Buoyancy pressures and hydrocarbon presence
Revision as of 16:05, 29 May 2014 by FWhitehurst (talk | contribs)
Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps | |
Series | Treatise in Petroleum Geology |
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Part | Critical elements of the petroleum system |
Chapter | Formation fluid pressure and its application |
Author | Edward A. Beaumont, Forrest Fiedler |
Link | Web page |
Store | AAPG Store |
Buoyancy pressures caused by hydrocarbon columns can be recognized by comparing hydrostatic pressure gradients with formation pressures. Pressures exceeding expected hydrostatic pressures could be due to the presence of hydrocarbon columns.
Two items are critical for detecting buoyancy pressure in a well:
- Accurate static water plot for the well (See Constructing a hydrostatic pressure-depth plot)
- Reliable formation fluid pressure measurements (See Methods for obtaining formation fluid pressures)
Procedure[edit]
The table below outlines a procedure for using pressures to detect the presence of a hydrocarbon column in a formation.
Step | Action |
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1 | Make a hydrostatic pressure-depth plot through the interval of interest. |
2 | Plot the pressure(s) measured from the interval of interest. |
3 | If the measured formation pressures are greater than the hydrostatic pressure, then the formation may contain a hydrocarbon column. |
4 | Check to see if anomalous pressures make geological sense.
|
See also[edit]
- Determining hydrostatic pressure gradient
- Static hydrocarbon pressure gradients
- Methods for obtaining formation fluid pressures
- Constructing a hydrostatic pressure-depth plot