GS 688: Petroleum Geochemistry

Syllabus​

Composition and structure of organic matter, Organic matter accumulation, maturation process, Characterization of hydrocarbon source rocks, Modelling petroleum maturation and migration, Introduction to different biomarkers used in oil exploration, biomarkers and source rock-oil correlation, oil-oil correlation using biomarkers, thermal degradation and biodegradation of crude oil. Introduction to different techniques used in petroleum geochemistry including optical methods applied to source rock study, vitrinite reflectance, elemental composition of kerogen. LECO, Rock Eval Pyrolysis, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Identification of petroleum systems, application of basin modelling to petroleum exploration, identification and delineation of generative basins.

Texts/References

  • Bordenave, M.L. (Ed.). Applied Petroleum Geochemistry, Editions Technip, Paris, 1993
  • Peters, K.E., Walters, C.C., Moldowan, J.M. The Biomarker Guide (Vol. 1 & 2), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2005
  • Tissot, B.P., Welte, D. H. Petroleum Formation and Occurrence, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1984
  • Welte, D.H., Horsfield, B., Baker, R. (Eds.). Petroleum and Basin Evolution: Insights from Petroleum Geochemistry, Geology and Basin Modeling, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1997.