The Earth is a dynamic system, millions of years old, whose surface is always changing and upon which organisms of untold multitudes have lived and died. The effects of weather, erosion, climatic changes, and tectonic movement, among many factors, have produced the world on which we all live today.
The way this dynamic system has evolved is responsible for geological stores of hydrocarbons that humans now seek to extract and use to meet our energy demands.
Understanding the geological underpinnings of oil and gas development can help to clarify why drillers have chosen to drill where they do and how future development efforts might be shaped by detailing how hydrocarbons were formed and why they reside in the rock layers in which we find them today.
Why It Matters
Understanding the basics of geology is a fundamental requirement for asking important questions in a world that depends heavily on energy from fossil fuels.
Learning Objectives
- Categorize the various types of hydrocarbons, their basic chemical composition and their potential hazards.
- Recognize and identify basic rock types encountered in the subsurface in various petroleum basins.
- Describe the various components of rock types and their role in a petroleum system.
- Describe how stratigraphic basins were formed.
- Describe the general concept of plate tectonics.
Images: “Sunrise” by Michael Black