Control of Earth system evolution on the formation and enrichment of marine ultra-deep petroleum in China

Taking the Paleozoic of the Sichuan and Tarim basins in China as example,the controlling effects of the Earth system evolution and multi-spherical interactions on the formation and enrichment of marine ultra-deep petroleum in China have been elaborated.By discussing the development of“source-reservoir-seal”controlled by the breakup and assembly of supercontinents and regional tectonic movements,and the mechanisms of petroleum generation and accumulation controlled by temperature-pressure system and fault conduit system,Both the South China and Tarim blocks passed through the intertropical convergence zone(ITCZ)of the low-latitude Hadley Cell twice during their drifts,and formed hydrocarbon source rocks with high quality.It is proposed that deep tectonic activities and surface climate evolution jointly controlled the types and stratigraphic positions of ultra-deep hydrocarbon source rocks,reservoirs,and seals in the Sichuan and Tarim basins,forming multiple petroleum systems in the Ediacaran-Cambrian,Cambrian-Ordovician,Cambrian-Permian and Permian-Triassic strata.The matching degree of source-reservoir-seal,the type of organic matter in source rocks,the deep thermal regime of basin,and the burial-uplift process across tectonic periods collectively control the entire process from the generation to the accumulation of oil and gas.Three types of oil and gas enrichment models are formed,including near-source accumulation in platform marginal zones,distant-source accumulation in high-energy beaches through faults,and three-dimensional accumulation in strike-slip fault zones,which ultimately result in the multi-layered natural gas enrichment in ultra-deep layers of the Sichuan Basin and co-enrichment of oil and gas in the ultra-deep layers of the Tarim Basin.

Petroleum Retention,Intraformational Migration and Segmented Accumulation within the Organic-rich Shale in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation of the Gulong Sag,Songliao Basin,Northeast China

In this study,organic geochemical and petrological analyses were conducted on 111 shale samples from a well to understand the retention,intraformational migration and segmented accumulation(shale oil enrichment in different intervals is unconnected)features of shale oil within the organic-rich shale in the Qingshankou Formation of the Gulong Sag.Our study shows that retained petroleum characteristics in the investigated succession are mainly influenced by three factors:organic richness,intraformational migration and segmented accumulation.Organic matter richness primarily controls the amount of retained petroleum,especially the‘live’component indicated by the S_(2)value rather than the total organic carbon(TOC)figure alone.The negative expulsion efficiencies determined by mass-balance calculations of hydrocarbons reveal that petroleum from adjacent organic-rich intervals migrates into the interval of about 2386-2408 m,which is characterized by high free hydrocarbon(S_(1)),OSI and saturated hydrocarbons content,along with a greater difference inδ^(13)C values between polar compounds(including resins and asphaltenes)and saturated hydrocarbons.The depth-dependent heterogeneity of carbon isotope ratios(δ^(13)C)of mud methane gas,δ^(13)C of extracts gross composition(SARA),δ^(13)C of kerogen and SARA content of extracts suggest that the studied succession can be subdivided into four intervals.The shale oil sealing enrichment character in each interval is further corroborated by the distinctδ^(13)C values of mud methane gas in different intervals.Due to the migration of petroleum into the 2386-2408 m interval,the S_(1),OSI and saturated hydrocarbons content of the interval show higher relative values.The maturity of organic matter in the 2471-2500 m interval is at the highest with the smaller size molecular components of the retained petroleum.Thus,favorable‘sweet spots’may be found in the 2386-2408 m interval and the 2471-2500 m interval,according to the experiment results in this study.

