A Mathematical Calculation Model Using Biomarkers to Quantitatively Determine the Relative Source Proportion of Mixed Oils

It is difficult to identify the source（s） of mixed oils from multiple source rocks, and in particular the relative contribution of each source rock. Artificial mixing experiments using typical crude oils and ratios of different biomarkers show that the relative contribution changes are non-linear when two oils with different concentrations of biomarkers mix with each other. This may result in an incorrect conclusion if ratios of biomarkers and a simple binary linear equation are used to calculate the contribution proportion of each end-member to the mixed oil. The changes of biomarker ratios with the mixing proportion of end-member oils in the trinal mixing model are more complex than in the binary mixing model. When four or more oils mix, the contribution proportion of each end-member oil to the mixed oil cannot be calculated using biomarker ratios and a simple formula. Artificial mixing experiments on typical oils reveal that the absolute concentrations of biomarkers in the mixed oil cause a linear change with mixing proportion of each end-member. Mathematical inferences verify such linear changes. Some of the mathematical calculation methods using the absolute concentrations or ratios of biomarkers to quantitatively determine the proportion of each end-member in the mixed oils are deduced from the results of artificial experiments and by theoretical inference. Ratio of two biomarker compounds changes as a hyperbola with the mixing proportion in the binary mixing model, as a hyperboloid in the trinal mixing model, and as a hypersurface when mixing more than three end- members. The mixing proportion of each end-member can be quantitatively determined with these mathematical models, using the absolute concentrations and the ratios of biomarkers. The mathematical calculation model is more economical, convenient, accurate and reliable than conventional artificial mixing methods.

Genetic type and source of natural gas in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China

Natural gas has been discovered in many anticlines in the southern margin of the Junggar Basin. However, the geochemical characteristics of natural gas in different anticlines haven’t been compared systematically, particularly, the type and source of natural gas discovered recently in Well Gaotan-1 at the Gaoquan anticline remain unclear. The gas composition characteristics and carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions in different anticlines were compared and sorted systematically to identify genetic types and source of the natural gas. The results show that most of the gas samples are wet gas, and a few are dry gas;the gas samples from the western and middle parts have relatively heavier carbon isotope composition and lighter hydrogen isotope composition, while the gas samples from the eastern part of southern basin have lighter carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions. The natural gas in the southern margin is thermogenic gas generated by freshwater-brackish water sedimentary organic matter, which can be divided into three types, coal-derived gas, mixed gas and oil-associated gas, in which coal-derived gas and mixed gas take dominance. The Jurassic coal measures is the main natural gas source rock in the southern margin, and the Permian lacustrine and the Upper Triassic lacustrine-limnetic facies source rocks are also important natural gas source rocks. The natural gas in the western part of the southern margin is derived from the Jurassic coal measures and the Permian lacustrine source rock, while the natural gas in the middle part of the southern margin is mainly derived from the Jurassic coal measures, partly from the Permian and/or the Upper Triassic source rocks, and the natural gas in the eastern part of the southern margin is originated from the Permian lacustrine source rock. The natural gas in the Qingshuihe oil and gas reservoir of Well Gaotan-1 is a mixture of coal-derived gas and oil-associated gas, of which the Jurassic and Permian source rocks contribute about half each.

Formation mechanism of condensates, waxy and heavy oils in the southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China

It is a challenge to determine the source and genetic relationship of condensate, waxy and heavy oils in one given complicated petroliferous area, where developed multiple sets of source rocks with different maturity and various chemical features.The central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin, NW China is such an example where there are condensates, light oils, normal density oils, heavy crude oils and natural gases. The formation mechanism of condensates has been seriously debated for long time;however, no study has integrated it with genetic types of waxy and heavy oils. Taking the central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin as a case, this study employs geological and geochemical methods to determine the formation mechanism of condensates,waxy and heavy oils in a complicated petroliferous area, and reveals the causes and geochemical processes of the co-occurrence of different types of crude oils in this region. Based on detailed geochemical analyses of more than 40 normal crude oils, light oils,condensates and heavy oils, it is found that the condensates are dominated by low carbon number n-alkanes and enriched in light naphthenics and aromatic hydrocarbons. Heptane values of these condensates range from 19% to 21%, isoheptane values from1.9 to 2.1, and toluene/n-heptane ratios from 1.5 to 2.0. The distribution of n-alkanes in the condensates presents a mirror image with high density waxy crude oils and heavy oils. Combined with the oil and gas-source correlations of the crude oils, condensates and natural gas, it is found that the condensates are product of evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation of reservoir crude oils which were derived from mature Cretaceous lacustrine source rocks in the relatively early stage. The waxy oils are the intermediate products of evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation of reservoir crude oils, while the heavy oils are in-situ residuals. Therefore, evaporative fractionation and/or phase-controlled fractionation would account for the formation of the condensate, light oil, waxy oil and heavy oil in the central part of southern margin of Junggar Basin, resulting in a great change of the content in terms of light alkanes, naphthenics and aromatics in condensates, followed by great uncertainties of toluene/n-heptane ratios due to migration and re-accumulation. The results suggest that the origin of the condensate cannot be simply concluded by its ratios of toluene/n-heptane and n-heptane/methylcyclohexane on the Thompson's cross-plot, it should be comprehensively determined by the aspects of geological background, thermal history of source rocks and petroleum generation,physical and chemical features of various crude oils and natural gas, vertical and lateral distribution of various crude oils in the study area.