oa The Importance of Geochemical Expertise in the Application of Machine Learning to Petroleum Systems

Machine learning promises to enhance our ability to work with large datasets in petroleum geochemistry however there are some significant barriers to practical use. In this work we show how we can integrate ML methods in a ‘top-down’ approach to regional petroleum systems with more traditional ‘bottom-up’ geochemistry and petroleum systems modelling approaches, building on the strengths of each approach. The approach is illustrated in a study of the oils of the northern North Sea (UK and Norway), and provides guidance as to how to get the best out of machine learning and traditional geochemical approaches while also integrating basin and petroleum system modelling.