Intelligent geochemical interpretation of mass chromatograms:Based on convolution neural network

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)is an extremely important analytical technique that is widely used in organic geochemistry.It is the only approach to capture biomarker features of organic matter and provides the key evidence for oil-source correlation and thermal maturity determination.However,the conventional way of processing and interpreting the mass chromatogram is both timeconsuming and labor-intensive,which increases the research cost and restrains extensive applications of this method.To overcome this limitation,a correlation model is developed based on the convolution neural network(CNN)to link the mass chromatogram and biomarker features of samples from the Triassic Yanchang Formation,Ordos Basin,China.In this way,the mass chromatogram can be automatically interpreted.This research first performs dimensionality reduction for 15 biomarker parameters via the factor analysis and then quantifies the biomarker features using two indexes(i.e.MI and PMI)that represent the organic matter thermal maturity and parent material type,respectively.Subsequently,training,interpretation,and validation are performed multiple times using different CNN models to optimize the model structure and hyper-parameter setting,with the mass chromatogram used as the input and the obtained MI and PMI values for supervision(label).The optimized model presents high accuracy in automatically interpreting the mass chromatogram,with R2values typically above 0.85 and0.80 for the thermal maturity and parent material interpretation results,respectively.The significance of this research is twofold:(i)developing an efficient technique for geochemical research;(ii)more importantly,demonstrating the potential of artificial intelligence in organic geochemistry and providing vital references for future related studies.

Reactive Transport Process of Earthquake-induced Hydrochemical Changes in Guanding Thermal Spring,Western Sichuan,China

Earthquake-related hydrochemical changes in thermal springs have been widely observed;however,quantitative modeling of the reactive transport process is absent.In the present study,we apply reactive transport simulation to capture the hydrochemical responses in a thermal spring following the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 and Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquakes.We first constrain deep reservoir geothermal fluid compositions and temperature by multicomponent geothermometry,and then a reactive geochemical transport model is constructed to reproduce the hydrochemical evolution process.The results show that the recharge from the shallow aquifer increases gradually until it reaches a peak because of the permeability enhancement caused by the Lushan earthquake,which may be the mechanism to explain the earthquake-related hydrochemical responses.In contrast to the postseismic effect of the Wenchuan earthquake,the chemical evolution can be considered as hydrochemical anomalies related to the Lushan earthquake.This study proves that the efficient simulation of reactive transport processes is useful for investigating earthquake-related signals in hydrochemical time series.

Surface ozone in global cities:A synthesis of basic features,exposure risk,and leading meteorological driving factors

Long-term exposure to high surface ozone(O_(3))concentrations,a complex oxidative atmospheric pollutant,can adversely impact human health.Based on O_(3)monitoring data from 261 cities worldwide in 2020,generalized additive model(GAM)and spatial data analysis(SDA)methods were applied in this study to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal distribution of O_(3)concentration,exposure risk,and dominant meteorological factors.Results indicated that over 40%of the cities worldwide were exposed to harmful O_(3)concentration ranges(40-60μg/m^(3)),with most cities distributed in China and India.Moreover,significant seasonal variations in global O_(3)concentrations were observed,presenting as summer(45.6μg/m^(3))>spring(47.3μg/m^(3))>autumn(38.0μg/m^(3))>winter(33.6μg/m^(3)).Exposure analysis revealed that approximately 12.2%of the population in 261 cities were exposed to an environment with high O_(3)concentrations(80-160μg/m^(3)),with about 36.32 million people in major countries.Thus,the persistent increase in high O_(3)levels worldwide is a critical factor contributing to threats to human health.Furthermore,GAM results indicated temperature,relative humidity,and wind speed as primary determinants of O_(3)variability.The synergy of meteorological factors is critical for understanding O_(3)changes.Our findings are important for enforcing robust air quality policies and mitigating public risk.

Sedimentary Environments of Cambrian-Ordovician Source Rocks and Ultra-deep Petroleum Accumulation in the Tarim Basin

