Using geochemical tracing system to identify new types of gas sources in marine strata of the Hotan River Gas Field in the Tarim Basin

There are natural gas sources of various modes of occurrence in superimposed basins. Besides the conventional kerogen and ancient oil reservoir, dispersed soluble organic matter (DSOM) is an important direct gas source. Because of its wide distribution, great potential to generate gas and proneness to crack under catalysis, DSOM is an important type of gas source in the highly evolved zones in marine strata. Through the geological and geochemical analysis that reflects the long-period evolvement and multiple gas accumulation processes in marine strata, and using the ternary geochemical tracing system, here we study the origin and accumulation of the natural gas in the Hotan River Gas Field in the Tarim Basin. The natural gas is produced from highly evolved and cracked DSOM in the Hotan River Gas Field, and it is accumulated after migrating for a long distance along faults. This conclusion is of great significance to the further expansion of the oil and gas exploration fields in the Tarim Basin.