Migration pathways
Exploring for Oil and Gas Traps | |
Series | Treatise in Petroleum Geology |
---|---|
Part | Critical elements of the petroleum system |
Chapter | Migration of petroleum |
Author | Martin D. Matthews |
Link | Web page |
Store | AAPG Store |
Hydrocarbon migration appears to occur in spatially limited areas (always unsampled because of their small size) and in discrete time intervals. It leaves either no trace or a trace that is continually modified or destroyed by later events. Effective hydrocarbon migration occurs along discrete pathways, not along broad, uniform fronts. These pathways are determined by the pore networks, the interaction of these networks between formations, and the stratigraphic variation within the basin. Within the carrier/reservoir bed, the migration pathway is controlled by the structural configuration of the contact with the overlying seal and the continuity of both the carrier permeability network and the overlying seal. This section discusses the general characteristics of these paths and shows several examples.
See also
- Formation-scale migration pathways
- Defining migration pathways from source to trap
- Vertical and lateral migration distance
- Migration rate