Geofluid dynamic concept of hydrocarbon accumulation in natural reservoirs

Abstract

Most modern theories axiomatically assume that hydrocarbons (HCs), which migrate in different ways from the generation zones and sources with high gradients of reduced pressures, concentrate in autochthonous natural reservoirs possessing smaller levels of reservoir energy. Hydraulic drainage of reservoirs is possible in principle through only three mechanisms: (i) horizontally oriented regional elisional water flow upwards, along the plunge of general folding from central parts of basins towards their peripheral frames; (ii) owing to the effect of lateral pressure of groundwater immediately in traps, with subsequent pushing out by high-pressure fluids supplied to the sunken parts of folds; (iii) vertically directed, from bottom to top, overflow injection mechanism. The study of their possible implementations and relative ratios in the outcome comprise the content of the proposed fluid-dynamic concept of HC accumulation.