Why does crude oil seep out of the ground on this beautiful Caribbean Island?

[Ranger Mike]

TL;DR Summary

Why does crude oil seep out of the ground on this beautiful Caribbean Island?

 

[Astronuc]

TL;DR Summary: Why does crude oil seep out of the ground on this beautiful Caribbean Island?

It may be due to shallow deposits of organic matter - formerly marine plants and animals that were buried in the sediment, then that sediment formation is gradually subducted under the Caribbean Plate. There may be some thermal effects as well. The oil/gas may be squeezed out of formation by hydraulic pressure, and the oil/gas is much less dense than the surrounding sedimentary rock.

Note that Venezuela is a oil/gas producer and Guyana has off-shore oil/gas deposits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry_in_Guyana

https://www.reuters.com/business/en...-new-oil-gas-discovery-off-guyana-2024-03-15/

Georgetown, Guyana is only about 435 miles (700 km) from Barbados, and the north western coast is closer.
Further to the NW of Guyana and closer to Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago also have oil and gas deposits offshore.
https://ngc.co.tt/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/energy-map-of-tnt-2023.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/figure...c-maps-of-Trinidad-compiled-by_fig1_345763926
https://curtisarchie.com/wpmocha/?page_id=577

 

[Ranger Mike]

very good points. thank you , this forum is excellent for making young minds think!
I hope.....

 

[Ranger Mike]

Thank you Greg , appreciate the proper forum!

 

[Baluncore]

I think it is from the same underlying formation that produces the Venezuelan oil, on the same plate.
Uplift and erosion of Barbados has removed the cap-rock that confined the oil. As salt water sinks, hydrostatic pressure pushes oil upwards, to appear at the surface.

 

[OmCheeto]

Ha! For the first few minutes of the video, I thought it was some mansplaining type thing with the ballcapped mc in the corner. But a few minutes later, I was like, "WOW! I think this guy may have a Phd."

Great video.

ps. I'm fairly certain he does have a PhD.
https://geos.vt.edu/people/adjunct-faculty/philip-prince.html

Now I want to find a kml file of oil deposits for Google Earth.

Whoop whoop! New project for this winter.

 

[johnbbahm]

He did a good job of explaining things and a good perspective drawing.
Many decades ago I worked for Western Geophysical, and was exposed to a lot of our
understanding of geology and oil. Basically oil is a mid step in the breakdown of organic matter.
It exists in low density almost everywhere, but is concentrated by geology.
Permeable layers underneath sloped impermeable layers, cause the oil to collect in traps.
The oil is less dense than water, and so is forced into the traps.
If the trap is not sealed, the oil is pushed out!
( I apologize for my poor memory, of a lunch conversation with a global expert more than 4 decades ago.)

 

[MView]

Crude oil seeps naturally out of the ground in some areas, like on certain Caribbean islands, due to geological processes. Over millions of years, organic material (like plants and animals) was buried, heated, and compressed, forming oil deep underground.

In places where underground rock layers are cracked or porous, oil can migrate upward to the surface. These cracks act like pathways, allowing oil to escape naturally. This is why you sometimes see oil seeping out on beaches or into the water.

Such natural seeps are common in regions with rich oil reserves and active tectonic activity.

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