New insights into petroleum migration-accumulation dynamic systems and their division within petroleum systems

Abstract

Since the concept of petroleum migration-accumulation dynamic system (PMADS) was introduced in the 1990s, its definition, division and even denomination have long been in disagreement. This article aims to further discuss and try to clarify this concept and to explore more reasonable approaches to the division of PMADSs on the basis of our studies on petroleum migration and accumulation in some petroliferous basins of China, especially those from western China. According to the studies, we define PMADS as a relatively independent natural hydrocarbon migrating and accumulating system within a petroleum system. Its extent is supposed to cover the whole migration pathway starting from a hydrocarbon provenance throughout to an accumulation or a group of accumulations of same source. Just like petroleum systems, a petroleum migration-accumulation system is also an important natural unit for petroleum exploration and assessment in petroleum basins. Its position in a basin is right between a petroleum system and a play. A petroleum system has either a number of migration-accumulation systems or one system only. However, the key element of a petroleum system is the source of hydrocarbon; a petroleum system has a distinct hydrocarbon kitchen and is different from its neighboring ones in terms of hydrocarbon kitchens. In contrast, different migration-accumulation systems within the same petroleum system have a shared source kitchen but different characteristics of migration and accumulation to form hydrocarbon accumulations. As far as the division of petroleum migration-accumulation systems (PMASs) is concerned, 8 major approaches are proposed, including those based on pool-forming dynamic mechanisms, location of hydrocarbon accumulation relative to the source kitchen, phase states of migration and accumulation, migration patterns and directions, geneses of accumulations, reservoir pressure systems, depositional systems and facies, and integrated method, of which the integrated approach is underlined with regard to the division of PMASs in a complex petroleum system like those in West-China superimposed basins.

Keywords

petroleum / migration / accumulation / migration-accumulation system / petroleum system

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