Transformation of light hydrocarbon accumulations that pollute the geological environment

Abstract

This article considers the laws governing the formation of secondary accumulations of petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface. This refers not only to “lenses” of light petroleum hydrocarbons, which for large dimensions, in fact, create a strong impact and cause increasing attention as a source of the threat of environmental pollution, but also “man-made deposits”. No less interesting in theoretical and practical terms are accumulations of hydrocarbons in vadoze zone and below the water table. It should not be restricted to consideration of only the mobile petroleum products. Noteworthy are accumulations of dissolved, sorbed and gaseous hydrocarbons. A typification system of petroleum hydrocarbons accumulations was developed based on the results of the analysis of our exploration on contamination areas in Ukraine and generalization of the known publications. All petroleum products accumulations have the ability to transform the areas of distribution, forms of already existing and change the qualitative composition of the pollutant.

From the authors' point of view, the change of the physical state, chemical composition and the spatial distribution of oil products polluter due to the impact of the natural and anthropogenic factors, means the transformation of pollution sources of the geological environment with oil products.

In this work, the authors limited themselves to only the spatial transformation of the oil products pollution sources and the related processes of the oil pollutant physical state change.

A special table in the article could be an example of the systematization of all these parameters. This technology can be used to plan monitoring research, design remedial actions and implementation of the expert system.