science

Super basin

Super basin is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Super basin rather than just read about it. In short: Super basin is a term in Petroleum Geology referring to the most important basins for the oil industry. The top 30 super basin contain about 57% of the biggest oil fields in the world.

Key takeaways

Super basin belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Super basin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Super basin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Super basin is a term in Petroleum Geology referring to the most important basins for the oil industry. The top 30 super basin contain about 57% of the biggest oil fields in the world. The term was coined in 2016 by Bob Fryklund and Pete Stark.

Definition In 2016, Bob Fryklund and Pete Stark defined "super basin" combining commerciality, geoscience architecture, infrastructure, and above-ground issues. According to the original paper published in IHS Markit, a basin must count with at least five barrels of oil equivalent (BBOe) produced and at the same volume of recoverable remaining reserves; two or more petroleum systems or source rocks; stacked reservoirs; existing infrastructure and oil field services; and good access to markets. A characteristic is richness measured as the total volume of hydrocarbons per square kilometer.

Location The US Permian Basin is the archetypal onshore super basin. However, other basins are located around the world, such as South America's Neuquen Basin in 2018, which counts with favorable regulations and government support. In Mexico, there are potentially ripe basins. Offshore basins in the North Sea, Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico are benefiting from geophysical enhancements. The top 30 super basin contain about 57% of the biggest oil fields in the world.

List of super basins The top 30 super basin contain about 57% of the biggest oil fields in the world. Some of the super basins in the world are:

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Super basin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Super basin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Super basin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Super basin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Super basin

In research: Super basin appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Super basin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Super basin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Oil exploration, Oil fields, Petroleum industry, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Super basin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Super basin in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Super basin means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Super basin out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Super basin in simple terms?

Super basin is a term in Petroleum Geology referring to the most important basins for the oil industry. The top 30 super basin contain about 57% of the biggest oil fields in the world.

Why does Super basin matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Super basin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Super basin.