Correlation and migration studies of North Central Sumatra oils

The Central Sumatra Basin (CSB) is a prolific petroleum-producing basin and its petroleum systems have been extensively studied. The widely occurring Tertiary lacustrine shale, Brown Shale, has long been recognized as the main source rock for tens of billions of barrels of oil in place. The oils produced from different fields display significant variation in source characteristics that have been attributed to variation in source facies. Despite this generalized recognition of the oil source, the links between major oil accumulations and many possible source kitchens throughout the basin have not been established as detailed oil-source correlation, and oil migration routes are not well defined. For continued exploration in the region, detailed genetic grouping and migration routes of the oils were evaluated through geochemical characterization of numerous oils from various fields in the northern part of Central Sumatra. Biomarker and carbon isotopic data indicate that the oils are quite similar geochemically but form several genetic groups on the basis of subtle but persistent differences in source facies. The groupings appear geographically meaningful and show association of the different oil groups with various troughs. Carbazole distributions show consistency in suggesting differences in relative migration distance among the oils within each genetic group. By combining the oil grouping and carbazole distributions with geological data, models of migration directions and pathways for oils in North Central Sumatra have been constructed.