The generated oil is initially trapped within the micropores of the source rock, bonded to the mineral matrix by strong molecular forces. Within this specific thermal range, the kerogen molecules undergo thermal cracking.
Oil Formation Traps Reservoirs Geological Structures
Common reservoir rocks are sandstone and limestone. The water and volatile gases are squeezed out, and the complex organic molecules begin to break down into simpler, more stable compounds.
With increasing burial comes immense pressure from the weight of the overlying rock and rising temperatures from the Earth's geothermal gradient. This mixture of preserved organic matter within sedimentary layers is the source rock, the essential kitchen where the recipe for oil begins.
Geological Traps and Reservoir Structures Formed During Oil Generation
This intricate process, operating deep underground over eons, is the reason hydrocarbons exist in the quantities we find today. This process, known as diagenesis and catagenesis, transforms organic matter into the hydrocarbons we rely on, buried deep within the Earth's crust.
More About How are oils formed
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