Category Archives: Oil and Gas
Play concept: What is a play?
Oil fields don’t just happen. Each accumulation of hydrocarbons has a unique history associated with it. For example: At some point in the Earth’s past a river deposited a thick sedimentary layer of sand. Sea levels began to rise and burried the land in a deep sea. Fine particles settled and formed a shaley […]
Read moreO&G industry: Geology matters
For students in geoscience, the oil and gas industry is probably the most likely industry they will end up in. During our studies we often learn a given curriculum, have fun on fieldtrips, specialise in a certain topic, write a thesis and enroll in the next higher education level. Repeat. The result is that fresh-out-of-college-graduates […]
Read moreWhy is the Brent called Brent?
Brent crude is a light sweet crude from the North Sea that is an established “brand” and trading blend of many North Sea oils. It has an API of 38 and is widely used in Europe. So why is the Brent called Brent? The short answer is that the name comes from the Brent oilfield […]
Read moreWhat is API oil quality?
Sometimes we see the term API or degrees API. The API degree refers to the specific gravity of the oil. Unlike density values it is inversely defined. So a high API value means a low density and vice versa. It goes back to the Baume scale which is a hydrometer scale to measure densities of […]
Read moreWhy does oil and gas rise towards the surface?
It rises if it’s lighter than its surrounding liquid and it overcomes capillary pressures, caused by the pores in the rock. You can describe all materials by its density property, or specific gravity. Which is weight per volume. Typically measured in g/cm3 or t/m3. Since these numbers translate directly into each other I will only […]
Read moreWhy is there oil in the ground and what is an oilfield? A quick guide to petroleum geology!
Why is there oil in the ground? Oil, or more specifically hydrocarbons, is found in most major basins in the world. How did it get there? And what makes an oil field an oil field? The shortest answer: An oil field is an “upside-down lake“. But you can’t swim in it… This statement sounds rather […]
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