Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Migrations in The Accumulation of Petroleum and Their Differences

1.
Primary, secondary and tertiary migrations in the accumulation of petroleum and their
differences.
Petroleum accumulation is found in porous and permeable rocks which contains a small
amount or no insoluble organic matter. These porous rocks are relatively coarse-grained. Due to
buoyancy, petroleum or hydrocarbons move vertically at geologically rapid rates. Petroleum
migrates in a three-way process from its origin to its present reservoir. These are the primary,
secondary and tertiary migration of hydrocarbons (petroleum).
Migration occurs after the formation of petroleum from organic matter which is
enclosed in shales or carbonate rocks. When petroleum migrates out of the source rock, it is
called as primary migration. The source rocks of petroleum are fine-grained, through primary
migration, petroleum moves towards a coarser-grained and permeable rock layer (ex.
Permeable sandstone). Overpressure may result to primary migration wherein microfractures
allows the escape of petroleum from the source rock. After its migration away from the source
rock to a permeable layer, it will now migrate through water-full pore spaces in the permeable
rock to structurally higher locations. This is called the secondary migration. Through secondary
migration, petroleum will now accumulate in traps such as domes and anticlines. The rocks that
have petroleum accumulation is now called the reservoir rocks. On the other hand, when
petroleum moves or travel from one trap to another or travels to the surface through leakages
and seeps, this is called the tertiary migration or sometimes known as remigration. New
accumulation usually results due to the tertiary migration of petroleum.
In short, primary migration occurs when petroleum moves out of its source rock
towards a potential reservoir rock, secondary migration occurs when petroleum move towards a
potential reservoir rock, which is a permeable layer and tertiary migration occurs when
petroleum move towards another trap or leaks on to the surface of the Earth.
2. The Total Organic Carbon and its role in defining the quality of the source rock of hydrocarbon
deposits.
The Total Organic Carbon, also known as TOC, is the total amount of organic carbon that
is present in a source rock. TOC is used as an indicator of whether the source rock can generate
large or small amounts of hydrocarbon. To perform TOC, a small part of the source rock is
turned into a fine powder by grinding techniques, it is then weighed and treated with acid to
remove any carbonates, then it is heated and eventually measures the carbon dioxide and the
TOC content of the source rock.
Through the help of Total Organic Carbon, geochemists can define the quality of the
source rock of hydrocarbon deposits. When there is a high total organic carbon content, the
quality of the source rock will be excellent. TOC is usually performed for source rock evaluation.
But there is also some disadvantages with TOC. One example is that, TOC is maturity sensitive.
The TOC values for source rock with varying maturity may also varies and is prone to
uncertainty. Other methods for source rock evaluation is recommended to be used alongside
with TOC to increase the certainty of the values to be obtained. Nonetheless, TOC is a great
indicator to tell whether a source rock is low or high in quality in producing hydrocarbons.
3. Petroleum accumulation and its different requirements.
The volume of pore spaces (porosity) and the capacity to transmit fluids (permeability)
are important factors in the accumulation of hydrocarbon. These factors also play a key role in
its migration through source and reservoir rocks. Most petroleum accumulations are found in
sandstone and siltstone reservoirs.
4. Various configurations of petroleum traps related with faults.
This is the eight theoretical configurations of petroleum traps associated with faulting
assuming that oil can move across but not at higher sites of the fault plane where permeable
sands are brought together. This is after Bailey and Stoneley (1981).
The following figures shows petroleum accumulation in the presence of faults.
5. The different types of geophysical surveys in petroleum exploration.
Geophysical surveys are survey methods that uses ground-based physical sensing
techniques to produce an image or a map for the purpose of the visualization of the area.
Geophysical surveys include seismic surveys, magnetic surveys and gravity surveys which are
commonly used in petroleum exploration. Other geophysical surveys are radiometric surveys,
induced polarity (IP) surveys, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and electromagnetic (EM)
surveys.
For petroleum exploration, geophysical survey methods such as magnetic surveys,

gravimetric surveys and seismic surveys (including refraction and reflection techniques) is used.
1. Magnetic surveys: these surveys are performed in order to evaluate the geology
below the ground surface by using and measuring the strength of the magnetic field
of the Earth It is commonly expressed in magnetic anomalies. Spatial discrepancies
are results from magnetic vulnerability and remanence.
a. Electromagnetic methods: this method utilizes the reactions of the ground after
the propagation of alternating electromagnetic waves.
b. Sea bed logging: this is a marine electromagnetic method wherein it creates the
map for the subsurface resistivity from the seafloor.
2. Gravity or gravimetric surveys: these surveys measure the spatial variation in the
Earth’s gravitational field that is cause by the density variations of subsurface rocks.
It is expressed in gravity anomalies. Gravity maps which are produced through
gravity surveys may indicate drillable areas because it can locate salt domes and
reefs.
3. Seismic surveys: these surveys measure the seismic velocity of rock layers to detect
depth variations. This is performed in order to determine the lithology and
geometry of the layers.
a. Reflection seismology: this is used for 2D/3D mapping of the subsurface which
can reveal the layers and the structural features that are present in the area.
This is easier performed at sea than on land.
b. Refraction seismology: this is used to characterize subsurface geologic
conditions by the refraction of seismic waves on the rock units. It is used to
map geologic conditions such as bedrock surface and drift thickness.

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1.

3. Petroleum accumulation and its different requirements.

5. The different types of geophysical surveys in petroleum exploration.

For petroleum exploration, geophysical survey methods such as magnetic surveys,

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