Intact top seal
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Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps | |
Series | Treatise in Petroleum Geology |
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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 |
An intact top seal is a seal that has not undergone fracturing. An intact top seal can trap only a finite column of hydrocarbon. In theory, the height of hydrocarbon column that can be trapped can be calculated from the capillary properties of the seal pores system and the physical character of the hydrocarbons and pore fluids. This venerable approach to analyzing top seals has been covered in depth by Berg[1] and Schowalter[2][3] and .[4]
Here, we will discuss briefly the three steps involved in evaluating seal capacity of intact top seals:
Step | Action |
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1 | Determine fluid properties, including density, interfacial tension, and contact angle, at reservoir conditions. |
2 | Determine displacement pressure of the seal and reservoir. |
3 | Calculate seal capacity. |
See also
The steps in the procedure above as well as problems that can occur are discussed in the following subsections.
- How capillary properties control seal
- Estimating displacement pressure
- Seal capacity
- Pitfalls and limitations of estimating seal capacity
References
- ↑ Berg, R., R., 1975, Capillary pressure in stratigraphic traps: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 59, no. 6, p. 939–956.
- ↑ Schowalter, T., T., 1979, Mechanics of secondary hydrocarbon migration and entrapment: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 63, no. 5, p. 723–760.
- ↑ Watts, N., L., 1987, Theoretical aspects of cap-rock and fault seals for single and two-phase hydrocarbon columns: Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 4, no. 4, p. 274–307., 10., 1016/0264-8172(87)90008-0
- ↑ Vavra, C., L., Kaldi, J., G., Sneider, R., M., 1992, Geological applications of capillary pressure: a review: AAPG Bulletin, vol. 76, no. 6, p. 840–850.