Petroleum Systems

The Petroleum System concept helps oil companies decide which prospects are most likely to contain oil or gas and exploration geochemistry is an important part of petroleum system studies. Geochemistry defines the source rocks present in the basin, whether they are capable of generating oil or gas, and if they are mature enough to have expelled hydrocarbons. The amount of oil and gas generated and correlation between specific source rocks and various oils, condensates, and gases also can be accomplished. This information is then combined with geology, geophysics, and modeling to determine the hydrocarbon change and time of migration for each prospect. Prospects with the greatest probability of containing oil or gas can then be selected for drilling, resulting in fewer dry holes.