (scf/bbl)

A condensate is operationally defined as any fluid which is a gas in the

subsurface but a liquid at the surface. This depends on the PVT
conditions. For geochemical purposes, a condensate is a fluid with most
of its mass below C15.

Oil and Gas compounds, fundamentals

Saturates: alkanes
H
|
HCH
|
H

Methane

C1

Pentane
C5H12

Saturates: naphtenes

H2

Non-saturates

H2
H2

H2

H2

Cyclo-hexane
C6H12

n-Alkanes: CnH2n+2

Iso-C6

Paraffins/Alkanes

H2

Cyclo-pentane

Pentane

C5

n-alkanes

Cyclo-alkanes
(Naphtenes)

iso-alkanes

H H H H H
|
|
|
|
|
HCCCCCH
|
|
|
|
|
H H H H H

Benzene
C6H6

Naphtalene

Aromatics

Composition of a 35 API & a 16 API crude

Down-stream purposes
35 API

16 API
Volume percent
0
<2
16
42
39

Weight percent
10
3
37
50

Main boiling fractions of oil

Down-stream purposes
Normal black oil

Bulk properties of oils for E&P

Geological Applications

API gravity (density)

weight-loss on topping
% Sulfur
Heavy metals
Carbon Isotopes
Gross Composition:

(Reservoir) Engineering
i

Total Acid Number (TAN)

Viscosity
Pour point
Cloud point
Wax content
Asphaltene content

% Saturates,
% Aromatics
% Hetero compounds

API gravity - density relationship

Tar
API gravity

Specific gravity

Oil

Degrees API=

141,5
-131,5
specific gravity

Condensate
R

Sulphur in Shaly Marine Oils

API Gravity versus %S
Global data set trend
Hemiar: 22.2 / 1.23%

Masila: 30.5 / 0.67%

Tambaredjo Oil

Marib Light: 48 / 0.08%

The percentage of Sulphur is

important for crude market price,
and for corrosive effects.
The variation in the percentage of
Sulphur in the Yemeni crudes is
related to biodegradation.

Amongst heavy oils

the Tambaredjo crude
is of high quality, and very
exceptional in composition

These data are from the Jurassic Madbi marly shales in Yemen

Interpreting Sulfur
Sweet low sulfur crudes indicate the source is:
High API gravity shaly marine
Lacustrine (in case of elevated wax content)
Landplant (in case of high wax content)

Souer high sulfur crudes indicate that:

Source is a limestone (with very low shale content)
Crude has been biodegraded (in case of low API)
Crude is a low maturity early expulsion product (in case of
low API)

Carbon isotopes
The atom Carbon has three different isotopes 12C, 13C, 14C, with atomic
weight of 12, 13, and 14 gram/mol respectively.
12C is most abundant, and living organisms prefer 12C over 13C
14C is least abundant and is radio-active. It can be used as dating tool.

13

C =[

13

12

13

12

C / C (sample)
C / C (standard)

] -1 *1000

The standard is the belemnite from the PeeDee Formation in South Carolina
13

PDB C = 0

Carbon Isotopes in Nature

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

Atmospheric CO2
Marine HCO3
Marine Carbonate Minerals
Marine Plants
Plankton

Carbon isotopes are

very useful for Oil Oil
and Oil Source rock
correlations

Land Plants (C4)

Land Plants (C3)
Groundwater HCO3
Non-marine Carbonate Minerals

Oils / Source Rocks

Wood

-35

-30

Peat

-25

-20

Monterey

Coal

Kimmeridge
Cretaceous

Oils/SR

Bakken Shale

Bacterial Gas

Phosphoria

Thermal Gas

North Sea
West Africa
Williston Basin
Wyoming

Ordovician Texas

Animal Bone
Diamond
-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

13 CPDB ()

20

Isomers of alkanes

Carbon atoms in molecule

Isomers

C2

C4

C5

C6

C7

C8

C9

C11

C13

Possible

18

35

159

802

Significant in
crude oils

The number of isomers in crude oils explodes with increasing carbon number.
Analysing all these compounds required excellent separation techniques, such as
liquid and/or gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry

Example of branched alkanes: C7 isomers

C-C-C-C-C-C-C
n-C7

Branched alkanes

C7 ring compounds

3* Mono-branched

4* Di-branched

1* Tri-branched

Long chain iso-alkanes: Pristane and Phytane

Phytane
CH3
H3C
CH3

CH3

CH3

C20

CH3

Pristane
H3C

CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3

Pristane and Phytane occur in all crude oils

Both compounds are fragments of Chlorophyll,
which occurs in many living organisms
Pristane and Phytane are simple indicators for environment of
deposition and a basic tool for correlation. They are maturity
dependent, but reasonably resistant to biodegradation.

C19

Biomarkers in oil and in living organisms

H3C

H3C

CH3

CH3

CH3
CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3
CH3

HO

Cholesterol

Cholestane

Present in living organisms

Present in crude oil

This biomarker occur in virtually all crude oils

Many biomarkers are detailed indicators for environment of

deposition and age of the source rock and are the most
important tool for correlation. They are slightly maturity
dependent, but resistant to biodegradation. Biomarkers are
the work-horse for exploration geochemists.

Conclusions

Analyses of oil and gas are essential input for the

assessment of Petroleum Systems
Fluid properties contain geological information that
can be used for inpout as well as for calibration of
petroleum systems models.