The Tarim Basin is the only petroliferous basin enriched with marine oil and gas in China.It is presently also the deepest basin for petroleum exploration and development in the world.There are two main sets of marine Source Rocks(SRs)in the Tarim Basin,namely the high over-mature Cambrian-Lower Ordovician(∈-O_(1))and the moderately mature Middle-Upper Ordovician(O_(2-3)).The characteristic biomarkers of SRs and oils indicate that the main origin of the marine petroleum is a mixed source of∈-O_(1) and O_(2-3) SRs.With increasing burial,the hydrocarbon contribution of the∈-O_(1) SRs gradually increases.Accompanied by the superposition of multi-stage hydrocarbon-generation of the SRs and various secondary alteration processes,the emergence and abnormal enrichment of terpenoids,thiophene and trimethylaryl isoprenoid in deep reservoirs indicate a complex genesis of various deep oils and gases.Through the analysis of the biofacies and sedimentary environments of the∈-O_(1) and O_(2-3) SRs,it is shown that the lower Paleozoic high-quality SRs in the Tarim Basin were mainly deposited in a passive continental margin and the gentle slope of the platform,deep-water shelf and slope facies,which has exhibited a good response to the local tectonic-sedimentary environment.The slope of the paleo-uplift is the mutual area for the development of carbonate reservoirs and the deposition of marine SRs,which would be favorable for the accumulation of petroleum.Due to the characteristics of low ground temperature,the latest rapid and deep burial does not cause massive oil-cracking in the paleo-uplift and slope area.Therefore,it is speculated that the marine reservoirs in the slope of the Tabei Uplift are likely to be a favorable area for deep petroleum exploration,while the oilcracking gas would be a potential reserve around the west margin of the Manjiaer Depression.Hydrocarbons were generated from various unit SRs,mainly migrating along the lateral unconformities or reservoirs and the vertical faults.They eventually brought up three major types of exploration fields:middle and lower Cambrian salt-related assemblages,dolomite inner reservoirs and Middle and Lower Ordovician oil-bearing karst,which would become the most favorable target of marine ultra-deep exploration in the Tarim Basin.

Rare earth elemental and Sr isotopic evidence for seawater intrusion event of the Songliao Basin 91 million years ago

Petrogenesis of lacustrine dolostone is closely related with paleo-lake water conditions.Here we report the high spatial-resolution petrographic and geochemical results of a lacustrine dolomite nodule from the Qingshankou Formation,the Songliao Basin.Sedimentary and elemental signatures confirm the protogenetic origin of this nodule and its effectiveness in recording geochemical characteristics of paleo-lake water during dolomitization.The low Y/Ho ratios,middle rare earth element(MREE)enrichment and subtle positive Eu anomalies within the nodule indicate a fresh water source.However,the Sr isotope values in the core of the nodule(0.7076-0.7080)are close to contemporaneous seawater(0.7074),yet different from the modern river(0.7120)and the host black shale(0.7100).On the premise of excluding the influence of hydrothermal fluids,the significantly low strontium isotope values of the lacustrine dolomite might be caused by seawater interference during dolomitization.Our findings demonstrate that lacustrine dolomite within black shales is not only a faithful tracer of diagenetic water environment,but also a novel and easily identified mineralogical evidence for episodic seawater intrusion event(91 Ma)in the Songliao Basin,which supplements other paleontological and geochemical evidence.

Gulong shale oil enrichment mechanism and orderly distribution of conventional–unconventional oils in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation,Songliao Basin,NE China

Through the study of organic matter enrichment,hydrocarbon generation and accumulation process of black shale of the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin,the enrichment mechanism of Gulong shale oil and the distribution of conventional–unconventional oil are revealed.The Songliao Basin is a huge interior lake basin formed in the Early Cretaceous under the control of the subduction and retreat of the western Pacific plate and the massive horizontal displacement of the Tanlu Fault Zone in Northeast China.During the deposition of the Qingshankou Formation,strong terrestrial hydrological cycle led to the lake level rise of the ancient Songliao Basin and the input of a large amount of nutrients,resulting in planktonic bacteria and algae flourish.Intermittent seawater intrusion events promoted the formation of salinization stratification and anoxic environment in the lake,which were beneficial to the enrichment of organic matters.Biomarkers analysis confirms that the biogenic organic matter of planktonic bacteria and algae modified by microorganisms plays an important role in the formation of high-quality source rocks with high oil generation capability.There are four favorable conditions for the enrichment of light shale oil in the Qingshankou Formation of the Gulong Sag,Songliao Basin:the moderate organic matter abundance and high oil potential provide sufficient material basis for oil enrichment;high degree of thermal evolution makes shale oil have high GOR and good mobility;low hydrocarbon expulsion efficiency leads to a high content of retained hydrocarbons in the source rock;and the confinement effect of intra-layer cement in the high maturity stage induces the efficient accumulation of light shale oil.The restoration of hydrocarbon accumulation process suggests that liquid hydrocarbons generated in the early(low–medium maturity)stage of the Qingshankou Formation source rocks accumulated in placanticline and slope after long-distance secondary migration,forming high-quality conventional and tight oil reservoirs.Light oil generated in the late(medium–high maturity)stage accumulated in situ,forming about 15 billion tons of Gulong shale oil resources,which finally enabled the orderly distribution of conventional–unconventional oils that are contiguous horizontally and superposed vertically within the basin,showing a complete pattern of“whole petroleum system”with conventional oil,tight oil and shale oil in sequence.

