Petroleum System
Sedimentary Basin
Sedimentary Basin studies investigate the geohistory
of a particular basin, including its tectonic history and
associated structural styles, the depositional history
and resulting stratigraphic section, the burial history
of the sediments, and thermal history of the strata
(modified from Magoon and Dow, 1994).
Definition after Magoon and Dow (1994):
Sedimentary Basin is a depression filled with
sedimentary rocks.
Petroleum System
Petroleum System studies characterize and model
the genetic relationship between an active source
rock and the resulting oil and gas accumulation
(modified from Magoon and Dow, 1994).
Petroleum Play
Petroleum Play analysis describes the present-day
geologic similarity that characterizes a play such as a
a particular petroleum trap or reservoir (modified from
Magoon and Dow, 1994).
Prospect
Prospect evaluations detail the individual petroleum
trap or reservoir, including economic aspects and
technology considerations (modified from Magoon
and Dow, 1994).
Elements of Petroleum System (Magoon and
Dow (1994)
1. Geographic Extent: Includes the Active Source Rock
and Petroleum Shows, Seeps, and Discoveries
Encompassed in a Defined Area at a Certain Time
(Critical Moment). Illustrated with Plan Map.
2. Stratigraphic Extent and Components: Underburden,
Source, Reservoir, Seal, and Overburden Rocks.
Illustrated with Geologic Cross Section.
3. Temporal Events: Sediment Deposition (Source,
Reservoir, Seal, and Overburden Rocks), Trap
Formation, Oil and Gas Generation, Expulsion,
Migration, Accumulation, and Preservation, and
Critical Moment. Shown with Events Chart.
Critical Moment
Critical Moment is the point in time that best depicts
the generation-expulsion-migration-accumulation of
most hydrocarbons in a given petroleum system
(modified from Magoon and Dow, 1994).
Upper Jurassic Petroleum Systems of
the World (Klemme, 1994)
1. Fourteen petroleum systems, as recognized, contain
one fourth of the world’s discovered oil and gas.
2. Oxfordian Smackover Formation of the Gulf of
Mexico Ranks Fourth as to the Estimated
Hydrocarbons Available in the Classification of UJ
Petroleum Systems.
Upper Jurassic Smackover Petroleum
System (Claypool and Mancini, 1989)
1. Source of Much of Discovered Oil and Gas in Gulf of
Mexico.
2. Source for Smackover Reservoirs.
3. Source for Other Upper Jurassic Reservoirs.
4. Source for Some Lower and Upper Cretaceous
Reservoirs.
5. Potential Source for Some Paleogene Reservoirs.
Events Chart for Smackover Petroleum
System in the NLSB
From Mancini et al., 2008
Smackover Chromatogram
Lake Como Field, Jasper Co, MS.
From Mancini et al., 2001
Hosston Chromatogram
Free State Field, Jones Co, MS.
From Mancini et al., 2001
Washita Chromatogram
Main Pass 253 Field, OCS
From Mancini et al., 2001
Biomarkers Histogram
Steranes
From Mancini et al., 2001
Biomarkers Histogram
Terpanes
From Mancini et al., 2001
Tertiary, UK, and UJ Source Rocks in MS
and LA (Sassen, 1990)
1. Paleogene Shale Beds Are Source Rocks in
Southern LA and Offshore GOM.
2. Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Shale Beds Are
Source Rocks in MS and LA.
3. Upper Jurassic Smackover Lime Mudstone Beds Are
Source Rocks in MS and LA.
Paleogene Source Rocks in TX (Rowan
et al., 2007)
1. Paleocene-Eocene Wilcox Shale Beds Are Source
Rocks in TX.
2. Kerogen in Wilcox Shale Beds Generated Oil and
Gas
Petroleum System Characterization and
Modeling
1. Burial or Geohistory Plot or Chart
2. Oil and Gas Expulsion Plot
3. Hydrocarbon Migration Pathway Sections
Gulf Coast Interior Salt Basins
Gulf Coast Interior Salt Basins
From Mancini and Puckett, 2005
North Louisiana Salt Basin, Cross
Sections and Well Locations
From Mancini et al., 2008
NLSB Basin Cross Section C-C’
N
S
From Mancini et al., 2008
VE: 29X
Burial History Profile, NLSB Downdip
From Li, 2006
NLSB Smackover Source Rocks
• Lower and Middle Lime Mudstone Beds
– Measured present-day TOC average of
0.58%
– Calculated original TOC average of 1.00%
– Measured present-day TOC high range of
8.42%
– Microbial-amorphous kerogen type
– Range of Ro of <0.5 to >2.6%
Model Calibration
%Ro (measured)
From Li, 2006
Thermal Maturation History Profile,
NLSB Downdip
From Li, 2006
Hydrocarbon Expulsion Plot, NLSB
Downdip
From Li, 2006
SMK Hydrocarbon Expulsion
Peak Oil
From Li, 2006
Peak Gas
Bossier Hydrocarbon Expulsion
Mancini et al., 2008
Location Map of Seismic Sections
From Mancini et al., 2008
Geologic Model, NW-SE Section
From Mancini et al., 2008
SMK Oil Migration, NW-SE Section
From Mancini et al., 2008
SMK Gas Migration, NW-SE Section
From Mancini et al., 2008
NLSB Thermal Maturation
% Ro
0 .0
0
0.55
1 .0
1.3
2 .0
3 .0
4 .0
5 ,0 0 0
7,000
1 0 ,0 0 0
12,000
DE P TH (feet)
1 5 ,0 0 0
2 0 ,0 0 0
2 5 ,0 0 0
3 0 ,0 0 0
3 5 ,0 0 0
From Mancini et al.,
2008