Quantitative effect of kerogen type on the hydrocarbon generation potential of Paleogene lacustrine source rocks,Liaohe Western Depression,China

Kerogen types exert a decisive effect on the onset and capacity of hydrocarbon generation of source rocks.Lacustrine source rocks in the Liaohe Western Depression are characterized by thick deposition,high total organic carbon(TOC)content,various kerogen types,and a wide range of thermal maturity.Consequently,their hydrocarbon generation potential and resource estimation can be misinterpreted.In this study,geochemical tests,numerical analysis,hydrocarbon generation kinetics,and basin modeling were integrated to investigate the differential effects of kerogen types on the hydrocarbon generation potential of lacustrine source rocks.Optimized hydrocarbon generation and expulsion(HGE)models of different kerogen types were established quantitatively upon abundant Rock-Eval/TOC/vitrinite reflectance(R_(o))datasets.Three sets of good-excellent source rocks deposited in the fourth(Es4),third(Es3),and first(Es1)members of Paleogene Shahejie Formation,are predominantly types I-II_(1),II_(1)-II_(2),and II-III,respectively.The activation energy of types I-II_(2)kerogen is concentrated(180-230 kcal/mol),whereas that of type III kerogen is widely distributed(150-280 kcal/mol).The original hydrocarbon generation potentials of types I,II_(1),II_(2),and III kerogens are 790,510,270,and 85 mg/g TOC,respectively.The Ro values of the hydrocarbon generation threshold for type I-III source rocks gradually increase from 0.42%to 0.74%,and Ro values of the hydrocarbon expulsion threshold increase from 0.49%to 0.87%.Types I and II_(1)source rocks are characterized by earlier hydrocarbon generation,more rapid hydrocarbon expulsion,and narrower hydrocarbon generation windows than types II_(2)and III source rocks.The kerogen types also affect the HGE history and resource potential.Three types(conventional,tight,and shale oil/gas)and three levels(realistic,expected,and prospective)of hydrocarbon resources of different members in the Liaohe Western Depression are evaluated.Findings suggest that the Es3 member has considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources.This study can quantitatively characterize the hydrocarbon generation potential of source rocks with different kerogen types,and facilitate a quick and accurate assessment of hydrocarbon resources,providing strategies for future oil and gas exploration.

Wettability of different clay mineral surfaces in shale:Implications from molecular dynamics simulations

Shale contains a lot of clay minerals. Clay minerals mainly exist in nano- and micro-meter sized particles, and the pore structure is complex, which leads to its extremely complex wettability. The surface wettability of clay minerals significantly affects the oil and gas-bearing capacity of shale reservoirs. Therefore, studying the wettability of common clay minerals in shale at the nanoscale is of great significance for shale hydrocarbon exploration and development. In this study, the wetting behavior of water in n-hexane and toluene on different clay mineral surfaces at the nanoscale was systematically studied using Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. And the influencing factors of wettability were analyzed. Through the analysis of the morphological changes of water, relative concentration of water, RDF and interaction energy, it is concluded that the following order of water wettability on the surfaces of clay minerals: montmorillonite > chlorite > kaolinite > illite. Through the analysis of interaction energy, it is concluded that the hydrophilicity of four clay minerals is stronger than that of lipophilicity. And the main interactions between water and oil and the mineral surfaces were van der Waals force and electrostatic force. In addition, the temperature, liquid hydrocarbon type, and mineralization of water affected the wettability of clay minerals. The concentration of water on the surfaces of montmorillonite, kaolinite, and illite decreased with increasing temperature, and the water wettability decreased. At 298 K, the hydrophilicity of the surfaces of the clay minerals in toluene follows the order montmorillonite > chlorite > kaolinite > illite. The higher the NaHCO3 concentration in water, the weaker the wettability of the clay mineral surfaces to water. By comparing the previous experimental results with the MD simulation results, similar wetting characteristics were obtained, and the reliability of the simulation results was verified. MD simulation was used to explore the water wetting of the surfaces of four clay minerals in a shale reservoir from the micro level. This makes up for the lack of experimental means for clarifying the flow and production mechanisms of shale oil and gas and effectively improves the evaluation technology of shale.

Characteristics and origin of low-organicmatter carbonate source rocks in the Middle-Upper Ordovician, Tarim Basin, northwestern China

The continually-discovered large volumes of marine hydrocarbons indicate a huge exploration potential within the carbonate rocks of Ordovician in the Tarim Basin,northwestern China.The Middle-Upper Ordovician(O2+3)carbonate source rocks are at a highly mature stage.These rocks presently contain a low amount of total organic carbon(TOC_(pd)≤0.5%)(TOC_(pd) means the present-day TOC).A mass balance approach is used to identify the source rocks that have expelled hydrocarbons.The characteristics and origin of hydrocarbon expulsion from low-TOC_(pd) source rocks are studied,which are significant for oil exploration in the basin.The results showed that a low-TOC_(pd) O2+3 source rock having expelled hydrocarbons was type I and had a very narrow oil window.With a high rock maturity and a high original TOC(TOCo)value exceeding 1%,nearly 80%of the generated hydrocarbons were expelled.The content of gammacerane and C28 steranes in the oil and source rock extracts were relatively lean,with a V-shaped distribution of regular steranes,suggesting a possible genetic relation between the low-TOC_(pd) source rocks and the marine oil in the Tabei area.Hydrogenrich planktonic algae or acritarchs were the main hydrocarbon parent materials,distributed in the subsiding platform-slope facies.Organic matter was preserved under reducing conditions,and source rocks were formed with a favorable kerogen type and a moderate hydrocarbon generation potential.This study illustrates the hydrocarbon expulsion of low TOC_(pd) source rocks in northern Tarim Basin,which is greatly significant for analyzing the genesis of marine crude oil in Tarim Basin,and evaluating the distribution of marine source rocks.This research method is theoretically significant for oil and gas exploration in the same type of highlymature carbonate paleobasins.