Biodegradation of occluded hydrocarbons and kerogen macromolecules of the Permian Lucaogou shales,Junggar Basin,NW China

Three kerogen samples(JJZG-1,JJZG-2 and JJZG-3)isolated from the Permian Lucaogou shales of varying biodegradation levels(BLs≈0,3 and 7,respectively)were subjected to sequential stepwise pyrolysis combined with on-line detection of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).Occluded fractions(bitumenⅡ)released at low-temperature steps(≥410℃)show consistent biodegradative signatures with that reported for solvent-extracted fractions(bitumenⅠ)of the original shales,e.g.,broad range of abundant n-alkanes,isoprenoids and regular hopanes for the non-biodegraded JJZG-1;trace n-alkanes and abundant hopanes for the moderately biodegraded JJZG-2;and no n-alkanes but still prominent hopanes including the microbially produced 25-nohopanes for the severely biodegraded JJZG-3.This consistency between bitumenⅡand bitumenⅠfractions indicates the biodegradability of the kerogenoccluded bitumenⅡwith limited protection from host kerogen.A minor level of protection was suggested by the trace distribution of n-alkanes in the bitumenⅡof JJZG-2,whereas the bitumenⅠhad no nalkanes.The kerogen itself was more resistant to biodegradation as reflected by the persistence of high abundances of both n-alkanes and hopanes in the high temperature(≥460℃)products of all three kerogen samples.However,the relative abundances of these product groups did show some evidence of biodegradation alteration,e.g.,ratios of n-C_(15)alkene/C_(27)hop-17(21)-ene at 510℃pyrolysis decreased by order of magnitude from the non-biodegraded(JJZG-1=27.4)to highly biodegraded(0.3 for JJZG-3)samples.The reduced biodegradation impact on the kerogen fraction(Cf.bitumen fractions)was also evident by the absence of 25-norhopanes in the high-temperature analysis of the JJZG-3 kerogen.

A Mathematical Calculation Model Using Biomarkers to Quantitatively Determine the Relative Source Proportion of Mixed Oils

It is difficult to identify the source（s） of mixed oils from multiple source rocks, and in particular the relative contribution of each source rock. Artificial mixing experiments using typical crude oils and ratios of different biomarkers show that the relative contribution changes are non-linear when two oils with different concentrations of biomarkers mix with each other. This may result in an incorrect conclusion if ratios of biomarkers and a simple binary linear equation are used to calculate the contribution proportion of each end-member to the mixed oil. The changes of biomarker ratios with the mixing proportion of end-member oils in the trinal mixing model are more complex than in the binary mixing model. When four or more oils mix, the contribution proportion of each end-member oil to the mixed oil cannot be calculated using biomarker ratios and a simple formula. Artificial mixing experiments on typical oils reveal that the absolute concentrations of biomarkers in the mixed oil cause a linear change with mixing proportion of each end-member. Mathematical inferences verify such linear changes. Some of the mathematical calculation methods using the absolute concentrations or ratios of biomarkers to quantitatively determine the proportion of each end-member in the mixed oils are deduced from the results of artificial experiments and by theoretical inference. Ratio of two biomarker compounds changes as a hyperbola with the mixing proportion in the binary mixing model, as a hyperboloid in the trinal mixing model, and as a hypersurface when mixing more than three end- members. The mixing proportion of each end-member can be quantitatively determined with these mathematical models, using the absolute concentrations and the ratios of biomarkers. The mathematical calculation model is more economical, convenient, accurate and reliable than conventional artificial mixing methods.

