Anticline
An anticline is a folded rock formation that is upwards convex in shape and was formed from rock that was initially flat. In this formation of rock, the oldest rock is found at the core of the arch shape. Anticline formations are highly indicative of petroleum reservoirs. As rock beds trap hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas build up in the pore spaces in anticline rocks. Generally speaking, the largest oilfields occur in anticlines containing sedimentary rock.[2]
Anticline traps were discovered by geologists in the late nineteenth century, and are the most common structural traps in the world.
Oil and Gas Trap
An anticline formation can act as an oil and gas trap and is classified as a structural trap. Anticline traps beneath the Earth's surface will trap oil in one place. Oil that migrates into a reservoir rock that has been bent into an anticline shape will flow towards the crest of the arch. If there is a trap rock above the arch to seal the oil, it gets stuck in the anticline trap. The reservoir rock of the trap usually isn't completely filled with oil, rather it can also contain large amounts of salt water.[3] In situations where the anticline is full of oil, it is known as a spill plane.[4]
References
- ↑ Wikimedia Commons. (September 17, 2015). NJ Route 23 Anticline [Online]. Available: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/NJ_Route_23_anticline.jpg
- ↑ Geonami. (September 17, 2015). Structural Geology: Anticlines and Synclines [Online]. Available: http://www.geonami.com/structural-geology/
- ↑ Petroleum Education. (September 19, 2015). Structural traps [Online]. Available: https://www.priweb.org/ed/pgws/systems/traps/structural/structural.html
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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