Val_005 Hydrocarbon Maturation

The process of (1) petroleum generation, (2) cracking, (3) expulsion, (4) porosity change and (5) pore pressure generation are described in the flow chart shown below. These five processes are described in three main sections (generation, oil -> gas cracking and expulsion) and validated with a single element example model with prescribed temperatures 70 - 250 °C linearly ramped up over 90 Ma, i.e. 2°C/Ma.  The ParaGeo results for generation, cracking and expulsion processes are compared against the reference results presented by Pepper and Corvi (1995a, 1995b) and Pepper and Dodd (1995) for the five pre-defined kerogen types defined by the organofacies A, B, C, D/E and F.  Porosity change and pore pressure generation due to expulsion and the influence of kerogen thickness definition are also presented.

The user is recommended to undertake the examples in the order of Val_005a to Val_005d.

Details of the hydrocarbon and kerogen kinetics theories, formulations, data structures and default data can be found in the reference manual on Hydrocarbon maturation.

The example model comprise a single element which is prescribed temperatures 70 - 250 °C linearly ramped up over 90 Ma, i.e. 2°C/Ma.

[1] Berner, U., Faber, E., Scheeder, G., & Panten, D. (1995): Primary cracking of algal and landplant kerogens: kinetic models of isotope variations in methane, ethane and propane. Chem. Geol. 126, 233 – 245.

[2] Nielsen, S. B., Clausen O. R. & E. McGregor (2015): basin%Ro - A vitrinite reflectance model derived from basin and laboratory data. Basin Research (2015), 1 – 22.

[3] Okui, A. and Waples, D. W. (1992): The influence of oil expulsion efficiency on the type of hydrocarbons accumulating in traps. In: Proceedings of the Offshore Southeast Asia Conference, and Exhibition, 1-4 December 1992, OSEA-92151, 685-698.

[4] Pepper, A.S. and Corvi, P.J. (1995(a)): Simple kinetic models of petroleum formation. Part I: Oil and gas generation from kerogen. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 12(3) 291–319. 1995(a).

[5] Pepper, A.S., Dodd, T.A. (1995): Simple kinetic models of petroleum formation. Part II: Oil-gas cracking. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 12(3) 321-340.

[6] Pepper, A.S. and Corvi, P.J. (1995(b)): Simple kinetic models of petroleum formation. Part III: Modelling an open system. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 12(4) 417-452.

[7] Quigley, T.M., Mackenzie, A.S. & Gray, J.R. (1987): Kinetic theory of petroleum generation. In Doligez, B. (ed.): Migration of Hydrocarbons in Sedimentary Basins, 649 – 665 (Editions Technip).

[8] Ritter, U., Duddy, I., Mørk, A., Johansen, H. & Arne, D. (1996): Temperature and uplift history of Bjørnøya (Bear Island), Barents Sea. Petroleum Geoscience 2, 133 – 144.

[9] Sandvik, E. I., Young, W. A. and Curry, D. J. (1992): Expulsion from hydrocarbon sources: the role of organic adsorption. In: Advances in Organic Geochemistry 1991 Org. Geochem. 19,77-88.

[10] Sweeney, J.J. & Burnham, A.K. (1990): Evaluation of a simple model of vitrinite reflectance based on chemical kinetics. AAPG Bull. 74 10., 1559 – 1570.