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AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 25 (1941)

Issue: 4. (April)

First Page: 561

Last Page: 592

Title: Correlation of Crude Oils with Special Reference to Crude Oil of Gulf Coast

Author(s): Donald C. Barton (2)

Abstract:

The pattern of the graph of the derivation-from-the-mean of the difference between the A.P.I. gravity of adjacent cuts in the United States Bureau of Mines Hempel analyses of crude oil is reasonably characteristic of the crude oil of individual reservoirs and is reasonably invariant in the face of drastic artificial oxidation and weathering. Wide variation is shown by the various crude oils of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. In many cases, the patterns for the crude oils or part of the crude oils from approximately the same or approximately equivalent formations will show mutual similarity which is very much closer than their resemblance to the patterns of other crude oils. Drastic difference is present in a few cases between patterns of crude oils from the same sand (examples: Woodbine, "Wilcox sand" of Oklahoma). The presumption seems justified that in general but not universally very close similarity in pattern indicates genetic relationship for the corresponding crude oils. The presumption is yet stronger that drastic difference in pattern necessarily indicates difference in origin or history for the crude oils in question. These patterns offer a usably good but not perfect means of studying the genetic relationships and non-relationships of crude oils.

These conclusions are based on a rapid reconnaissance of the patterns for the Pennsylvanian and Permian crude oils of Texas, of the Oklahoma crude oils, and of the Cretaceous crude oils of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, a few special detailed studies, and a detailed study of the patterns of Gulf Coast crudes.

The following theoretical conclusions seem to follow from the similarities and non-similarities of pattern and from the stratigraphic and areal occurrence of the Gulf Coast crude oils. The most common Plio-Miocene and younger Miocene crude oils can not be migrant older oils. The older Miocene (post-Discorbis zone) crude oils and a group of "Oligocene" (post-Vicksburg) crude oils can not be migrant oils of the most common Eocene and "Oligocene" types. Most of the source beds are decidedly limited in occurrence; and part of the variation in prolificness of adjacent structures is the effect of lensing in and out of the source beds. In spite of evidence against vertical migration at either place, some common factor producing similarity of pattern has affected crude oils through most of th Miocene section at Lockport, Louisiana; and a similar factor has affected crude oils through all but the uppermost part of the Miocene section at Spindletop, Texas. Part of the similarity in pattern between crude oils of adjacent ages is the effect of persistence of similarity of source conditions over a period of time. This pattern holds reasonably invariant in face of variation of the base from naphthenic to paraffinic. This more detailed study of the Gulf Coast crude oils through their A.P.I. gravity patterns really is only an extremely rapid reconnaissance into a new field and it indicates great promise for further research.

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