Oil Migration

Objectives:

To demonstrate the effectiveness of oil migration through porous sand. Background Information and Preparation: In the Canadian eastcoast offshore basins, oil is most often generated in organic rich shales and it is reservoired in porous sandstones some distance from the source rocks. Movement from the source rock to reservoir rock is often through porous sandstones. This simple experiment will demonstrate the manner in which oil moves through sand. Materials: A plastic container (eg. a 2 litre ice cream container)
A quantity of clean dry sand
A small amount of light gavity oil or kerosene
Clean water Method: Put 5 cm³ of oil in the bottom of the plastic container and then fill about 1/2 full with clean, dry sand. Pour water into the container until the water level is about 2-3 cm above the top of the sand. Cover to prevent evaporation. Check daily for an oil slick to form on the top of the water; for heavier oil this may take several days. Depending on the type of oil used, the slick may or may not be readily observed, but it may be felt on the tip of a finger. A sure test is to introduce a minute amount of dishwashing detergent to the top of the water with something like a toothpick. This will disperse the oil slick and form tiny droplets of oil around the edge of the container.

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Last Modified: 2004-12-10