how geologial structures(like folds, faults-joints, traps, etc) help in petroleum exploration
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Geologic structures are often the first clues of where to look for oil. The goal of every explorationist is to be able to say "drill here" and geologic structures can be used to improve the chances of success in both conventional and unconventional plays. If not for structures, there would be very few reasons for petroleum explorationists to use seismic data, as seismic reveals the structure that we cannot see at the surface. When no seismic data is available, structure can be even more essential for understanding a petroleum system and exploring for accumulations of oil and gas.
If you read "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power" by Daniel Yergin you will find a story of how the first drilling sites were chosen in Saudi Arabia. As the boat that the geologist was traveling on approached shore he could see large anticlinal structures on shore. His immediate response was "drill there." The anticlines were indeed petroleum traps. Stories of early exploration in Libya related in "The Oil Finders: A Collection of Stories About Exploration" by Dave Kingston, he relates how in the 1950's in Libya, Esso realized after expending considerable effort shooting seismic that most of the large oil field structures were visible from the air. Aerial photos and airplanes have been a time tested tool of field geologists exploring frontier basins, simply because from the air you can see structures that help you find oil and gas.
Structure has several important roles in exploration for conventional oil and gas. First and most obvious is that it forms a trap. If the basin has a working petroleum system, a structural trap may be enough evidence to warrant drilling. However, structure also plays a role in migration. Unless structural timing is understood, as well as the timing of maturation, there is always the possibility that the structure was formed in such a way that it was not charged, or that it may have drained in some previous configuration.
If you read "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power" by Daniel Yergin you will find a story of how the first drilling sites were chosen in Saudi Arabia. As the boat that the geologist was traveling on approached shore he could see large anticlinal structures on shore. His immediate response was "drill there." The anticlines were indeed petroleum traps. Stories of early exploration in Libya related in "The Oil Finders: A Collection of Stories About Exploration" by Dave Kingston, he relates how in the 1950's in Libya, Esso realized after expending considerable effort shooting seismic that most of the large oil field structures were visible from the air. Aerial photos and airplanes have been a time tested tool of field geologists exploring frontier basins, simply because from the air you can see structures that help you find oil and gas.
Structure has several important roles in exploration for conventional oil and gas. First and most obvious is that it forms a trap. If the basin has a working petroleum system, a structural trap may be enough evidence to warrant drilling. However, structure also plays a role in migration. Unless structural timing is understood, as well as the timing of maturation, there is always the possibility that the structure was formed in such a way that it was not charged, or that it may have drained in some previous configuration.
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