Scribd
Upload
108 views19 pages

Lecture 1 - Origin of Hydrocarbons

This document discusses the origin and formation of hydrocarbons from an organic source. It describes two main theories - the organic theory, which proposes that hydrocarbons are formed from the decomposition of organic matter like plants and animals, and the inorganic theory, which suggests they can be synthesized from inorganic compounds. The document also examines the conditions necessary for hydrocarbon generation, such as heat, pressure and bacterial action, and limitations like the temperatures and pressures encountered in oil and gas fields.

Uploaded by

hasan sabah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
108 views19 pages

Lecture 1 - Origin of Hydrocarbons

This document discusses the origin and formation of hydrocarbons from an organic source. It describes two main theories - the organic theory, which proposes that hydrocarbons are formed from the decomposition of organic matter like plants and animals, and the inorganic theory, which suggests they can be synthesized from inorganic compounds. The document also examines the conditions necessary for hydrocarbon generation, such as heat, pressure and bacterial action, and limitations like the temperatures and pressures encountered in oil and gas fields.

Uploaded by

hasan sabah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

Origin and Formation

of Hydrocarbon
By

Engr. Jam M. Kashif


Introduction to Hydrocarbons
Petroleum(rock-oil) occurs widespread in the earth
It is found as gas, liquid, semi-solid, or solid, or in more than
one of these states at a single place
Petroleum is an extremely complex mixture of hydrocarbon
compounds
Some minor impurities of Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Sulphur is
also included
Generation of Hydrocarbon
The phenomenon of generation of hydrocarbon is still unresolved
there different opinion about generation of hydrocarbon which
were based on
i) Laboratory experiments that have attempt to simulation field
conditions
ii) Geologic reasoning applied to various data that have been
uncovered during the exploration and production of oil and gas
Generation of Hydrocarbon
There are two main theories about the generation of
petroleum which are as follows;

Organic Theory

Inorganic Theory
Generation of Hydrocarbon
Difference of opinion on the processes by which it is formed
and on nature of organic matter from which it is derived:
Whether that matter was animal or vegetable
Whether it is deposited in marine, fresh water or brackish
water environment
Whether the organic source material was a decomposition
residue of organic matter or synthesis of existing hydrocarbon
compounds
Generation of Hydrocarbon
i) Differences of thoughts arises when an attempt is made to
explain transformation of organic source material into
petroleum
ii) Heat and Pressure, bacterial action, radioactive
bombardment, and catalytic reactions-each has its
proponents as the chief source of energy responsible for
the conversion
Generation of Hydrocarbon

Theories on the accumulation of oil and gas have a direct bearing on


origin:

Petroleum was formed inplaced as the position of present pools

Petroleum has been migrated from the area of origin to the traps

Oil transported with the circulating water


Generation of Hydrocarbon
Oil migrated independently of water movement

Source material was transformed into petroleum in the shale formation

and migrated from there into reservoir rock

Form of colidal and water-soluble organic matter, concentrated in the

reservoir rock or even where traps are found now


Theories of Inorganic Origin
The chief support for theories of inorganic origin lies in the fact that in the laboratory the
hydrocarbon methane, ethane, acetylene, and benzene have repeatedly made from
inorganic source.

Optical rotary power is characteristics of petroleum and especially the intermediate


O
boiling fractions(250 to 300 F )

Most occurrences of hydrocarbons(Oil and Gas) associated with volcanic rock appear
to be better explained as having emanated from underlying sediments than being
genetically related to the igneous material.(White and DeGoyler )
Theories of Inorganic Origin
Free Hydrogen is emitted in considerable quantities from volcanos. The origin of such
volcanic hydrogen may possibly be explained by reduction of magnetite to hematite by
superheated steam. This reaction may be brought about in the laboratory according to
the equation: 2Fe3O4+H2O=3Fe2O3+H2

As hydrogen formed passes through the rock moving outward toward the surface of
earth, it would penetrate and make contact with organic matter, whether subcapillary
pores of the shales or capillary spaces of sandstones, and could combine with it to form
hydrocarbon.
Theories of Inorganic Origin
If petroleum were of comic origin, we would expect to find it more uniformly
distributed over the earth than it is, and to find it abundant in older rocks.
Petroleum of cosmic origin would no respecter of the age of the rock and should
be distributed uniformly throughout the geologic column where ever there is
permeability.

