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.

Petroleum geochemistry and origin of shallow-buried saline lacustrine oils in the slope zone of the Mahu sag, Junggar Basin, NW China

Recently, significant oil discoveries have been made in the shallower pay zones of the Jurassic Badaowan Formation (J_(1)b) in the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, Northwest China. However, little work has been done on the geochemical characteristics and origins of the oil in the J_(1)b reservoir. This study analyzes 44 oil and 14 source rock samples from the area in order to reveal their organic geochemical characteristics and the origins of the oils. The J_(1)b oils are characterized by a low Pr/Ph ratio and high β-carotene and gammacerane indices, which indicate that they were mainly generated from source rocks deposited in a hypersaline environment. The oils are also extremely enhanced in C_(29) regular steranes, possibly derived from halophilic algae. Oil-source correlation shows that the oils were derived from the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation (P_(1)f) source rocks, which were deposited in a strongly stratified and highly saline water column with a predominance of algal/bacterial input in the organic matter. The source rocks of the Middle Permian lower-Wuerhe Formation (P_(2)w), which were deposited in fresh to slightly saline water conditions with a greater input of terrigenous organic matter, make only a minor contribution to the J_(1)b oils. The reconstruction of the oil accumulation process shows that the J_(1)b oil reservoir may have been twice charged during Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous and the Paleogene–Neogene, respectively. A large amount volume of hydrocarbons generated in the P_(1)f source rock and leaked from T_(1)b oil reservoirs migrated along faults connecting source beds and shallow-buried secondary faults into Jurassic traps, resulting in large-scale accumulations in J_(1)b. These results are crucial for understanding the petroleum system of the Mahu Sag and will provide valuable guidance for petroleum exploration in the shallower formations in the slope area of the sag.