This book has been prepared by the collaborative effort of two somewhat separate technical groups: the researchers at the Institute for Petroleum and Organic Geochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jii­ lich (KFA), and the technical staff of Integrated Exploration Systems (IES). One of us, Donald R. Baker, from Rice University, Houston, has spent so much time at KFA as a guest scientist and researcher that it is most appropriate for him to contribute to the book. During its more than 20-year history the KFA group has made numerous and significant contributions to the understanding of petroleum evolution. The KFA researchers have emphasized both the field and laboratory approaches to such important problems as source rock recognition and evaluation, oil and gas generation, maturation of organic matter, expulsion and migration of hydrocarbons, and crude oil composition and alteration. IES Jiilich has been a leader in the development and application of numerical simulation (basin modeling) procedures. The cooperation between the two groups has resulted in a very fruitful synergy effect both in the development of modeling software and in its application. The purpose of the present volume developed out of the 1994 publication by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists of a collection of individually authored papers entitled The Petroleum System - From Source to Trap, edited by L. B. Magoon and W. G. Dow.

Earth scientists in general will be attracted by the philosophy and approach presented in this book. It paves the way for combining the insight and views into the subsurface provided by modern seismic, advanced interpretation and visualization, with the understanding and results from an interactive basin modeling capability.

1 Basin Simulation and the Design of the Conceptual Basin Model.- 1.1 Introduction: Integrated Basin Analysis.- 1.2 The Conceptual Basin Model.- 1.3 Definition and Classification of Basins and Their Thermal Regimes.- 1.4 The Filling of the Sedimentary Basin: Stratigraphy and Lithofacies.- 1.5 Postdepositional Processes.- 1.6 Optimization and Calibration: Testing and Evaluation of the Model.- 1.7 Conclusion: A Note of Caution and Outlook.- References.- 2 Thermal History of Sedimentary Basins.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2. Fundamental Concepts of Heat Transfer.- 2.3 Heat Transfer Equation.- 2.4 Heat Transfer in Sedimentary Basins.- 2.5 Reconstruction of Thermal History in Sedimentary Basins.- 2.6 Thermal History of Sedimentary Basins: Case Histories.- 2.7 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 3 Maturation and Petroleum Generation.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Maturation: Definition and Driving Force.- 3.3 The Phenomenon of Petroleum Generation.- 3.4 Kerogen Maturation.- 3.5 Bitumen and Petroleum: Geochemical Maturation.- References.- 4 Kinetics of Petroleum Formation and Cracking.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Concepts of Chemical Kinetics.- 4.3 Bulk Petroleum Generation.- 4.4 Generation of Methane and Molecular Nitrogen from Coals.- 4.5 The Problems of Predicting Petroleum Generation Rates and Compositions in Nature.- 4.6 The Conversion of Oil to Gas in Petroleum Reservoirs.- References.- 5 Deposition of Petroleum Source Rocks.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Production and Preservation of Organic Matter.- 5.3 Transport of Organic Particles.- 5.4 Deep Marine Silled Basins.- 5.5 Progradational Submarine Fans.- 5.6 Upwelling Areas.- 5.7 Anoxic Continental Shelves.- 5.8 Evaporitic Environments.- 5.9 Lakes.- 5.10 Fluviodeltaic Coal-Bearing Sequences.- 5.11 Source Rocks and Tectonics of Petroleum Basins.- 5.12 Conclusions.- References.- 6 The Bulk Composition of First-Formed Petroleum in Source Rocks.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 The Direct Analysis of First-Formed Petroleum.- 6.3 Kerogen Composition.- 6.4 Choice of Pyrolysis.- 6.5 Pyrolysates and Petroleum.- 6.6 Predicting Petroleum Compositions.- 6.7 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 7 Petroleum Migration: Mechanisms, Pathways, Efficiencies, and Numerical Simulations.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Migration Mechanisms.- 7.3 Migration Pathways.- 7.4 Migration Efficiency.- 7.5 Simulation of Migration Processes: The Geological Framework.- References.- Outlook.