25
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. A. Murawski et al. (eds.), Deep Oil Spills,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_3
Chapter 3
Physical and Chemical Properties of Oil
and Gas Under Reservoir and Deep-Sea
Conditions
Thomas B. P. Oldenburg, Philip Jaeger, Jonas Gros, Scott A. Socolofsky,
Simeon Pesch, Jagoš R. Radović, and Aprami Jaggi
Abstract Petroleum is one of the most complex naturally occurring organic mixtures.
The physical and chemical properties of petroleum in a reservoir depend on its
molecular composition and the reservoir conditions (temperature, pressure). The
composition of petroleum varies greatly, ranging from the simplest gas (methane),
condensates, conventional crude oil to heavy oil and oil sands bitumen with complex molecules having molecular weights in excess of 1000 daltons (Da). The distribution of petroleum constituents in a reservoir largely depends on source facies
(original organic material buried), age (evolution of organisms), depositional environment (dysoxic versus anoxic), maturity of the source rock (kerogen) at time of
expulsion, primary/secondary migration, and in-reservoir alteration such as biodegradation, gas washing, water washing, segregation, and/or mixing from different oil
charges. These geochemical aspects define the physical characteristics of a petroleum in the reservoir, including its density and viscosity. When the petroleum is
released from the reservoir through an oil exploration accident like in the case of the
Deepwater Horizon event, several processes are affecting the physical and chemical
T. B. P. Oldenburg (*) · J. R. Radović · A. Jaggi
University of Calgary, PRG, Department of Geoscience, Calgary, Canada
e-mail: toldenbu@ucalgary.ca; Jagos.Radovic@ucalgary.ca; aprami.jaggi@ucalgary.ca
P. Jaeger
Eurotechnica GmbH, Bargteheide, Germany
e-mail: jaeger@eurotechnica.de
J. Gros (*)
GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Kiel, Germany
e-mail: jogros@geomar.de
S. A. Socolofsky
Texas A&M University, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, College Station, TX, USA
e-mail: ssocolofsky@civil.tamu.edu
S. Pesch
Hamburg University of Technology, Institute of Multiphase Flows, Hamburg, Germany
e-mail: simeon.pesch@tuhh.de
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
S. A. Murawski et al. (eds.), Deep Oil Spills,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_3
Chapter 3
Physical and Chemical Properties of Oil
and Gas Under Reservoir and Deep-Sea
Conditions
Thomas B. P. Oldenburg, Philip Jaeger, Jonas Gros, Scott A. Socolofsky,
Simeon Pesch, Jagoš R. Radović, and Aprami Jaggi
Abstract Petroleum is one of the most complex naturally occurring organic mixtures.
The physical and chemical properties of petroleum in a reservoir depend on its
molecular composition and the reservoir conditions (temperature, pressure). The
composition of petroleum varies greatly, ranging from the simplest gas (methane),
condensates, conventional crude oil to heavy oil and oil sands bitumen with complex molecules having molecular weights in excess of 1000 daltons (Da). The distribution of petroleum constituents in a reservoir largely depends on source facies
(original organic material buried), age (evolution of organisms), depositional environment (dysoxic versus anoxic), maturity of the source rock (kerogen) at time of
expulsion, primary/secondary migration, and in-reservoir alteration such as biodegradation, gas washing, water washing, segregation, and/or mixing from different oil
charges. These geochemical aspects define the physical characteristics of a petroleum in the reservoir, including its density and viscosity. When the petroleum is
released from the reservoir through an oil exploration accident like in the case of the
Deepwater Horizon event, several processes are affecting the physical and chemical
T. B. P. Oldenburg (*) · J. R. Radović · A. Jaggi
University of Calgary, PRG, Department of Geoscience, Calgary, Canada
e-mail: toldenbu@ucalgary.ca; Jagos.Radovic@ucalgary.ca; aprami.jaggi@ucalgary.ca
P. Jaeger
Eurotechnica GmbH, Bargteheide, Germany
e-mail: jaeger@eurotechnica.de
J. Gros (*)
GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Kiel, Germany
e-mail: jogros@geomar.de
S. A. Socolofsky
Texas A&M University, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, College Station, TX, USA
e-mail: ssocolofsky@civil.tamu.edu
S. Pesch
Hamburg University of Technology, Institute of Multiphase Flows, Hamburg, Germany
e-mail: simeon.pesch@tuhh.de