Petroleum geochemistry contributes to exploration successes by providing key constraints for geological models and critical input to exploration scenarios. One of the most important tasks in a typical exploration pr...Petroleum geochemistry contributes to exploration successes by providing key constraints for geological models and critical input to exploration scenarios. One of the most important tasks in a typical exploration program is to identify the most effective source intervals or kitchens in a basin, through oil-source correlation. The results of correlation are valid only if the geochemical parameters used address adequately the genetic characteristics of the source rocks as well as the mass transport and mixing processes of hydrocarbon fluids occurring in the carrier beds and reservoirs. This manuscript discusses four of the major contentious petroleum geochemical issues in China’s sedimentary basins. It is suggested that marine incursions played a significant role in the formation of prolific petroleum source rocks in the gigantic, dominantly freshwater, Songliao Basin. Several models are proposed to account for the occurrence of immature oils in the Cathaysian rift system including the Bohai Bay Basin, thus immature source rocks are considered a mere minor contributor to the known economic immature oil resources. Both geological and geochemical evidence are reviewed to refute a dominantly coaly source for the petroleum discovered in the Turpan Basin. Results of case studies are presented to demonstrate the importance of recognizing petroleum fluid mixing to solve the oil-source correlation issues in the structurally complex Tarim Basin. In addressing the fundamental assumptions and potential flaws of the molecular geochemical parameters commonly used for oil-source correlation, the need of a mass fraction approach is proposed to deal with such contentious issues as marine versus lacustrine, coal versus lacustrine, and mature versus immature oils.展开更多
There are abundant bitumens and oil seepages stored in vugs in a Lower-Triassic Daye formation(T_1d)marlite in Ni'erguan village in the Southern Guizhou Depression. However, the source of those oil seepages has no...There are abundant bitumens and oil seepages stored in vugs in a Lower-Triassic Daye formation(T_1d)marlite in Ni'erguan village in the Southern Guizhou Depression. However, the source of those oil seepages has not been determined to date. Multiple suites of source rocks of different ages exist in the depression. Both the oil seepages and potential source rocks have undergone complicated secondary alterations, which have added to the difficulty of an oil-source correlation. For example, the main source rock, a Lower-Cambrian Niutitang Formation"(∈_1n) mudstone, is over mature, and other potential source rocks, both from the Permian and the Triassic, are still in the oil window. In addition, the T_1d oil seepages underwent a large amount of biodegradation. To minimize the influence of biodegradation and thermal maturation, special methods were employed in this oil-source correlation study. These methods included catalytic hydropyrolysis, to release covalently bound biomarkers from the over mature"kerogen of ∈_1n mudstone, sequential extraction, to obtain chloroform bitumen A and chloroform bitumen C from the T_1d marlite, and anhydrous pyrolysis, to release pyrolysates from the kerogen of T_1d marlite. Using the methods above, the biomarkers and n-alkanes releasedfrom the oil samples and source rocks were analysed by GC–MS and GC-C-IRMS. The oil-source correlation indicated that the T_1d oil seepage primarily originated from"the ∈_1n mudstone and was partially mixed with oil generated from the T_1d marlite. Furthermore, the seepage also demonstrated that the above methods were effective for the complicated oil-source correlation in the Southern Guizhou Depression.展开更多
In the south of the Ordos Basin, the oil source of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is confused all the time, which affects further exploration. In this study, oil sources from the oil layers of Ch6, Ch8 and Ch9 ...In the south of the Ordos Basin, the oil source of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is confused all the time, which affects further exploration. In this study, oil sources from the oil layers of Ch6, Ch8 and Ch9 are all analyzed and confirmed. Through their carbon isotope value and biomarkers, characteristics of crude oils from the Yanchang Formation are analyzed. Then, the oil–source relation is discussed, with the source rocks' features.Finally, the oil–source relation is calculated through cluster analysis. It is believed that the oils from the Yanchang Formation deposit in a similar redox environment, with weak oxidation–weak reduction, and have all entered maturity stage. Ch9 crude oil is more mature than crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8, and has more advanced plants and fewer algae. Gas chromatography(GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS) analysis show that crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 may come from Ch7, and Ch9 crude oil may not. Cluster analysis displays that crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 have closer squared Euclidean distance with Ch7 source rocks than Ch9 crude oil does,indicating crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 stem from Ch7 source rocks. And Ch9 crude oil has rather close squared Euclidean distance with Ch9 source rocks, illustrating Ch9 crude oil may be from Ch9 source rocks. This research may provide the theoretical basis for the next exploration deploy in the south of Ordos Basin.展开更多
