The fluid inclusion study in petroleum exploration

Abstract

Several oil companies and research centers have been studying petroleum fluid inclusions in reservoirs since the 1980’s. The first works have used the fluid inclusion microthermometry technique in order to interpret the thermal history and petroleum migration in relation to the burial history and diagenesis. Lately, the microthermometric data is being used as a calibration parameter for thermal history modeling in sedimentary basins and reservoirs. Recently, new fluid inclusion study techniques are being used in petroleum exploration. Geochemical data of low molecular weight (up to C15) oil-bearing fluid inclusions has been used with the purpose of pinpointing oil-bearing intervals in wells that have not revealed the presence of oil by conventional techniques. Molecular geochemical analyses of oils inside the inclusions technique enable oil–source correlations, oil–oil correlations, and maturity determination.