Identification and geochemical significance of unusual C24 tetracyclic terpanes in Shahejie Formation source rocks in the Bozhong subbasin,Bohai Bay Basin

C_(24)tetracyclic terpanes are common compounds in source rocks and crude oils,and C_(24)17,21-secohopane is the most common and widely used source-related indicator.In this study,three unusual C_(24)tetracyclic terpanes were detected on the m/z 191 chromatogram of saturated hydrocarbons in the Shahejie Formation source rocks in the Bozhong subbasin.Based on the mass spectra characteristics,diagnostic ion fragments,retention time and comparisons with published literature,three unusual C_(24)tetracyclic terpanes were identified as 10β(H)-des-A-oleanane,10β(H)-des-A-lupane and C_(24)des-Ahopane.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study to detect and publicly report these three compounds in source rock samples from the Shahejie Formation of the Bozhong subbasin,Bohai Bay Basin.The results indicated that 10β(H)-des-A-oleanane and 10β(H)-des-A-lupane likely originated from terre strial angiosperms,while C_(24)des-A-hopane likely originated fro m prokaryotic o rganisms.Te rrestrial angiosperms provide the material basis for the generation of compounds A and B,and the distribution and concentration of these two compounds are affected by thermal maturity.In the low maturity stage(0.5%<R_(0)<0.7%),compounds A and B are relatively enriched in the source rocks.

Impact of formation water on the generation of H2S in condensate reservoirs： a case study from the deep Ordovician in the Tazhong Uplift of the Tarim Basin, NW China

A number of condensate reservoirs with high concentrations of H2S have been discovered in the deep dolomite reservoirs of the lower Ordovician Yingshan Formation（O1y） in the Tazhong Uplift, where the formation water has a high p H value. In the O1y reservoir, the concentrations of Mg^2＋ and SO4^2-in the formation water are higher than those in the upper Ordovician formation.The concentration of H2 S in the condensate reservoirs and the concentration of Mg^2＋in the formation water correlate well in the O1y reservoirs of the Tazhong Uplift, which indicates a presumed thermochemical sulfate reduction（TSR） origin of H2S according to the oxidation theory of contact ion-pairs（CIPs）. Besides, the p H values of the formation water are positively correlated with the concentration of H2S in the condensate reservoirs, which may indicate that high p H might be another factor to promote and maintain TSR. Oil–source correlation of biomarkers in the sulfuretted condensates indicates the Cambrian source rocks could be the origin of condensates. The formation water in the condensate reservoirs of O1y is similar to that in the Cambrian; therefore, the TSR of sulfate-CIPs likelyoccurred in the Cambrian. High H2S-bearing condensates are mainly located near the No. 1 Fault and NE-SW strikeslip faults, which are the major migration pathway of deep fluids in the Tazhong Uplift. The redox between sulfateCIPs and hydrocarbons is the generation mechanism of H2S in the deep dolomite condensate reservoirs of the Tazhong Uplift. This finding should be helpful to predict the fluid properties of deep dolomite reservoirs.

The Biomarkers in the Mesoproterozoic Organic-rich Rocks of North China Craton:Implication for the Precursor and Preservation of Organism in the Prokaryotic Realm

