Geochemical characterization of aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oils from the Tarim,Qaidam and Turpan Basins,NW China

Based on the systematic study of aromatic hydrocarbons in over 100 crude oil samples collected from the Tabei and Tazhong uplifts in the Tarim Basin,the western depression area in the Qaidam Basin and the Tabei depression in the Turpan Basin,the geochemical characteristics of the marine（Tarim Basin）,saline lacustrine（Qaidam Basin）,and swamp（Turpan Basin） oils were investigated.The marine oils from the Tarim basin are characterized by relatively low abundance of diaromatic hydrocarbons such as biphenyl and naphthalene,and relatively high abundance of triaromatic hydrocarbons including phenanthrene,dibenzothiophene and fluorene.In contrast,the swamp oils from the Turpan Basin are dominated by the highest relative abundance of diaromatic hydrocarbons and the lowest relative abundance of triaromatic hydrocarbons in all the oil samples in this study.The relative abundance of diaromatic and triaromatic hydrocarbons in the saline lacustrine oils from Qaidam Basin is between that in Tarim oils and Turpan oils.Aromatic parameters based on the isomer distributions of dimethylnaphthalenes（DMN）,trimethylnaphthalenes（TMN）,tetramethylnaphthalenes（TeMN） and methylphenanthrenes（MP）,i.e.,1,2,5-trimethylnaphthalene（TMN）/1,3,6-TMN ratio,1,2,7-TMN/1,3,7TMN ratio,（2,6-＋2,7-）-dimethylnaphthalenes（DMN）/1,6-DMN ratio,1,3,7-TMN/（1,2,5-＋1,3,7-）TMN,1,3,6,7-TeMN/（1,3,6,7-＋1,2,5,6-＋1,2,3,5-）-TeMN ratio and MP index,may reflect the diversity of organic source input,thermal maturity and depositional environments.In addition,the dibenzothiophenes（DBTs）/fluorenes（Fs） and dibenzofurans（DBFs）/Fs ratios were found to the very useful and effective in determining genetic types of crude oils for the marine,saline lacustrine,and swamp depositional environments,and for oil-oil correlations.

Geochemical characteristics of saturate hydrocar-bons in crude oils and source rocks of the Qaidam,Tarim,Tupran basins,NW China

Based on the systematic analyses of fifteen typical crude oils and ten typical potential source rocks col-lected from the Qaidam,Tarim and Turpan basins,Northwest China,the geochemical characteristics of the oils and source rocks were investigated and oil-source rock correlations undertaken.The oils and source rocks deposited in saline lacustrine environment from the western Qaidam Basin were characterized by n-alkanes with even car-bon-number preference in the C20-C28 range,low pristane/phytane(Pr/Ph) ratios(less than 0.5),and high abundances of C27 steranes,gammacerane and C35 hopanes.The oils and source rocks deposited in marine environment from the Tarim Basin were characterized by n-alkanes with even carbon-number preference in the C14-C18 range,relatively low Pr/Ph ratios(near to 1),high abundance of C28 steranes,and relatively high gammacerane.In contrast,the oils and source rocks deposited in terrigenous bog environment from the Turpan Basin were characterized by relatively high Pr/Ph ratios(oil samples greater than 6) high abundance of C29 steranes,and relatively low gammacerane and C31-35 hopanes.The higher amounts of C37 and C38 n-alkanes of source rocks from the western Qaidam Basin and the Tarim Basin suggest an origin of these alkanes from functionalized C37 and C38 n-alkadienes and alkenones in prymnesiophytes living in lacustrine and marine environments.Oil-source rock correlations suggest oils in the west-ern Qaidam Basin were derived from the Oligocene Lower Ganchaigou Formation(E3),oils in the Tabei and Tazhong uplifts from the Tarim Basin have a genetic relationship with the Middle-Upper Ordovician source beds.Oils in the Turpan Basin generally fall into two genetic types.Most oils in the Taibei depression from the Turpan Basin were derived from the Lower-Middle Jurassic coal measures,but the fewer oils in this region are a mixed source derived from the Lower-Middle Jurassic coal measure and the Upper Permian source rocks.