Deep CMP Seismic Testify to the Deep Origin of Oil

Vladimir A. Trofimov
Institute for geology and development of fossil fuels (IGIRGI), Moscow, Russia

The CMP seismic studies in the petroleum provinces in Russia were based on the following assumption: if oil fields are of deep origin and are connected with upward flows of hydrocarbon fluids, then the structure of the Earth's crust below these fields, especially below the giant ones, is most likely to be different from that of the neighbouring areas. The data acquired in 1994-95 unequivocally indicated that these differences did exist. Then the experiments were planed more advisably. Very challenging data of research and applied interest were obtained from the geotraverse Tatseis-2003 (more than 1000 km long , the length of a useful record -20 s) crossing the Volga-Ural petroleum province and passing through the Romashkino giant oil field.
The dominant feature of the wavefield at long times is the presence of dipping events rising in a southeast direction. These are characterised by a distinct zonation: these lineups are mainly observed in the southeastern section of the geotraverse, in the interval of 100-430 km, where oil fields are located.
The main scientifically and practically important result of the performed studies is the proven relation between the presence of oil in the sedimentary cover and the structure of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, – the fact of fundamental significance, which in particular raises the question of the deep origin of hydrocarbons.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece