Difference between revisions of "Seal capacity: pitfalls and limitations of estimation"

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* [[Saturations required for hydrocarbon flow|Hydrocarbon saturations required for flow]] through top seals—and, consequently, displacement pressures—may be much higher than commonly assumed.
 
* [[Saturations required for hydrocarbon flow|Hydrocarbon saturations required for flow]] through top seals—and, consequently, displacement pressures—may be much higher than commonly assumed.
 
* Hydrocarbon columns beneath breached seals and hydrocarbon-wet seals may not be related to the capillary properties of the seal in any easily understood way.
 
* Hydrocarbon columns beneath breached seals and hydrocarbon-wet seals may not be related to the capillary properties of the seal in any easily understood way.
* Diffusion can cause loss of large volumes of gas but not oil through a top seal.
+
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion Diffusion] can cause loss of large volumes of gas but not oil through a top seal.
 
* Hydrodynamic flow can alter top seal capacity.
 
* Hydrodynamic flow can alter top seal capacity.
  

Revision as of 18:07, 30 April 2014

Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps
Series Treatise in Petroleum Geology
Part Predicting the occurrence of oil and gas traps
Chapter Evaluating top and fault seal
Author Grant M. Skerlec
Link Web page
Store AAPG Store

Although it is tantalizing to be able to measure the capillary properties of a seal and then assess hydrocarbon volumes, some practical problems exist:

  • It is not easy to characterize the displacement pressure of a top seal from a few, or many, measurements.
  • Few empirical field studies compare the predicted and observed hydrocarbon column heights. This is worrisome because idealized laboratory experiments have significant errors in the predicted hydrocarbon column heights.
  • Hydrocarbon saturations required for flow through top seals—and, consequently, displacement pressures—may be much higher than commonly assumed.
  • Hydrocarbon columns beneath breached seals and hydrocarbon-wet seals may not be related to the capillary properties of the seal in any easily understood way.
  • Diffusion can cause loss of large volumes of gas but not oil through a top seal.
  • Hydrodynamic flow can alter top seal capacity.

See also

External links

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Seal capacity: pitfalls and limitations of estimation
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