Publications

The international journal of geoenergy and applied Earth science 

Petroleum Geoscience (PG) is a co-owned journal of the Geological Society of London and the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) 

Chief Editor

Philip Ringrose, Equinor & NTNU, Norway

Scope

Petroleum Geoscience transcends disciplinary boundaries and publishes a balanced mix of articles covering exploration, exploitation, appraisal, development and enhancement of sub-surface hydrocarbon resources and carbon repositories. The integration of disciplines in an applied context, whether for fluid production, carbon storage or related geoenergy applications, is a particular strength of the journal. Articles on enhancing exploration efficiency, lowering technological and environmental risk, and improving hydrocarbon recovery communicate the latest developments in sub-surface geoscience to a wide readership.

The journal publishes research and review articles, discussions and replies, thematic collections and the Energy Geoscience Series, an on-going collection providing a channel for the anticipated growth in non-petroleum related aspects of geoenergy and applied earth science.

Online in the Lyell Collection

Online only and continuous publication

From 2021, the journal is published online only. Following acceptance, the accepted manuscript version of the article is made available online immediately. After completion of the production process, the final Version of Record is published directly in an issue. All accepted manuscripts and versions of record are hosted and accessible via the Lyell Collection.

The journal is abstracted and/or indexed in:

• Current Contents
• GeoArchive
• Geobase
• Geological Abstracts
• GeoRef
• Mineralogical Abstracts
• Petroleum Abstracts
• Science Citation Index

Recent Petroleum Geoscience highlights

Fault and top seals

Editors: Quentin Fisher, Frauke Schaefer, Ieva Kaminskaite, Dave Dewhurst & Graham Yielding

This thematic collection comprises contributions to the fifth EAGE conference about fault and top seal analysis. The conference was highly successful in bringing together scientists from different industries (petroleum, CO₂ storage and radioactive waste disposal) and academia, with a wide range of backgrounds (geology, petroleum engineering, petrophysics, geophysics, modelling, geomechanics and geochemistry) to share experiences in this field. Predicting the behaviour of fault seals and top seals remains a major uncertainty, not just in the exploration, appraisal and production of conventional petroleum reservoirs but also in areas such as gas (methane and CO₂) storage and radioactive waste disposal. Shared experiences of both successful and unsuccessful applications of fault and top seal analysis will help in adapting our working practices in order to reduce this uncertainty.

Visit the Fault and top seals collection

Stratigraphic controls on hydrocarbon recovery in clastic reservoirs of the Norwegian Continental Shelf

By: Kachalla Aliyuda, John Howell, Adrian Hartley and Aliyuda Ali

A number of geological and engineering parameters influence and control the performance and ultimate recovery from an oil reservoir. These are commonly interlinked and the relative importance of each can be difficult to unravel. These variables include geological parameters such as depositional environment which has long been considered a key factor influencing the production characteristics of fields. However, quantifying the importance of any single factor, such as depositional environment, is complicated by impact of the other variables (geological and engineering) and their numerous interdependencies.

Read 'Stratigraphic controls on hydrocarbon recovery in clastic reservoirs of the Norwegian Continental Shelf'

Fault seal modelling – the influence of fluid properties on fault sealing capacity in hydrocarbon and CO₂ systems

By Rūta Karolytė, Gareth Johnson, Graham Yielding and Stuart M.V. Gilfillan

Fault seal analysis is a key part of understanding the hydrocarbon trapping mechanisms in the petroleum industry. Fault seal research has also been expanded to CO2–brine systems for the application to carbon capture and storage (CCS). The wetting properties of rock-forming minerals in the presence of hydrocarbons or CO2 are a source of uncertainty in the calculations of capillary threshold pressure, which defines the fault sealing capacity. Here, we explore this uncertainty in a comparison study between two fault-sealed fields located in the Otway Basin, SE Australia. The Katnook Field in the Penola Trough is a methane field, while Boggy Creek in Port Campbell contains a high-CO2–methane mixture. Two industry standard fault seal modelling methods, one based on laboratory measurements of fault samples and the other based on a calibration of a global dataset of known sealing faults, are used to discuss their relative strengths and applicability to the CO2 storage context. We identify a range of interfacial tensions and contact angle values in the hydrocarbon–water system under the conditions assumed by the second method. Based on this, the uncertainty related to the spread in fluid properties was determined to be 24% of the calculated threshold capillary pressure value. We propose a methodology of threshold capillary pressure conversion from hydrocarbons–brine to the CO2–brine system, using an input of appropriate interfacial tension and contact angle under reservoir conditions. The method can be used for any fluid system where fluid properties are defined by these two parameters.

Read 'Fault seal modelling – the influence of fluid properties on fault sealing capacity in hydrocarbon and CO₂ systems'

Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf

Editors: Phil Christie & Jo Prigmore

Oil and gas production from offshore sedimentary basins of the UK has been taking place for over 50 years. However, since reaching its peak in the early 2000’s, there has been a major decline in produced volumes. The UK Regulator, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) was set up in 2016 with a view to extending the life of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) by various means including reinvigorating exploration, asset stewardship and seeking new uses for existing infrastructure (e.g. carbon storage). One initiative they led was to acquire seismic data and promote licensing over Frontier Areas that had not seen much drilling activity since the early days of exploration. The OGA set up a competition in which academic institutions could bid to undertake research studies on the newly acquired seismic from the Mid North Sea, Rockall and Western Approaches areas. The OGA’s instigation and launch of the National Data Repository (NDR) in April 2019 also saw the largest release of data in to the public domain, something that led to research being carried out on underexplored plays in the North Sea and a better understanding of other poorly-documented exploration frontiers. This thematic collection presents the results of the research work undertaken by Aberdeen, Durham and Heriot-Watt Universities under the OGA-sponsored and NDR-facilitated activities, the results of which informed the 31st Offshore Licensing Round and led to new exploration activity. The academic research outcomes not only provide important new insights into the lesser known plays and under-explored petroleum systems of the UKCS, but also highlight generic learnings that can be applied to global counterparts.

Read 'Under-explored plays and frontier basins of the UK continental shelf'