--> Permian Basin Petroleum Systems Investigations: Inferences from Oil Geochemistry and Source Rocks, by D. M. Jarvie, J. D. Burgess, A. Morelos, P. A. Mariotti, and R. Lindsey; #90903 (2001)

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Permian Basin Petroleum Systems Investigations: Inferences from Oil Geochemistry and Source Rocks

D. M. Jarvie1, J. D. Burgess1, A. Morelos1, P. A. Mariotti2, and R. Lindsey2
1Humble Geochemical Services, Humble, TX([email protected])
2Chevron

The Permian Basin, encompassing 52 counties in West Texas and southeast New Mexico, has produced over 35 billion barrels of oil. Gas production is limited primarily to deep Ordovician reservoirs and their economics can be affected by very high maturity zones where nonhydrocarbon gases dilute the calorific value.

Geochemical details and description of the functional petroleum systems as well as detailed characteristics of oils and source rocks are not well detailed in the literature. Therefore, a state-of-the-art geochemical study of oil and rock samples including 1-D well models was undertaken to provide a detailed assessment of the petroleum systems.

Over 100 oil samples from over 40 counties in West Texas and New Mexico representing most producing horizons were typed using detailed light hydrocarbon and whole oil fingerprinting. Selected samples were analyzed for saturate and aromatic biomarkers as well as carbon isotopic values. These data were used, not only to type and characterize the oil samples themselves, but to make inferences and correlations to source rocks. This technique of geochemical inversion is invaluable in making inferences concerning likely source rocks particularly when the source rock samples are not accessible or only accessible in selected parts of a basin, immature or overmature, or otherwise contaminated from drilling operations. Further, the oil geochemistry can be used to assess in-reservoir mixing and commingling of production using end member oil samples, i.e., pristine oil samples from a single source rock.

Effective or prospective source rock samples from selected parts of the basin were analyzed and characterized. These included rock samples from the Ordovician Simpson Formation, U. Devonian/L. Mississippian Woodford Formation, and the Permian Wolfcampian, Leonardian, and Guadalupian series.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90903©2001 AAPG Mid-Continent Meeting, Amarillo, Texas