文摘Petroleum geochemistry contributes to exploration successes by providing key constraints for geological models and critical input to exploration scenarios. One of the most important tasks in a typical exploration program is to identify the most effective source intervals or kitchens in a basin, through oil-source correlation. The results of correlation are valid only if the geochemical parameters used address adequately the genetic characteristics of the source rocks as well as the mass transport and mixing processes of hydrocarbon fluids occurring in the carrier beds and reservoirs. This manuscript discusses four of the major contentious petroleum geochemical issues in China’s sedimentary basins. It is suggested that marine incursions played a significant role in the formation of prolific petroleum source rocks in the gigantic, dominantly freshwater, Songliao Basin. Several models are proposed to account for the occurrence of immature oils in the Cathaysian rift system including the Bohai Bay Basin, thus immature source rocks are considered a mere minor contributor to the known economic immature oil resources. Both geological and geochemical evidence are reviewed to refute a dominantly coaly source for the petroleum discovered in the Turpan Basin. Results of case studies are presented to demonstrate the importance of recognizing petroleum fluid mixing to solve the oil-source correlation issues in the structurally complex Tarim Basin. In addressing the fundamental assumptions and potential flaws of the molecular geochemical parameters commonly used for oil-source correlation, the need of a mass fraction approach is proposed to deal with such contentious issues as marine versus lacustrine, coal versus lacustrine, and mature versus immature oils.
基金supported jointly by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (Grant Nos: 2011ZX05008002 and 2011ZX05005-001)
文摘There are abundant bitumens and oil seepages stored in vugs in a Lower-Triassic Daye formation(T_1d)marlite in Ni'erguan village in the Southern Guizhou Depression. However, the source of those oil seepages has not been determined to date. Multiple suites of source rocks of different ages exist in the depression. Both the oil seepages and potential source rocks have undergone complicated secondary alterations, which have added to the difficulty of an oil-source correlation. For example, the main source rock, a Lower-Cambrian Niutitang Formation"(∈_1n) mudstone, is over mature, and other potential source rocks, both from the Permian and the Triassic, are still in the oil window. In addition, the T_1d oil seepages underwent a large amount of biodegradation. To minimize the influence of biodegradation and thermal maturation, special methods were employed in this oil-source correlation study. These methods included catalytic hydropyrolysis, to release covalently bound biomarkers from the over mature"kerogen of ∈_1n mudstone, sequential extraction, to obtain chloroform bitumen A and chloroform bitumen C from the T_1d marlite, and anhydrous pyrolysis, to release pyrolysates from the kerogen of T_1d marlite. Using the methods above, the biomarkers and n-alkanes releasedfrom the oil samples and source rocks were analysed by GC–MS and GC-C-IRMS. The oil-source correlation indicated that the T_1d oil seepage primarily originated from"the ∈_1n mudstone and was partially mixed with oil generated from the T_1d marlite. Furthermore, the seepage also demonstrated that the above methods were effective for the complicated oil-source correlation in the Southern Guizhou Depression.
基金supported with funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41173055)
文摘In the south of the Ordos Basin, the oil source of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is confused all the time, which affects further exploration. In this study, oil sources from the oil layers of Ch6, Ch8 and Ch9 are all analyzed and confirmed. Through their carbon isotope value and biomarkers, characteristics of crude oils from the Yanchang Formation are analyzed. Then, the oil–source relation is discussed, with the source rocks' features.Finally, the oil–source relation is calculated through cluster analysis. It is believed that the oils from the Yanchang Formation deposit in a similar redox environment, with weak oxidation–weak reduction, and have all entered maturity stage. Ch9 crude oil is more mature than crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8, and has more advanced plants and fewer algae. Gas chromatography(GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC–MS) analysis show that crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 may come from Ch7, and Ch9 crude oil may not. Cluster analysis displays that crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 have closer squared Euclidean distance with Ch7 source rocks than Ch9 crude oil does,indicating crude oils from Ch6 and Ch8 stem from Ch7 source rocks. And Ch9 crude oil has rather close squared Euclidean distance with Ch9 source rocks, illustrating Ch9 crude oil may be from Ch9 source rocks. This research may provide the theoretical basis for the next exploration deploy in the south of Ordos Basin.
