petroleumgeologi

Petroleumgeologi is the branch of geology that studies the origin, occurrence, movement, and economic extraction of hydrocarbons in the Earth's crust. It seeks to understand petroleum systems to assess prospects, quantify resources, and guide exploration and development.

A petroleum system comprises source rocks, maturation to generate hydrocarbons, migration pathways, traps, reservoir rocks, and seals. The timing and spatial arrangement determine whether oil or gas accumulations are preserved and commercially recoverable.

Petroleum geologists use field observations, stratigraphy, structural geology, geophysics, and geochemistry. Key tools include seismic reflection surveys, well logging, core analysis, and basin modeling. Data integration creates geological models of basins and plays.

Workflows: regional basin analysis, play generation, prospect screening, drilling and appraisal, reserve estimation, and development planning. Risk assessment and economics are integrated with geological uncertainty.

The discipline is interdisciplinary, closely linked with petroleum engineering, reservoir geology, petrophysics, geostatistics, and environmental science. Advances in 3D seismic, sequence stratigraphy, nano- and micro-scale geochemistry, and computational modeling enhance resource evaluation.

Environmental, regulatory, and social considerations influence exploration and production. Sustainable resource management and responsible decommissioning are increasingly emphasized.