Definition
The migration of hydrocarbons is a set of processes driving progressively the oil and gas from a generative source rock toward the surface of the Earth. During the various steps of their migration, portions of hydrocarbons are eventually retained by trapping features on geological time scale. In a petroleum system perspective, understanding and modeling the path and timing of migration are essential components. Three main types of hydrocarbon migration are commonly distinguished: Primary migration is the process by which hydrocarbon generated from kerogen flows within the source rock to be expelled into an adjacent permeable carrier bed or a fracture system. A portion of the hydrocarbons, however, remains within the source rock and this corresponds to what is referred to as shale oil and shale gas targeted by the unconventional drilling, stimulation, and production. Secondary migration is the upward movement of the expelled oil and gas within a carrier system made of...
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The author acknowledges with thanks the very helpful review by Dr Rasoul B. Sorkhabi
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Huc, A.Y. (2021). Migration of Hydrocarbons. In: Sorkhabi, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Petroleum Geoscience. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02330-4_80-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02330-4_80-1
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