You can download Elements of Petroleum Geology ebook here.
- Title: Elements of Petroleum Geology
- Authors: Richard C. Selley, Stephen A. Sonnenberg
- Publisher: AP Press
- Pages: 515
The first edition of Elements of Petroleum Geology was published in 1985, some 30 years ago. The objective of the book was to describe the elements of petroleum geology. Beginning with the deposition and maturation of a source rock, followed by the migration of petroleum from the source into a porous permeable reservoir rock trapped beneath an impermeable seal. This book also described the science and technology of petroleum exploration and production, from the first geophysical surveys to the finale of enhanced recovery.
When the second edition was published in 1998 the fundamental elements of petroleum geology remain little changed, but the science and technology of petroleum exploration and production had evolved. For example, ever improving computer power enabled the development of 3D seismic surveys. The ability to interpret reflecting horizons progressed to interpreting the amplitude of individual seismic wave traces.
When Elsevier requested the production of a third edition RCS, by now in the spring time of his demensia, felt daunted by the task. Elsevier suggested a co-author. SAS accepted the challenge and has made a major contribution to the revision. In the intervening years between the second and third editions the importance of unconventionally occurring petroleum has been realized.
Technological advances, notably in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have enabled gas and oil to be produced from the very source rocks themselves, without migration and entrapment in a conventional reservoir. The production of gas and oil from shale, together with coal bed methane is accelerating. This shift has many economic and environmental benefits, not least because it diminishes reliance on burning coal leading to a cut in carbon dioxide emissions.
We hope that this third edition will, like its predecessors, be useful for student geoscientists and engineers preparing for a career in the energy industry, and also for mature practitioners in the upstream petroleum industry seeking a wide ranging account of a large area of science and engineering.