Secondary Migration in a 2D Visual Laboratory Model

Reservoirs and cap-rocks undergo burial dwing geological time. Hydrocarbons migrate into and fill traps during periods of active expulsion from source rocks. The supply of oil and gas can be abundant until deep burial stops the supply. Capillary leakage of oil and gas from the trap can then potentially decrease the size of the accumulation. A laboratory study of filling into and leakage out of a trap has been undertaken with a visual 2D laboratory model. The model defined a synthetic cap rock having a finite entry pressure overlying a permeable reservoir rock. The trap was formed by imbedding a pyramid-shaped layer of smaller glass beads in a pack of larger glass beads.