Petroleum System Investigative Research

The Stanford BPSM affiliates program provides expertise in visualization and quantification of the geohistory of sedimentary basins and petroleum systems. Our objectives include developing the next generation of expert petroleum system modelers, devising quantitative tools that are rigorously applied to evaluating geologic risk, and conducting fundamental and applied energy-focused research. A petroliferous sedimentary basin comprises the essential elements from which the petroleum fluids are generated in the pod of active source rock; these fluids subsequently are expelled and injected into the country rock from which the migrate to a trap to form accumulations. Opportunities for research in rock mechanics and geochemistry of unconventional resources in the pod of active source rock are possible. Modeling studies in fluid movement and accumulation within the petroleum system at the critical moment are an ongoing research topic. Students and faculty members have published investigations on numerous petroleum systems in the following areas: Alaska, California, Colorado, Offshore Newfoundland, Gulf of Mexico, Viking Graben, New Zealand, Argentina, and Colombia.