Basin modelling
Encyclopedia
Basin modelling is the term broadly applied to a group of geological
disciplines that can be used to analyse the formation and evolution of sedimentary basin
s, often but not exclusively to aid evaluation of potential hydrocarbon
reserves.
At its most basic, a basin modelling exercise must assess:
By doing so, valuable inferences can be made about such matters as hydrocarbon generation and timing, maturity of potential source rocks and migration paths of expelled hydrocarbons.
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
disciplines that can be used to analyse the formation and evolution of sedimentary basin
Sedimentary basin
The term sedimentary basin is used to refer to any geographical feature exhibiting subsidence and consequent infilling by sedimentation. As the sediments are buried, they are subjected to increasing pressure and begin the process of lithification...
s, often but not exclusively to aid evaluation of potential hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
reserves.
At its most basic, a basin modelling exercise must assess:
- The burial history of the basin (see back-strippingBack-strippingBack-stripping is a geophysical analysis technique used on sedimentary rock sequences - it is used to isolate factors which contribute to basin formation/filling other than sediment loading. It is a method by which successive layers of basin fill sediment are "stripped off" the total stratigraphy...
). - The thermal history of the basin (see thermal history modellingThermal history modellingThermal history modelling is an exercise undertaken during basin modelling to evaluate the temperature history of stratigraphic layers in a sedimentary basin....
). - The maturity history of the source rockSource rockIn petroleum geology, source rock refers to rocks from which hydrocarbons have been generated or are capable of being generated. They form one of the necessary elements of a working petroleum system. They are organic-rich sediments that may have been deposited in a variety of environments including...
s. - The expulsion, migration and trapping of hydrocarbons.
By doing so, valuable inferences can be made about such matters as hydrocarbon generation and timing, maturity of potential source rocks and migration paths of expelled hydrocarbons.