Fundamentals of Petroleum Geology

Name: Fundamentals of Petroleum Geology
Author: KnowledgeCity

Discover how reservoirs and petroleum deposits form

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Course: On-Demand

Chapter One: Intro to Petroleum Geology. A basic understanding of petroleum geology is necessary to help identify possible petroleum reservoirs and to implement drilling effectively. Understanding the Earth's geological structure allows for recognition of the economically viable reservoir formations and an estimation of which technologies are best for any given reservoir. Exploration and production rely heavily on petroleum geology, which makes for better practices than random drilling. Prospect evaluation also relies heavily on petroleum geology and economic evaluations. There are five key geologic parameters: source rock, reservoir, trap, cap rock, adequate and non-destructive thermal history. The four economic evaluations that must be addressed include potential profitability of venture, available risk investment, total risk investment, aversion to risk. Because crude oil was formed millions of years ago, it is important to identify the time period of crust formations in order to find oil reservoirs. The geologic timescale is a dating system based on identifying the time period represented by layers in the Earth's formation. The study of these layers is called stratigraphy and deals primarily with sedimentary and volcanic rock formations. Petroleum is most frequently found in sedimentary rock. Our understanding of the forces that shape the Earth's crust and ability to date formations is based on scientific fields which include: mineralogy— the study of minerals; petrology— the study of rocks; structural geology— the study of rock structures; and geomorphology— the study of landscape formation. Physical geology is the study of the Earth's crust and how it was formed. This involves examining the physical systems that form the layers of the crust and what rocks and minerals the layers are composed of. It also explains the forces that shaped the Earth's crust layers. Historical geology, on the other hand, involves studying how Earth's plants and animals evolved over time. This allows scientists to date layers of Earth using fossil records and the stages of development of certain plants and animals. If a certain plant or animal is found in a layer of Earth, data allows us to estimate the time period in which that rock layer was created. The Earth isn't flat, but it's not exactly round either. According the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website, "Our planet is pudgier at the equator than at the poles by about 70,000 feet. This is due to the centrifugal force created by the Earth's constant rotation. Mountains rising almost 30,000 feet and ocean trenches diving over 36,000 feet, compared to sea level, further distort the shape of the Earth. Sea level itself is even irregularly shaped. Slight variations in Earth's gravity field cause permanent hills and valleys in the ocean's surface of over 300 feet relative to an ellipsoid." To navigate and map the Earth, you must understand its shape and size or your calculations will be incorrect. Imagine rolling a piece of clay into a ball and the squashing it just slightly so that it remains round but bulges out slightly at the sides, then you would have an approximation of the Earth's shape. Our planet is shaped like and ellipsoid rather than a perfectly round sphere. Also, the Earth does not maintain a constant shape. It can contract, expand, or bulge due to shifting tectonic plates and movements of the Earth's crust as pressure is lifted or increased. Environmental factors like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, ice forming or melting, and meteor strikes can all change the Earth's shape. The Earth's surface rises with the mountains and falls with the valleys. A relief map shows the varying heights and depths of the Earth's surface. Only 30% of the Earth is land while 70% is water. On land, the elevations vary and are made up of three main levels including mountains, plains, and plateaus. Mountains often run along the lines of a continent's borders. In the oceans, continental shelves extend along the coasts and descend toward the oceans. The highest point on Earth is Mount Everest at approximately 8,848 meters above sea level. The lowest point is thought to be the Mariana Trench, at around 10,911 meters below sea level. That is a 12 mile vertical difference between the highest and lowest points on Earth.

Essential Provider : KnowledgeCity 5 Lessons · 22m in Arabic, English

Course Description

A basic understanding of petroleum geology is necessary to help identify possible petroleum reservoirs and to implement drilling effectively. Understanding the earth’s geological structure allows for recognition of the economically viable reservoir formations and an estimation of which technologies are best for any given reservoir.

Because crude oil was formed millions of years ago, it is important to identify the time period of crust formations in order to find oil reservoirs. In this course, Fundamentals of Petroleum Geology, we will take a look at rock properties, how petroleum forms, common minerals, reservoir rocks and well formation.

What You'll Learn

Distinguish the differences in rock properties
Identify common minerals
Explain how petroleum is formed
Discuss reservoir rocks and their formation
Examine the fundamentals of petroleum geology and well formation

Key Takeaways

A basic understanding of petroleum geology helps identify possible petroleum reservoirs and implement drilling effectively.
Understanding the earth's geological structure allows recognition of economically viable reservoir formations and estimation of which technologies are best for a given reservoir.
Because crude oil formed millions of years ago, identifying the time period of crust formations is important to finding oil reservoirs.
The course covers rock properties, how petroleum forms, common minerals, reservoir rocks, and well formation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Fundamentals of Petroleum Geology course cover?

The course covers rock properties, how petroleum forms, common minerals, reservoir rocks, and well formation, across lessons including Introduction to Petroleum Geology, Rock Properties, Petroleum Formation, Minerals, and Reservoir Rocks.

What will I be able to do after completing this course?

You will be able to distinguish the differences in rock properties, identify common minerals, explain how petroleum is formed, and discuss reservoir rocks and formation.

Why is understanding petroleum geology important?

A basic understanding of petroleum geology helps identify possible petroleum reservoirs and implement drilling effectively, and understanding the earth's geological structure allows recognition of economically viable reservoir formations and estimation of which technologies are best for a given reservoir.

What skills does this course relate to?

This course relates to Geology, Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Geology, Petrology, and the Petroleum Industry.