Ruthenium-ion-catalyzed oxidation of asphaltenes and oil-source correlation of heavy oils from the Lunnan and Tahe oilfields in the Tarim Basin, NW China

The identification of marine source rocks in the Tarim Basin is debated vigorously. The intention of this paper is to investigate the asphaltenes in heavy oils from the Lunnan and Tahe oilfields and Well TD2 with ruthenium-ions-catalyzed oxidation technique (RICO), in order to explore its role in oil-oil and oil-source correlations. The RICO products included n-alkanoic acids, α, ω-di-n-alkanoic acids, branched alkanoic acids, tricyclic terpanoic acids, hopanoic acids, gammacerane carboxylic acid , regular sterane carboxylic acids and 4-methylsterane carboxylic acids. The n-alkyl chains and biomarkers bounded on the asphaltenes were of unsusceptibility to biodegradation. The distribution and absolute concentrations of n-alkanoic acids in the RICO products of heavy oils from the Lunnan and Tahe oilfields are different from those of Well TD2. The biomarkers bounded on the asphaltenes, especially steranes, have a distribution trend similar to that of the counterparts in saturates. The sterane carboxylic acids and 4-methylsterane carboxylic acids in the RICO products of heavy oils from the Lunnan and Tahe oilfields, dominated by C-{30} sterane and C-{31} 4-methylsterane carboxylic acids, respectively, are significantly different from those of the heavy oils of Well TD2, whose dominating sterane and 4|methylsterane carboxylic acids are C-{28} sterane and C-{29} 4-methylsterane acids, respectively. The RICO products of the asphaltenes further indicate that the Middle-Upper Ordovician may be the main source rocks for heavy oils from the Lunnan and Tahe oilfields.

Petroleum System of the Sufyan Depression at the Eastern Margin of a Huge Strike-slip Fault Zone in Central Africa

The present paper mainly studies the petroleum system of the Sufyan Depression in the Muglad Basin of central Africa and analyzes its control of hydrocarbon accumulation. On the basis of comprehensive analysis of effective source rock, reservoir bed types and source-reservoir-seal assemblages, petroleum system theory has been used to classify the petroleum system of the Sufyan Depression. Vertically, the Sufyan Depression consists of two subsystems. One is an Abu Gabra subsystem as a self generating, accumulating and sealing assemblage. The other subsystem is composed of an Abu Gabra source rock, Bentiu channel sandstone reservoir and Darfur group shale seal, which is a prolific assemblage in this area. Laterally, the Sufyan Depression is divided into eastern and western parts with separate hydrocarbon generation centers more than 10 000 m deep. The potential of the petroleum system is tremendous. Recently, there has been a great breakthrough in exploration. The Sufyan C-1 well drilled in the central structural belt obtained high-yielding oil flow exceeding 100 tons per day and controlled geologic reserves of tens of millions of tons. The total resource potential of the Sufyan Depression is considerable. The central structural belt is most favorable as an exploration and development prospect.

Petroleum System of the Fula Depression at the Muglad Basin in the Central African Fault Zone

Petroleum system theory has been used to study characteristics of the Fula depression in the Central African fault zone.In this system,deep lacustrine facies mudstone in the Abu Gabra For-mation of the Lower Cretaceous is a very good source rock,thick deltaic facies sandstone of the Abu Gabra Formation and fluvial facies sandstone of the Bentiu Formation are good reservoir beds,and the mudstone in the Upper Cretaceous Darfur Group is the regional cap rock.The oil search mode and fault block trap seal-off conditions are considered here for passive rift basins.Particularly with respect to oil source rock distribution,successive development of reverse fault block and faulted anticlinal traps on low relief structures could have accumulated hydrocarbons because of lateral sealing by down-thrown mudstone along the up-dipping reservoir beds.At present,discoveries in this system are all large-duty oil fields.In 2009,proved reserves exceeded 2×108 t,and about 3×106 t annual throughput of crude oil was obtained.Risk exploration of the Fula depression is of short cycle and high benefit,which will be of great help for exploration in the Muglad basin.

Flow characteristics of silicon oil in nanochannels

The nonlinear flow of liquids through nanoscale channels play an important role in the separation and purification properties of porous membranes,the manufacture of biofilm ionic channels and microfluidic chips,the production of micro electro-mechanical systems.Silicon oil flow experiments were conducted through anodic alumina films with pore sizes of 26,67,89,and 124 nm,in which flow mechanism and characteristics of the oil through the nanoscale channels were analyzed.Four nanoflow features are revealed:(1)The experimental flow rate is less than the theoretical flow rate through nanochannels,as solid-liquid interaction increasing flow resistance.(2)At small shear rate,the boundary layer is one,indicating existence of a threshold pressure of oil flow through nanochannels.(3)The boundary layer decreases with the increasing of shear rate,and it rapidly decreases as shear rate increases when the value of shear rate is small.(4)The drag coefficient decreases nonlinearly with increasing shear rate,decreasing more slowly when value of shear rate is big,and trending towards 1 in the case of large shear rate.It is shown that the non-linearity of flow is induced by great solid-liquid interaction in nano and microscale,and increasing the driving force can raise the efficiency at the nanometer scale.