Migration of Petroleum in Permafrost-Affected Regions

Abstract

Understanding the factors that influences the flow and ultimate distribution of petroleum released to the subsurface is necessary to the development of reasonable response and clean-up strategies in any environment. The influence the unique Arctic and Antarctic environments have on petroleum migration requires modification of accepted conceptual models for movement of petroleum through non-freezing soils. Factors that influence petroleum migration through soils underlain by permafrost and current insight into these factors are discussed in this chapter.