Experimental simulation of primary migration

Around fifty expulsion experiments were performed in a high pressure vessel specifically designed for the study of primary migration on natural source rock cores. The results indicate that temperature, pressure, source rock richness and source rock architecture are the main parameters controlling the amount of petroleum expelled during the simulation. In particular, the control exerted by the pressure gradient and the source rock bulk permeability is well demonstrated. Another relevant result is the observation of the need for the production of a sufficient quantity of petroleum in the source rock before expulsion can start. All these results have been compared with migration phenomena observed in the natural system and we discuss herein the similarities observed.