Mesoproterozoic marine organic-rich rocks are widely distributed in the North China Craton,include the Gaoyuzhuang(GYZ),the Hongshuizhuang(HSZ),and the Xiamaling(XML)formations.According to the T;value and isomerisation ratio of C;homohopanes,the XML,HSZ,and GYZ samples were in low mature,mature and high mature stage,respectively.Biomarker distribution in extractable organic matter(EOM)of three Mesoproterozoic organic-rock samples in different maturity were analysed to reveal the organic precursor and preservation pathway of in the Mesoproterozoic Combined with gold-tube pyrolysates of three Mesoproterozoic samples,it could further illuminate the chemical composition of Mesoproterozoic kerogen,given excluding.The results indicated that the three formations were all deposited under reducing condition and their organic precursors mainly were some aquatic organisms.High content of rearranged hopanes was detected in EOM of XML and HSZ samples,whereas they were relatively low in the high mature GYZ sample.Contrast to that in EOM,the relative concentration of rearranged hopanes sharply decreased in the gold-tube pyrolysates of the XML kerogen,then slightly increased but was still significantly lower than the EOM of XML sample,which indicated that catalysis of clay minerals in the early diagenesis only changed the chemical composition of the unstable functional groups of the kerogen during the preservation.Due to the thriving heterotrophic microbes and low sink rate of particulate organic matter during the Mesoproterozoic,primary producers suffered extensive degradation during sinking process,only some resistant biopolymers lacking of lipid compounds survived from heterotrophic degradation,while heterotrophic microbes contained more proportion of organic precursors.Abundant pristane(Pr)and phytane(Ph)were only released in high mature stage because of the protection of the macromolecular structure of resistant biopolymers which prevented biomarkers from being altered by the thermal stress.The absence of 13α(n-alkyl)-tricyclic terpanes in the high matured hydrocarbon products also indicated the different precursors between different parts of Mesoproterozoic kerogen.The evolution of the biomarker composition and content of Mesoproterozoic kerogen showed some special characteristics differing from those of Phanerozoic kerogen.The total concentrations of hopanes displayed with an order of low mature stage>high mature stage>mature stage.Relative content of rearranged hopanes in the hydrocarbon generated in high mature stage was significantly lower than that in the low maturity stage.The ratios of Pr/n-C_(17) and Ph/n-C_(18) increased with thermal maturity,and the ratio of nC_(21-)/nC_(22+) decreased in the high maturity stage,thus displaying another order of mature stage>high maturity stage>low maturity stage.The unique preservation pathway of Mesoproterozoic organisms was attributed to the special evolution characteristics of biomarker distributions,which should be considered in the Mesoproterozoic marine environment and biological studies.

Genetic type and source of natural gas in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China

Natural gas has been discovered in many anticlines in the southern margin of the Junggar Basin. However, the geochemical characteristics of natural gas in different anticlines haven’t been compared systematically, particularly, the type and source of natural gas discovered recently in Well Gaotan-1 at the Gaoquan anticline remain unclear. The gas composition characteristics and carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions in different anticlines were compared and sorted systematically to identify genetic types and source of the natural gas. The results show that most of the gas samples are wet gas, and a few are dry gas;the gas samples from the western and middle parts have relatively heavier carbon isotope composition and lighter hydrogen isotope composition, while the gas samples from the eastern part of southern basin have lighter carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions. The natural gas in the southern margin is thermogenic gas generated by freshwater-brackish water sedimentary organic matter, which can be divided into three types, coal-derived gas, mixed gas and oil-associated gas, in which coal-derived gas and mixed gas take dominance. The Jurassic coal measures is the main natural gas source rock in the southern margin, and the Permian lacustrine and the Upper Triassic lacustrine-limnetic facies source rocks are also important natural gas source rocks. The natural gas in the western part of the southern margin is derived from the Jurassic coal measures and the Permian lacustrine source rock, while the natural gas in the middle part of the southern margin is mainly derived from the Jurassic coal measures, partly from the Permian and/or the Upper Triassic source rocks, and the natural gas in the eastern part of the southern margin is originated from the Permian lacustrine source rock. The natural gas in the Qingshuihe oil and gas reservoir of Well Gaotan-1 is a mixture of coal-derived gas and oil-associated gas, of which the Jurassic and Permian source rocks contribute about half each.

