Petroleum Systems Modeling focuses on the recognition and understanding of the drainage areas, the detailed reconstruction of the migration pathways and the infilling histories of the traps.

The former can be done with the detailed integration of geophysical, geological, geochemical and stratigraphical information, present at the study area. To achieve this, multidimensional basin modeling strategies are used, allowing time and space integration of the data, and in this way a coherent geologic model can be developed.

The multidimensional analysis facilitates the volume factor assessment of the generation, migration and accumulation processes, minimizing exploratory risks and uncertainties.

Petroleum Systems Modeling implies a change from the classic static concept of trap geometry definition in the exploratory process, to a concept of understanding and quantifying the dynamic processes involved in trap formation and oil and gas accumulations.