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Validating Compositional Chemical Kinetics for Basin Modeling of the Vaca Muerta Formation in the Neuquen Basin

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Cross section of our study area extracted from the 3D basin model Vaca Muerta sequences show a general progradation pattern in the upper Vaca Muerta (the associated general lithofacies.
Cross section of our study area extracted from the 3D basin model Vaca Muerta sequences show a general progradation pattern in the upper Vaca Muerta (the associated general lithofacies.

Laboratory-derived chemical kinetic models have been challenged to match the compositions of oil and gas accumulations in the subsurface for a variety of reasons, including fractionation during expulsion.  Measured oil and gas compositions in the subsurface of the Neuquen Basin were used to refine a laboratory-based chemical reaction network coupled to a sorption-based expulsion model.  Model calculations included a reconstructed burial history model for the Vaca Muerta formation.  Besides source-rock Rock-Eval parameters, agreement was obtained for polar content, saturates to aromatics ratio, gas to oil ratio, and gas wetness.

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Mei, M., A. K. Burnham, N. B. Schoellkopf, J. Wendebourg, and F. Gelin, 2001, Modeling petroleum generation, retention, and expulsion from the Vaca Meurta Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina: Part I. integrating compositional kinetics and basin modeling: Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 123, p. 1-15, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104743.

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Mei Mei (Alumni)