We find, however, that the pre- Cambrian, Cambrian, Triassic and Pleistocene
rocks are notably low in hydrocarbons, even though they all are contain large
volume of porous and permeable rocks.
Theories of Organic Origin
Three compelling reasons favor the belief that primary source material of
petroleum-the “propetroleum”-was organic.

The vast amount of organic matter now found in the sediments of earth.
Carbon and hydrogen predominate in the remains of the organic materials both
animal and plants.

Hydrogen and carbon are generated continuously by the life process of plants
and animals.
Theories of Organic Origin
Another fact is discovered by “Treibs”, that may crude oil have been found to contain
porphyrin pigments and the fact nearly all petroleum contain nitrogen, are more or less
indication of the animal or vegetable origins or both, of petroleum because all organic
products contains both porphyrins and nitrogen.

The porphrin occurs in the asphalts, and in the medium-to-heavy fractions when they
have not been filtered and still contain asphaltic components.

The porphrin amount varyin ranged from 0.004 to 0.02 mg per 100 grams. In other 0.4
to 4 mg per gram.
Theories of Organic Origin
Optical activity-the power to rotate the plane of polarization of polarized light-is property of
most petroleums, and is not to known in organic substances with the exception of
cinnabar(HgS) and quartz(SiO2).

The power of optical rotation is not uniform through out the distillation range but, as usually
at a maximum in fractions having intermediate boiling points( from 250 to 300 C o).

It is believed that most oils is due to the presence of cholesterol (C 25H45OH), which is found

in both vegetable and animals.


Theories of Organic Origin
As disseminated accumulation of organic matter in the shales, clays and other
sediments occurs as they are being deposited. If the hydrogen and carbon are in solid
organic matter of considerable chemical complexity when deposited in the shale, then
we have to imagine the mechanism for transforming this material into petroleum, either
in the shale or subsequently in the reservoir rock.

Either the organic matter or petroleum moves out the shales during their compaction by
loading, and into surrounding porous and permeable reservoir rocks, such as sandstone
and reservoir rock. This process may be the Primary Migration, and is notably occur
early., during diagenesis, but it may occur at any time. The material moved in the
primary migration may be either organic matter, or more likely, petroleum hydrocarbons.
Theories of Organic Origin
If the material reaches the reservoir rock as organic matter, the
transformation to petroleum must be explained.

Once the petroleum in the reservoir rocks, however, a


subsequent, secondary migration through the permeable rocks
carries it to places (traps) where further movement is obstructed,
and thus pools are formed.
Limitation of Conditions
Petroleum is almost always found in sediments-marine sediments, chiefly, but also
continental beds

Petroleum extremely complex mixtures-seldom are two alike; over all chemical
analyses are remarkably uniform

Petroleum is found in the rocks of pre-Cambrian age to Pleistocene age

Reservoir temperature rarely exceeds the boiling temperature of water, but exceptional
o o
temperatures up to 300 F (141 C) have been measured. Prophyrins, which are

complex organic subtances present in some petroleums, limits temperatures to 392o F


o
Limitation of Conditions
Poryphrins in petroleum show that anaerobic conditions were developed early.

Pressure ranges in oil and gas pools from atmospheric pressure up to 10,000 psi.

Some pools suggest little or no lateral or vertical migration, whereas other indicates
that petroleum has migrated into pool some outside source area.

The minimum time required to forma and concentrate petroleum into pool is probably
less than one million years
Question
Answers

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy