Practice Test Geeks(CPG) Certified Petroleum Geologist Practice Test
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CPG Basin Analysis & Structural Geology Flashcards

6 cards from real CPG practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. In sequence stratigraphy, a transgressive systems tract (TST) is deposited during which relative sea-level condition?

    Answer: Rising relative sea level after the lowstand

    The TST is deposited as sea level rises after the lowstand, characterized by retrogradational stacking patterns and often containing good marine source rock facies.

  2. A salt diapir can create hydrocarbon traps through which of the following mechanisms?

    Answer: Flank anticlines, cap rock seals, and fault traps around the diapir

    Salt diapirs create structural traps by draping surrounding sediments into anticlines, by providing anhydrite cap rock seals, and by generating radial and concentric faults.

  3. Pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions that place source rock in the 'gas window' typically involve:

    Answer: High temperature (>150°C) and deep burial

    Temperatures above approximately 150°C corresponding to deep burial (>4 km in typical geothermal gradients) crack oil molecules into dry gas during the gas window.

  4. Which structural feature forms in extensional settings where a fault block tilts, creating a rollover anticline in the hanging wall?

    Answer: Rollover anticline above a listric normal fault

    As a listric normal fault flattens at depth, the hanging wall must rotate to maintain contact with the curved fault surface, creating a rollover anticline that is a common trap type.

  5. Overpressure in a sedimentary basin most commonly results from which primary cause?

    Answer: Rapid burial and undercompaction of fine-grained sediments

    Rapid burial of shales prevents pore fluids from escaping at the rate of compaction, causing fluid pressure to exceed hydrostatic and creating overpressure.

  6. The term 'play fairway' in petroleum exploration refers to:

    Answer: The geographic area where a petroleum play is prospective based on common geological controls

    A play fairway defines the geographic extent over which the essential elements of a petroleum play (source, reservoir, trap, seal) are likely to be present and functional.

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Sources & references

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  1. aapg.org — Fees, eligibility, renewal, score validity · verified Oct 2026