Geology · Exploration
Migration Path
The route oil and gas follow from the source rock up into the reservoir and the trap.
What it does
Primary migration is the expulsion out of the source rock. Secondary migration carries the hydrocarbons through permeable rock into the trap. They move up because they are lighter than the water in the rock.
Basics
| Primary | Expulsion from the source rock |
| Secondary | Movement through carrier beds into the trap |
| Driving force | Buoyancy |
Common failures
- Trap formed after the oil had already migrated past it, so it stays empty
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Shows in the well but no accumulation
- Likely cause
- Oil passed through and escaped, or the timing was wrong
- What to check
- Rework the timing of trap formation against generation