How APT's Geochemistry and Petroleum Systems Modelling Supports Petroleum Exploration

Updated

APT (apt-int.com) provides analytical and consulting services in organic geochemistry, petroleum systems and biostratigraphy, and its geochemistry and petroleum systems modelling work is aimed at helping oil and gas teams understand their whole rock and fluids system and unlock basin potential. The core idea is integration: geochemical measurements are not delivered as standalone numbers but are folded into calibrated basin models, so exploration and production decisions rest on a consistent, quality-controlled picture of where hydrocarbons came from, where they moved, and how they behave.

What the service actually addresses

Two linked questions sit behind most of this work:

  • Source and charge: what organic-rich intervals generated hydrocarbons, when, and in what volumes.
  • Fluid behaviour: how oils and gases in a reservoir relate to each other and to their source, including mixing and allocation.

APT describes its role as helping clients obtain an enhanced understanding of the whole rock and fluids system, then integrating that data into calibrated basin models. That phrasing matters — the value is in the calibration step, not just the lab result. A source rock analysis tells you about a sample; a calibrated model tells you whether a prospect is charged.

How geochemistry feeds a calibrated basin model

The workflow implied by APT's description runs roughly as follows:

  1. Sample and analyse. Rock and fluid samples are characterised in specialist laboratories.
  2. Quality control. Available data is checked for quality and consistency before use.
  3. Integrate. Geochemical results are combined with the broader geological and thermal framework.
  4. Calibrate and model. The basin model is adjusted until it reproduces the observed geochemistry.
  5. Interpret. The calibrated model is used to reason about charge, migration and fluid distribution.

The QC step is not incidental. APT explicitly states that all of its projects involve vigorous QC of available data to ensure high quality and consistency, and it has published material asking clients whether they know how good their geochemical data is. Poor or inconsistent input data is the most common reason a model fails to calibrate, so this is where a project is most likely to stall.

Services by sample type and by project

APT organises its offering in two directions: services by sample type, and bespoke studies. Documented examples of project types include:

Project type What it is used for
Production allocation using geochemistry Determining how much of a commingled production stream comes from each contributing zone or well
Drainage diagnostics (SI Toolkit) Assessing drainage behaviour, offered as a PDF download
Petroleum systems modelling Basin-scale charge and migration modelling calibrated to geochemical data
Geochemistry training courses Building internal capability, listed as live on the site

The interactive map on the site shows bespoke geochemistry and petroleum systems modelling studies across key active areas globally, which is a useful way to check whether APT has worked in a basin comparable to yours before committing to a study.

When this kind of work is worth commissioning

It tends to pay off in specific situations rather than as a general-purpose purchase:

  • A new basin or play where source rock presence and maturity are uncertain.
  • A producing field with commingled zones, where allocation between contributors is disputed or unknown.
  • Conflicting data sets from different vintages or laboratories that need reconciling before they can be used.
  • Pre-drill charge risk assessment, where a calibrated model can test whether a trap is likely to have been filled.

If your question is purely about reservoir quality or seismic interpretation, this is not the service to reach for — the focus here is organic geochemistry, petroleum systems and biostratigraphy.

Practical considerations before engaging

  • Data availability drives scope. The more existing geochemical and thermal data you can supply, the more the modelling phase can do; sparse data usually means new sampling and analysis first.
  • QC findings can change the plan. Expect that some legacy data may be judged unusable, which affects timelines.
  • Ask about basin experience. The interactive map and the news items on the site (including conference presence at URTeC and published work on production allocation) are the fastest way to gauge relevant track record.
  • Training is an alternative to outsourcing. If the goal is to build in-house capability rather than answer one specific question, the geochemistry training courses are the relevant entry point.

Pricing, turnaround times and contracting terms are not stated on the site, so those need to be established directly with APT rather than assumed.