Carbon isotopic compositions of 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene in marine oil asphaltenes from the Tarim Basin:Evidence for the source formed in a strongly reducing environment

Although 1-alkyl-2,3,6-trimethylbenzenes and a high relative amount of 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene have been detected in marine oils and oil asphaltenes from Tabei uplift in the Tarim Basin, their bio-logical sources are not determined. This paper deals with the molecular characteristics of typical ma-rine oil asphaltenes from Tabei and Tazhong uplift in the Tarim Basin and the stable carbon isotopic signatures of individual compounds in the pyrolysates of these asphaltenes using flash pyrolysis-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (PY-GC-MS) and gas chromatograph-stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS), respectively. Relatively abundant 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene is detected in the pyrolysates of these marine oil asphaltenes from the Tarim Basin. δ 13C values of 1,2,3,4-tetrame-thylbenzene in the pyrolysates of oil asphaltenes vary from-19.6‰ to-24.0‰, while those of n-alkanes in the pyrolysates show a range from-33.2‰ to-35.1‰. The 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene in the pyro-lysates of oil asphaltenes proves to be significantly enriched in 13C relative to n-alkanes in the pyro-lysates and oil asphaltenes by 10.8‰―15.2‰ and 8.4‰―13.4‰, respectively. This result indicates a contribution from photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria Chlorobiaceae to relatively abundant 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene in marine oil asphaltenes from the Tarim Basin. Hence, it can be speculated that the source of most marine oil asphaltenes from the Tarim Basin was formed in a strongly reducing water body enriched in H2S under euxinic conditions.

Constraints on the diversity of crude oil types in the Lunnan Oilfield,Tarim Basin,NW China

Hydrocarbons, include heavy oils, normal oils, waxy oils and light oils, condensate oils and gases were all found in Lunnan Oilfield, the occurrences of hydrocarbons with complicated physical properties indicates a complicated distribution of reservoirs. By the drilling data, the distribution pattern had been found that, in plan view, the density of crude oils in the western part is heavier than that of oils in the eastern part in Lunnan region, namely the crude oils were mainly found in the western part while the natural gases were mainly found in the eastern, which shows that an obvious differentiation in the east and west part was presented in the Lunnan region. Furthermore, in vertical view, the light hydrocarbons were mainly found in the Carboniferous reservoir while the heavier hydrocarbons were mainly found in the Ordovician and Triassic reservoirs. By analysis of the semi-logarithm distribution of n-alkanes, biomarker ratios and stable carbon isotopic compositions of crude oils, we have found

Kinetic study of hydrocarbon generation of oil asphaltene from Lunnan area,Tabei uplift

The molecular compositions and molecular carbon isotopic compositions of gas hydrocarbons produced in the hydrocarbon generation of oil asphaltene from Lunnnan area were investigated by pyrolysis of asphaltene sealed in gold tube in a limited system. The experimental results indicated that oil asphaltene from Lunnan area had relatively high generation potential of methane. However, the molecular compositions and molecular carbon isotopic compositions of gas hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon generation of oil asphaltene exhibited different characteristics from that of gas hydrocarbons by primary cracking of kerogen and secondary cracking of oil. Based on kinetic simulation with paleo-geothermal data of oil reservoir, the methane produced by cracking of oil asphatene was characterized by relatively light carbon isotopic compositions. This result could not explain relatively heavy carbon isotopic compositions of natural gas from Lunnan area. Pyrolysis of kerogen from source rocks under very high temperature

Simulation experiments on secondary thermal stress of biodegraded bituminous sandstones

Secondary variation of reservoir is a hot problem in petroleum geochemistry field. Several kinds of secondary variations have taken place after the formation of bituminous sandstones in the Tarim Basin including biodegra-dation, washing, dissipation and secondary thermal stress. Biodegraded bituminous sandstones were used in the experiment. Pyrolysis experiment has been performed in a closed system, simulating secondary thermal stress with continual burial of Silurian bituminous sandstones which may cause the changes in molecular compositions, carbon isotope and physical properties of bituminous sandstones. The results are as follows: (i) Gases are mainly product during the experiment and carbon isotope of gas is lighter. (ii) Yield of C6+ hydrocarbon is relative smaller, and yielded oil is mainly light oil. (iii) Chromatogram character of biodegraded oil-sand is similar to that of saturated hydrocarbon in extracts from present-day bituminous sandstones, (iv) Porosity of bituminous sandstones gradually