Hydrocarbons In Crystalline Rocks

While oil and gas fields in crystalline basement are still discovered mostly by accident, as shown in this book, such reservoirs can be very prolific, especially if the basement rock is highly faulted or fractured. The chapters in this volume cover a diverse range of topics related broadly to the theme of hydrocarbons in crystalline rocks, and challenge explorationists' definition of basement rock, which needs to be less narrow and more responsive to new geological ideas.

Abstrakt Modern petroleum geology is built on the theory of the organic origin of hydrocarbons. It is claimed that they are formed as a result of dipping of organic carbon-rich sedimentary layers and their thermal transformation by which hydrocarbons are generated. Conventional looking at the formation of hydrocarbons is based on buried in a sedimentation pool dead biomass of organisms and their long-lasting microbial degradation in an anaerobic environment with the simultaneous influence of temperature and pressure. This process creates a transformed organic material of high molecular weight called kerogen. About 1% of the live mass of the organic may be stored in kerogen in favorable conditions. Regardless of the type of kerogen, increasing temperature and pressure leads to the dissociation temperature or the cracking and forms a crude oil or natural gas. The secondary cracking at a higher temperature and pressure may result in the smallest particles of hydrocarbons, methane (Sephton, Hazen 2013). This theory does not answer the question of why there are massive accumulations of hydrocarbons reaching hundreds of millions of tons when their hitherto regarded as the mother layers, source rocks, is so little spread in the geological profile?

Carbonate rocks have diverse characteristics. They can be excellent reservoirs as well as prolific source rocks for oil. Oils from carbonate rocks commonly have distinctive bulk chemical and molecular characteristics that reveal their origin. The papers collected here are descriptions and interpretations (that is, case histories) of specific carbonate source rocks that range in age from Precambrian to Miocene.

Petroleum and natural gas still remain the single biggest resource for energy on earth. Even as alternative and renewable sources are developed, petroleum and natural gas continue to be, by far, the most used and, if engineering properly, the most cost-effective and efficient, source of energy on the planet. Contrary to some beliefs, the industry can, in fact, be sustainable, from an environmental, economic, and resource perspective. Petroleum and natural gas are, after all, natural sources of energy and do not have to be treated as pariahs. This groundbreaking new text describes hydrocarbons in basement formations, how they can be characterized and engineered, and how they can be engineered properly, to best achieve sustainability. Covering the basic theories and the underlying scientific concepts, the authors then go on to explain the best practices and new technologies and processes for utilizing basement formations for the petroleum and natural gas industries. Covering all of the hottest issues in the industry, from oil shale, tar sands, and hydraulic fracturing, this book is a must-have for any engineer working in the industry. This textbook is an excellent resource for petroleum engineering students, reservoir engineers, supervisors & managers, researchers and environmental engineers for planning every aspect of rig operations in the most sustainable, environmentally responsible manner, using the most up-to-date technological advancements in equipment and processes.