Diagenetic evolution of clastic reservoirs and its records in fine subsection:significance and application

It was showed that understanding of the diagenetic modifications and its associated products in the deeply to ultra-deeply buried tight sandstone reservoirs(DUDTSR)is great important for reservoir characterization and hydrocarbon prediction.However,the fine characterization of diagenetic evolution via geologic modelling in tight sandstones remains a great challenge as for complexity of lithology,temperature,pressure and formation fluid throughout the entire life cycle of tight sandstone reservoirs.To help get a comprehensive idea of the distribution of diagenetic processes on the formation of DUDTSR in the long geological period,type-I and type-II fine sections of diagenetic stage for clastic reservoirs were creatively proposed and its essence was illustrated using the Paleogene Huagang(EH)Formation in the southern Xihu Sag.Through combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods which began with current formation temperature,vitrinite analysis,illite and I/S mixed layers based on analytical testing of the EH Formation,(1)Paleotemperature(T),vitrinite reflectivity and smectite in mixed layer during burial processes were restored based on numerical analysis,(2)The accurate division of diagenetic evolution was identified from coarse to fine process using new model,(3)And finally the geological significance of fine division of the conventional diagenetic stage was illustrated for low-porosity and tight sandstone reservoirs.

Late Holocene Isotopic and Molecular Signals in Saline Sediments of Lake Cantara South,Australia

Isotopic,biomarker,and trace elements of a 65 cm long sedimentary core from Lake Cantara south in Adelaide,Australia were measured in an effort to trace environmental change clues in the southern Hemisphere.The geochemical

Kinetic simulation of hydrocarbon generation and its application to in-situ conversion of shale oil

The kinetic parameters of hydrocarbon generation are determined through experimental simulation and mathematical calculation using four typical samples selected from the Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation in the northwest of Songliao Basin,Chang 7 Member of Triassic Yanchang Formation in the southwest of Ordos Basin,Paleogene in the southwest of Qaidam Basin,and Lucaogou Formation of Jimusar Sag in the east of Junggar Basin.The results show that activation energy of hydrocarbon generation of organic matter is closely related to maturity and mainly ranges between 197 kJ/mol and 227 kJ/mol.On this basis,the temperature required for organic matter in shale to convert into oil was calculated.The ideal heating temperature is between 270℃and 300℃,and the conversation rate can reach 90%after 50-300 days of heating at constant temperature.When the temperature rises at a constant rate,the temperature corresponding to the major hydrocarbon generation period ranges from 225 to 350℃at the temperature rise rate of 1-150℃/month.In order to obtain higher economic benefits,it is suggested to adopt higher temperature rise rate(60-150℃/month).The more reliable kinetic parameters obtained can provide a basis for designing more reasonable scheme of in-situ heating conversion.

Stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic characteristics of natural gas from Taibei sag, Turpan-Hami Basin, NW China

Turpan-Hami Basin is a major petroliferous basin in China. To date the natural gas exploration is concentrated in the Taibei sag. The origin and source of natural gas in the Taibei sag has long been controversial. To further investigate the origin and source of the natural gas in the Taibei sag, combined with previous studies and the local geological backgrounds, this study collected 23 gas samples from the Baka, Qiuling, Shanshan and Wenmi oil fields in the Taibei sag and analyzed the sample composition, stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of all the gas samples. The results show that, gases from the four oil fields in the Taibei sag are dominated by hydrocarbon gas and belong to wet gas. Methane accounts for 65.84% to 97.94%, the content of heavy hydrocarbon (C2-5) can be up to 34.98%, while the content of nonhydrocarbon (CO2, N2) is trace. The δ13C1 value is –44.9‰ to –40.4‰,δ13C2 is –28.2‰ to –24.9‰,δ13C3 is –27.1‰ to –18.0‰ and δ13C4 is –26.7‰ to –22.1;while the variation of δD1 is not significant from –272‰ to –252‰,δD2 is –236‰ to –200‰ and δD3 is –222‰ to –174‰. Methane and its homologues (C2-5) are characterized by normal stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic distribution pattern, i.e., with the increase of carbon number, methane and its homologues become more and more enriched in 13C or D (δ13C1<δ13C2<δ13C3<δ13C4<δ13C5,δD1<δD2<δD3), which is consistent with the carbon and hydrogen isotopic features of typical thermogenic gas. All these results show that the natural gases in the four oil fields are coal-derived gas with low maturity (Ro averaged at 0.7%), and are sourced from the Middle-Lower Jurassic coal measure. The hydrogen isotopic data of natural gas are affected by both thermal maturity and the water medium of the environment where source rocks are formed. The hydrogen isotopic data indicate that the source rocks are formed in terrestrial limnetic facies with freshwater. Natural gases from Well Ba23 and Well Ke19 experienced biodegradation in the late stage.

