Acidolysis hydrocarbon characteristics and significance of sediment samples from the ODP drilling legs of gas hydrate

To study on the significance and basis of acidolysis index to China marine gas hydrate exploring, since 2006, 111 samples derived from Leg 164 and 204 of the Ocean Drilling Program （ODP） were analyzed in the experiment center of China Petroleum Exploration Research Institute to obtain data on acidolysis hydrocarbon index and methane carbon isotopes by the gas chromatography （GC） of PE AutoSystem XL and isotope mass spectrometer （IRMS） of Finnigan MAT25 I. Through these, we study the reliability of the acidolysis method and characterize the gas hydrate potential. The results show that the acidolysis hydrocarbon index has a stable correspondence with the Gas Hydrate Stability Zone （GHSZ） in the ODE and that there are clear abnormal signs in shallow samples that might reliably reflect the existence of authigenic carbonate caused by hydrocarbon migration from bottom hydrate. We therefore propose that the ability to characterize the acidolysis hydrocarbon is crucial to submarine gas hydrate exploration in China.

Kinetic Modeling the Formation of Low-mature Gases and Analysis of the Possibility to Be Accumulated

At present, shallow gases have received much attention due to low cost in exploration and production. Low-mature gases, as one significant origin to shallow gas, turns to be an important research topic. The present understanding of low-mature gases is confined within some geological cases, and few laboratory studies have been reported. Therefore, the potential and characters of low- mature gases are not clear up to now. Here, two premature samples （one coal and the other shale） were pyrolyzed in a gold confined system. The gaseous components including hydrocarbon gases and non-hydrocarbon gases were analyzed. Based on kinetic modeling, the formation of low-mature gases was modeled. The results showed that during low mature stage, about 178 mL/gTOC gas was generated from the shale and 100 mL/gTOC from the coal. Two third to three fourth of the generated gases are non-hydrocarbon gases such as H2S and CO2. The total yields of C1-5 for the two samples are almost the same, 30-40 mL/gTOC, but individual gaseous hydrocarbon is different. The shale has much lower C1 but higher C2-5, whereas the coal has higher C1 but lower C2-5. Hydrocarbon gases formed during low-mature stage are very wet. The stable carbon isotope ratios of methane range from -40‰ to -50‰ （PDB）, in good consistence with empiric criterion for low-mature gases summed up by the previous researchers. The generation characters suggest that the low-mature gases could be accumulated to form an economic gas reservoir, but most of them occur only as associated gases.

New equation to decipher the relationship between carbon isotopic composition of methane and maturity of gas source rocks

The identification of the origin and source of natural gas is always a difficult and hot issue.Hereinto,the maturity identification is one of the most important scientific problems.Many empirical equations have been established to decipher the relationship between the maturity of gas source rocks and the carbon isotopic composition of natural gas.However,these equations proposed often fail to identify the maturity of the source rocks correctly,which in turn prevents the identification of genetic types and source rocks of the natural gas because the petroliferous sedimentary basins in China are complex and diverse,with multiple sets of source rocks and different thermal history.In this paper,the oil-associated gas from the Permian lacustrine source rocks and the coal-derived gas from the Jurassic source rocks in Junggar and Turpan-Hami basins have been investigated to decipher the relationship between the maturity(vitrinite reflectance)of gas source rocks and the carbon isotopic composition of methane.The equations established areδ^(13)C_(1)=25lgR_(o)-42.5 for oil-associated gas,andδ^(13)C_(1)=25lgR_(o)-37.5 for coal-derived gas.These new equations are suitable for the maturity identification of source rocks in most petroliferous basins,and favorable for the identification of the genetic type and source of natural gas,which is very important to improve the geological theory of natural gas.

Gas Generation from Coal and Coal-Measure Mudstone Source Rocks of the Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Depression,Sichuan Basin

The Triassic and Jurassic tight sandstone gas in the western Sichuan depression,Sichuan Basin has attracted much attention in recent years,and the Upper Triassic coal-bearing Xujiahe Formation is believed to be the major source rock.However,there are relatively few studies on the carbon isotopic heterogeneity of methane generated from coal-measure source rocks and the origin of the natural gases in Xinchang Gas Field is still controversial.In this study,one coal-measure mudstone sample and one coal sample of the Xujiahe Formation in western Sichuan Basin were selected for gold tube pyrolysis experiment to determine their gas generation characteristics.Geological extrapolation of gas generation and methane carbon isotope fractionation parameters reveals that the main gas generation stage of Xujiahe Formation ranges from Late Jurassic to Cretaceous in the Xinchang Gas Field.The natural gas in the 5th member of Xujiahe Formation in Xinchang Gas Field is mainly derived from the 5th member of Xujiahe Formation itself,i.e.,self-generation and self-reservoir,however,the gas in the Jurassic gas pools is mainly derived from the source rocks of the 3rd member of Xujiahe Formation rather than the 5th member of Xujiahe Formation.