Paleo-to Mesoproterozoic Tectono-Magmatic Events Recorded in the Huwan Complex from the Dabie Orogen,Central China:Evidence from Petrology and U-Pb Geochronology

To better understand the Paleo-to Mesoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Dabie Orogen in the northern margin of Yangtze Block,we present geochronological data for metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks in the Huwan complex.A total of 385 detrital zircon LA-ICP-MS analyses for metasedimentary rocks yielded three^(207)Pb/^(206)Pb age populations:1.50-1.80 Ga,1.81-1.87 Ga and 1.93-2.0 Ga,providing a maximum depositional timing of ca.1.50 Ga;while metafelsic volcanic gneisses yielded protolith U-Pb ages of 1893±54 Ma.The peak ages are remarkably consistent with the tectonothermal events that occurred in the northern Yangtze Block,indicating the presence of Paleo-to Mesoproterozoic magmatism in the Dabie Orogen.The age range of 1.93-2.0 Ga correlates with the Paleoproterozoic collision;the age range of 1.81-1.87 Ga coincides with the period of the post-orogenic extension;and the age range of 1.50-1.80 Ga is interpreted to associate with an extensional regime.Zircon cores with age of 1732-1965 Ma haveε_(Hf)(t)values ranging from-11.70 to-2.47,indicating that juvenile crust involved in their magma sources.Owing to the similar age spectra,we proposed that the nucleus of the Dabie Orogen was close to the Yangtze Block since the Paleoproterozoic.The Huwan complex has an intimate affiliation to the Yangtze Block,and implies multiple orogenic cycles.It was not only experienced the Paleo-Tethys ocean subduction and collision,but also recorded Paleo-to Mesoproterozoic tectono-magmatic events in the Dabie Orogen.

A novel model of the carbon cycle in the Cambrian ocean

The classic model of the carbon cycle suggests that the extensive burial of ^(12)C-enriched organic carbon leads to a positive carbon isotope(δ^(13)C)excursion(CIE),while massive oxidation of organic carbon results in a negative CIE.However,global events such as the BAsal Cambrian Carbon isotope Excursion(BACE)and the Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion(SPICE)are global negative and positive δ^(13)C excursions,respectively,and they also exhibit significant organic carbon burial anomalies,displaying decoupling between carbon isotope anomalies and organic carbon burial.Based on the analyses of the Cambrian carbon cycle and paleoceanographic evolution records from well Tadong2 in the Tarim Basin,we propose a novel model of the carbon cycle in the Cambrian ocean that incorporates oceanic dissolved organic carbon(DOC).Our findings are as follows.(1)The Cambrian ocean maintained substantial DOC reservoirs,which were regulated by ocean currents and paleo-redox conditions and exerted significant influence on the oceanic carbon cycle.(2)The oxidation of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the early Cambrian led to the BACE and the Asian Phenomenon of the Cambrian petroleum systems,while the expansion of the oceanic DOC reservoirs during the SPICE resulted in a global positive δ^(13)C excursion and the absence of significant organic carbon burial.(3)The deep-basin sedimentary environment in the eastern depression of the Tarim Basin may have fostered the development of organic-rich black shales during the Furongian Series,corresponding to organic carbon burial during the SPICE and representing potential prospects for ultra-deep oil and gas exploration.Future research should focus on the formation mechanism,reserve scale,and influencing factors of the oceanic DOC reservoirs,as well as their resource and environmental effects.It is expected that new breakthroughs will be made in the fields of Earth system science and oil and gas exploration.